Patriarch of Antioch: Middle East is a land of Christians, we won't leave it
Patriarch John of Antioch. Photo: Antiochian Patriarchate's Facebook
On December 31, 2025, Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, leading the New Year's Divine Liturgy at the Mariamite Cathedral of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos in Damascus, stated that Christians will not leave the Middle East despite ongoing conflicts and pressure, as reported on the official website of the Antiochian Patriarchate.
Metropolitan Efraim (Aleppo) and Metropolitans Gregorios (Homs), along with their Graces bishops Romanos (Hannat), Moussa (Al-Khoury), Ioannis (Batach), Moses (Al-Khosi), and many priests and deacons from the Archdiocese of Damascus participated in the service together with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Antioch.
In his sermon, Patriarch John X noted that the Nativity of Christ became a turning point in human history and filled human life with a new meaning.
The Primate paid special attention to the topic of Christian presence in the Middle East, firmly rejecting the very possibility of its disappearance. "I reject the idea of the Middle East without Christians because Christ Himself is Middle Eastern. These places are not just a handful of earth, but the place of the Divine Incarnation," emphasized the Patriarch.
Speaking about the difficulties that force some to consider emigration, the Patriarch declared the Church's firm position: "We will not leave. We are Antiochians, and we will remain Antiochians. We will stay on our land, and Antioch will remain our Apostolic capital."
In conclusion, His Beatitude offered prayers for peace in Syria, Lebanon, the entire Middle East, and the whole world, as well as for those missing, including the Metropolitans of Aleppo, Yohanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi. After the Divine Liturgy concluded, a doxology was celebrated in the cathedral in honor of the beginning of 2026.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that the King of Jordan called to protect Christians in the Middle East.
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