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We pray for their safe return

Last week the 2,000-day mark since the abduction of two Syrian archbishops of Aleppo was passed. Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Mor Gregorios Youhanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul Yazigi haven’t been heard from since gunmen kidnapped them outside Aleppo on April 22, 2013, almost five and a half years ago.

With faith and hope, we continue praying for all the Christians of Syria and the region, especially for the release of the archbishops and for a safe return of all Christian to their churches, their communities, and their families. We continue to pray for them, as a sign of hope.

After more than seven years, the civil war in Syria continues. Casualties are counted in the hundreds of thousands and the suffering among survivors in war-torn areas is unimaginable. Millions of Syrians have become displaced, either within their own country or as refugees in neighboring Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, as well as in Europe and elsewhere.

The once prosperous and vibrant Aleppo, an ancient metropolis in the northern part of the country, with an estimated pre-war population of more than four million, has been severely damaged. Many have lost their homes and been forced to leave the city under crossfire between rebel forces and government soldiers.

With hope of good news, we remember our brothers in Christ, the two abducted archbishops of Aleppo, Boulos Yaziji and Mor Gregorius Youhanna Ibrahim, and we pray for them waiting for their return to their dioceses, so our joy is completed. “we know and rely on the love God has for us” 1 John 4:16