Patriarch of Antioch calls for cessation of war in Ukraine

Antiochian Patriarch John. Photo: Facebook of the Antiochian Patriarchate

On May 18, 2025, during the solemn ceremony of consecration of the Church of the “Unexpected Joy” Icon of the Mother of God in the Lebanese city of Zahlé, the Antiochian Patriarch John expressed deep concern about the situation between Russia and Ukraine.

“We dedicate this church with a heart that bleeds for what is happening between Russia and Ukraine. Our prayers to the Mother of Mercy and Our Lady of Joy are to stop the war out of mercy for the people who are bleeding from hunger, spirit, violence, killing, and displacement,” noted the Primate of the Antiochian Church in his speech, which was read by Archimandrite George Yaacoub, Abbot of the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand on his behalf.

The Patriarch expressed concern for the situation of the believers of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church: “Our prayers are for our brothers and sisters in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who are paying the price of their faith with the closure of churches, the confiscation of property, and the prohibition of religious practices.”

At the same time, the Antiochian Primate highly appreciated the historical role of the Russian Church, which “which has stood and continues to stand by the Church of Antioch from the days of Tsarist Russia to the present day”. He conveyed his best wishes to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and “through him to all our brothers and sisters in the Russian Church”.

The ceremony of consecration of the church was also attended by the head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Anthony, with an accompanying delegation.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Patriarch of Antioch sent a strong letter to Jerusalem over Qatar.

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