In Memoriam: Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch

Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of the Antiochian Orthodox Church has fallen asleep at the age of ninety-one. The patriarch, a native of Syria's Hama province and graduate of the American University of Beirut, was in the 1940s a founder of the Orthodox Youth Movement before going on to serve as a clergyman and, later, as an auxiliary bishop to the patriarch and Metropolitan of Lattakia in western Syria. In 1979 he was elected Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. After faithfully shepherding the Church of Antioch for thirty-three years Patriarch Ignatius reposed earlier today in Beirut, Lebanon, after suffering a severe stroke. May his memory be eternal! More on Patriarch Ignatius' life can be found here.

Syriac Orthodox Church to Consider Relocation of Patriarchate

At the upcoming fall session of its Holy Synod the Syriac Orthodox Church will reportedly consider the transfer of the Antioch Patriarchate from its current seat in Damascus, where it has been situated since the 1950s, to Beirut in neighboring Lebanon due to the ongoing attacks in Syria on Syriac Orthodox Christians and their churches. There may also be discussion of the possibility of transferring the Patriarchate out of the Middle East entirely due to the large Suryoyo Diaspora in Western Europe and North America. (With or without the autonomous Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church in India, most Syriac Orthodox Christians reside outside of the Middle East now.) If this transfer were to take place it would be the first time in its history that the Antioch Patriarchate would relocate outside of its canonical territory in greater Syria. More here.

Cilician Catholicos Appeals for Aid to Syria

Catholicos Aram (Keshishian) of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Cilicia, which cares for the Armenian Diaspora in Syria, has appealed to humanitarian organizations to expedite the provision of aid to the country's population, which is suffering as conflict between the Syrian government and rebel movements both claims lives and destroys crops. More here.

Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch Calls for Unity in Syria

Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of Antioch has called on the Syrian people "to accept each other and live as one nation," decrying the expulsion of Syria's Christians from their homes and calling on the United Nations to work for the peace and stability of the country. The full appeal can be found here.

Aleppan Christians Fear Rebel Attacks

As Syrian rebels attack the city of Aleppo Christians there fear they will suffer as their coreligionists in Homs did. Following Islamist rebels' seizure of parts of Homs most of its 120,000 Christian residents fled the city. More here.

Abductions Up in Egypt as Syrian Islamists Continue Attacks on Christians, Iraqis

It is being reported that planned abductions of Coptic Orthodox women and girls in Egypt have risen significantly since the overthrow there of President Hosni Mubarak, while in Syria Islamist terrorists fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad continue to terrorize the country's large Christian minorities, including the many Iraqi Christian refugees who fled to the country after the US occupation of Iraq. More here and here.

Last Christians in Homs Evacuated

Christians from the Syrian city of Homs have been evacuated under an agreement on the issue between the Syrian Armed Forces and the rebels fighting to take the city. At the time of the evacuation the city, once home to tens of thousands of Christians, only had roughly a hundred left due to Islamist rebels' targeting of the city's churches. More here.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Confirms al-Qaeda Fighters Entering Syria

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has confirmed reports that there is a significant flow of Islamists militants from Iraq into Syria to participate in the Sunni uprisings there against the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Supporters of al-Qaeda, theoretically one of the United States' main opponents in the international terrorist scene, are among the militants entering Syria to fight its secularist regime. More here.

GOAA Clergy-Laity Congress Passes Resolutions Supporting Greece, Middle Eastern Orthodox

The biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, has passed resolutions calling on the US government to protect the Orthodox Christian minorities native to Syria and Egypt. The Congress also appealed to all Americans to help Greece as it continues to struggle with the effects of its economic crisis. More here.

Syriac Orthodox Church Announces Plans to Open Private University in Syria

The Syriac Orthodox Church has announced plans for the construction of a church-affiliated private university near al-Qamishli in northeastern Syria. The new Al-Akhtal University will focus on scientific fields, with faculties of dentistry, engineering, medicine, and pharmacology (among others) planned. More here.

