SYRIA/ITALY: Syrian Christians plead for Pope Benedict to pray for peace in Syria during his upcoming visit to neighbouring Lebanon

Record ID: 281271

  • Title: SYRIA/ITALY: Syrian Christians plead for Pope Benedict to pray for peace in Syria during his upcoming visit to neighbouring Lebanon
  • Date: 2nd September 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF CHILDREN AND WOMEN LIGHTING CANDLES
  • Embargoed: 17th September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic, Italy
  • City:
  • Country: Syrian Arab Republic Italy
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics,Royalty,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVAB7SA5OJ39E18JLPNKUXK42MIO
  • Story Text: Syrian Christians in Damascus prayed for the violence to stop in their country on Sunday (September 2) during the Sunday mass in the capital's al-Zaitoun church.
    After lighting candles in front of the altar, the worshipers asked Pope Benedict XVI to pray for peace in their country during his upcoming visit to neighbouring Lebanon. The Pope is expected to arrive in on September 14.
    One of them also called on the Pope to put pressure on the international community not to interfere in Syrian affairs.
    "I want to tell him (the pope) that if he has a voice, which people listen to in Europe, to call on Europe and America to stop interfering in Syria, otherwise we say thank you, we do not want his visit or his message," said a Syrian teacher.
    Another church-goer, a Syrian doctor, said Syrians were united in their religious differences.
    "I wish that his visit to Lebanon and the Middle East to be a message of love and peace. During his visit, I wish peace to spread in Syria. Here in Syria, we do not have differences; we are all Christians and we are all Muslims".
    Christians represent ten percent of the total Syrian population. They have always lived side by side with Muslims.
    The 18-month crisis in the country, has put pressure on the Christian community although they have chosen to be neutral in the ongoing conflict.
    Damascus and Aleppo have a large Christian population and one archbishop from the Melchite Greek Catholic church, Jean-Clement Jeanbart, fled to Lebanon last week, with a number of priests, after his offices were ransacked in Aleppo according to the Catholic news agency Fides.
    Fides said unidentified groups wanted to "feed a religious war" in Syria.
    Some countries in Europe, including Germany, have looked into the possibility of allowing Syrian Christians to emigrate But many say they do not want to be pushed out of their own country "This is the biggest mistake to make Christians leave the east, because this is our country. We lived here and we are living here. How could we leave it and walk away?" asked Syrian Ghassan Zainieh.
    Pope Benedict said he was looking forward to his Lebanon visit after he had conducted the Angelus Prayer in his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo on Sunday.
    "I also greet the Lebanese present this morning - I assure them of my prayers and tell them of my joy to visit their beautiful country soon. I bless you all with all my heart," said the Pope to a lively crowd of pilgrims who had gathered to see him.
    The Vatican recently confirmed that the Pope's trip will go forward as planned, despite fighting raging in neighbouring Syria.
    Pope Benedict's visit to Lebanon is scheduled for September 14-16. But escalating violence in Syria and sectarian tensions in Lebanon prompted speculation in August that the pontiff might be forced to postpone the trip.
    Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi said one of the pope's specially designed cars - a so-called popemobile equipped with bullet-proof glass - was already on its way to Beirut.
    Lebanon will be the 85-year-old pope's second foreign visit this year after a trip to Mexico and Cuba in March.
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