Syria: ‘prayers mingled with tears’ at Easter
May 07, 2013
Easter, which was celebrated on May 5 on the Julian calendar, was a time of continued weeping for Syria’s Christians, according to the Chaldean Catholic bishop of Aleppo, the nation’s largest city. The Syriac Orthodox and Greek Orthodox archbishops of Aleppo were kidnapped on April 22, following the abduction of two priests in February.
“They sang, ‘Christ is risen,’ and while repeating those words of joy and victory, they all had tears in their eyes,” said Bishop Antoine Audo, SJ. “All their prayers mingled with their tears.”
“Everyone is wondering what will become of the bishops and priests,” he continued. “The time that goes by is not a good sign.”
“The daily struggle for survival also prevents one from having a clear overall perception with regard to the ongoing conflict, the consequences of Israeli air raids and the dangers of contagion at a regional scale,” he added. “We are often with no electricity, no water … As president of Caritas, I spend all the time receiving people who are looking for help. And I also had to cancel every transfer from Aleppo, because every movement has become dangerous.”
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