Papal encouragement for Syriac Church, serving endangered Christians in Iraq and Syria

December 12, 2014

At a December 12 meeting with the bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church, Pope Francis sent a message of support to the Christians “who are living through a time of great suffering and fear” in Syria and Iraq.

The Pope urged the Syriac bishops—led by Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan of Antioch—to encourage their people to maintain the Christian witness in their lands. He also asked them to coordinate their humanitarian work—both with the faithful who remain in their homes and the refugees who are seeking security in other countries. The Syriac bishops promptly accepted that suggestion.

While he recognized the reasons for the mass exodus of Christians from Syria and Iraq, Pope Francis voiced his sorrow at the decreasing Christian presence. “This movement of the faithful towards countries that are considered safer impoverishes the Christian presence in the Middle East, the land of the prophets, the first preachers of the Gospel, the martyrs and many saints, the cradle of the hermits and monasticism,” he said.

The Syriac Church is currently conducting a reform of its liturgical traditions, and the Pope observed that this process calls for “intense examination of the tradition and great discernment.” He calls upon the Syriac bishops to preserve their ancient traditions, while adapting them to a changing culture.

 

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Further information:

• Francis receives Syriac-Catholic faithful: be true to your origins in different cultural contexts (VIS)