Melkite Catholic Patriarch Gregory III calls on the world’s Christians not to forget their persecuted brethren in the Middle East. From Catholic World News, with thanks to Boulos Tawil:
Oct. 04 (CWNews.com) – Patriarch Gregory III Laham, the head of the Melkite Catholic Church, pleaded for attention to “the Church of the Arabs” during an intervention at the Synod of Bishops on October 4, 2005.
In light of international terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, Arabic Christians urgently need support, the Melkite Patriarch said. He argued that if universal Church showed support for the Christian minority in the Arabic world, that support would encourage and embolden the Christians who are now living under extremely difficult circumstances.
The Syrian-born prelate also suggested that the Church should be mindful of the importance of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, particularly to the Christians of the Middle East. The cause of peace in the Holy Land, he said, is “of the utmost importance for the preservation of the Christian presence in the Arab world.”