MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-MARONITE Lebanese Maronite Patriarch visits Damascus

Record ID: 150419

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-MARONITE Lebanese Maronite Patriarch visits Damascus
  • Date: 7th June 2015
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JUNE 7, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF THE CONVOY OF LEBANESE MARONITE PATRIARCH BECHARA AL-RAI, ARRIVING VARIOUS OF RAI SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE
  • Embargoed: 22nd June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8U2B1YXAGRAMAT6214L22BMX5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Syrian Maronites received Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai in the Maronite patriarchy in the old Damascus part of the Syrian capital on Sunday (June 7).
    Rai headed a mass, in which representatives of all Christian sects took part, to pray for peace and stability in Syria.
    The visit was Rai's second to Syria with his first coming two years ago.
    Rai said his visit is purely religious and aims at meeting Maronites in Syria and discussing the Christian existence in the region especially with the growing threat of Islamic State fighters.
    Syria has been ravaged by civil war since 2011 as the government has fought off a rebellion that initially began as peaceful pro-democracy protests but soon turned into a violent uprising led by Islamists, chief among whom Islamic State, who now hold around half of Syrian territory.
    This created additional burdens and challenges against Christians who form around 10 percent of the total population in the country.
    Despite large numbers of Christians fleeing Syria, many have remained in their home country.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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