President al-Assad affirms to Patriarch Karim the Patriarchate’s vital role in promoting fraternity

President Bashar Al-Assad received Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II Karim

Damascus, April 02, 2014 (SANA): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received Wednesday, April 2, 2014, Patriarch Elect Mar Ignatius Aphrem II Karim of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch and the accompanying Patriarchate delegation.

President al-Assad congratulated Karim for being elected Patriarch, wishing him luck in his new post and affirming the Patriarchate’s vital role in spreading the culture of love and fraternity in the face of the threat posed by exclusionist takfiri mentality affecting the region and the world.

For his part, Patriarch Karim hoped that security and peace will prevail in Syria whose people are a shining example of national unity, asserting that the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate supports the Syrian people’s struggle against terrorism and their right to self-determination away from interference and dictation from any foreign side.

Karim was elected Patriarch on Monday at al-Atshaneh in Lebanon. He was born in al-Qamishli city in Hasaka province, Syria, in 1965, and served as archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch for the Eastern United States of America.

H. Sabbagh
Source: SANA

Additional sources for this story

• President Bashar Al-Assad received Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II Karim
• ‎جوقة مار أفرام السرياني البطريركية - دمشق ܓܘܕܐ ܦܛܪܝܪܟܝܬܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ

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