50,000 Christians Flee Syria?

In a repose to the Duma a Russian diplomat serving in Syria has estimated that 50,000 Christians have fled Syria or been killed during the course of the ongoing Syrian conflict. More here.

Assyrian Holy Synod Meets, Consecrates New Bishop

A session of the full Holy Synod of the Assyrian Church of the East has been held under Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV (Khnanya) of Seleucia-Ctesiphon at the seat of the Church in Chicago. During the course of session the assembled hierarchs discussed the current challenges facing the Assyrian Church in Iraq and Syria as well as in the Assyrian Diaspora. A new bishop for the eastern United States, Bishop Mar Paul (Benyamin), was consecrated following the close of the session. Prior to his consecration Bishop Mar Paul, a native of northwestern Iran, served in Assyrian parishes in Tehran and Chicago. More here and here.

Saidnaya Monastery Attacked

It is being reported that Syrian rebels have attacked the Antiochian Orthodox Church's world famous Saydnaya Monastery, firing shells at the pilgrimage center that fortunately did not explode upon impact. (Their failure to explode is being credited as a miracle of the Mother of God, to whom Saydnaya is dedicated.) More (in Greek) here.

There are concerns that as the Syrian uprisings continue Syria's religious minorities, who have enjoyed equal rights under the secular Baathist rule of President Bashar al-Assad, will increasingly become the targets of the anti-Assad rebels. Please keep Syria and its peoples in your prayers!

Palestinian Orthodox Metropolitan Calls for Unity in Syria

Metropolitan Theodosios (Hanna) of Sebaste, the only Palestinian Arab member of the hierarchy of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, has called on Syrians to hold on to their unity despite the ongoing unrest in their country so that it can maintain the state of freedom that has existed for its peoples over the past decades. Metropolitan Theodosios' call came during his recent visit to the Golan Heights, formerly Syrian territory that has been annexed by Israel. More here.

Antiochian Orthodox Patriarch Comments on Syrian Unrest from Beirut

While on a pastoral visit to Lebanon the Antiochian Orthodox Church's Patriarch Ignatios IV (Hazim) has stated that he does not believe that Syria will collapse into civil war or that the efforts of its religious minorities to preserve their homeland's peace and stability are at the expense of either its freedom or its peoples' human rights. More here.

Syriac Orthodox Metropolitans in Syria, Lebanon Meet in Damascus

This past Saturday Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka (Iwas) of Antioch led a meeting of the Syriac Orthodox metropolitans in Lebanon and Syria to discuss the state of the Syriac Orthodox Church there. During the meeting the hierarchs also discussed recent developments in the life of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Germany and India as well as the Church's ecumenical commitments. More (in Arabic) here.

Patriarchal Visit to Syria Postponed by Russian Orthodox Church

The planned visit of Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) of the Russian Orthodox Church to Syria and Lebanon is likely to be postponed due to the ongoing unrest in Syria. More here.

Syria Appoints New Defense Minister

In an effort to accelerate the repression of Sunni Muslim uprisings across Syria the country's President Bashar al-Assad has dismissed his defense minister and replaced him with General Daoud Rajiha. The appointment comes as a surprise as the key position in the Syrian government has normally been reserved for members of al-Assad's Alawi Muslim minority. (General Rajiha is an Antiochian Orthodox Christian.) More here.

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Returns to Syria

Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of the Syriac Orthodox Church has returned to Damascus after traveling to Germany for medical attention. More (in Arabic) here.

Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan Visits Greece

Metropolitan Mor Gregorios (Yohanna) of Aleppo of the Syriac Orthodox Church has concluded a visit to Greece. During his time in Greece Metropolitan Mor Gregorios met with representatives of the Greek Foreign Ministry to discuss the ongoing unrest in Syria and also with Archbishop Jerome II (Liapis) of Athens to convey to him the greetings of Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch and discuss relations between the Syriac and Greek Orthodox Churches. More (in Arabic) here.