SYRIA: SYRIAN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH CALLS FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIMS

Record ID: 276761

  • Title: SYRIA: SYRIAN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH CALLS FOR DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHRISTIAN AND MUSLIMS
  • Date: 20th April 2003
  • Summary: (W4) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (APRIL 20, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF WORSHIPPERS INSIDE CHURCH CELEBRATED BY ROMAN CATHOLIC PATRIARCH GREGORIUS THE THIRD 0.04 2. SMV PATRIARCH SINGING 0.12 3. WIDE OF PROCESSION OF PRIESTS HOLDING CANDLES AND WALKING DOWN ISLE 0.22 4. SMV CHURCH CHOIR 0.27 5. SMV PEOPLE HOLDING CANDLES AND
  • Embargoed: 5th May 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DAMASCUS, SYRIA
  • Country: Syria
  • Reuters ID: LVA1CQ90UN5YJHY8WVCNPCG9J7J
  • Story Text: Syria's Roman Catholic Patriarch Gregorius The Third
    has called for dialogue between Christians and Muslims as he
    labelled the war in Iraq 'a failure' during Easter Sunday
    celebrations.



    Roman Catholics in Syria celebrated Easter Sunday
    (April 20) with a low key mass in Damascus.

    Patriarch Gregorius the Third addressed the crowd to
    announce the decision of the church to hold modest
    celebrations this year as a sign of concern for the
    Palestinians and the people in Iraq.

    "We consider the war on Iraq of this size, at the dawn of
    the thirtieth century, a great failure for mankind both in the
    East and West. We place the blame of this failure on the loss
    of faith and humanity in the face of crime, unfairness, lies,
    greed, pride, and extremism. We need to awaken humanity's
    conscience which is guided by our faith in God and his holy
    book." he told worshippers at Easter mass.

    In the political front, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
    arrived in Damascus for talks with Syria's Bashar al-Assad on
    Iraq and tensions between Damascus and Washington over alleged
    Syrian chemical weapons.

    A war of words between the United States and Syria over
    U.S. allegations that Syria may be developing chemical weapons
    has raised fears in the Arab world that Damascus could be the
    next target of the U.S.-led war against Iraq.

    Syria denied U.S. accusations that also included giving
    safe haven to officials linked to neighbouring Iraq's Saddam
    Hussein.

    U.S. officials have also charged that Syria, on a U.S.

    list of states which it says support terrorism, sent military
    equipment to Iraq and allowed fighters to cross into Iraq to
    fight U.S.-led troops.


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