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Church leaders call for justice and peace in Syria

Recognizing the failure of the Geneva 2 talks four months ago and the ongoing violence and human calamity in Syria, church leaders and representatives from Syria gathered in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, to address the challenges for faith communities in the crisis in Syria
The group met June 11 and 12 in a consultation at the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, in cooperation with the World Council of Churches (WCC).
In a communique released by the group on Thursday, 12 June, they called for restrictions on funding humanitarian aid in Syria to be lifted, for an end to the flow of arms and funding to all parties to the conflict, and for withdrawal of all armed foreign fighters.
Conferees pointed to the current regional humanitarian assistance addressing the needs of refugees fleeing Syria, and they called for “further cooperation among the different churches and church agencies” working there.
They acknowledged the 22 January, 2014 meeting on Syria held at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva where church leaders said in a message to Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations-Arab League joint representative for Syria, that they were convinced there is no military solution and there needed to be an “immediate cessation of all armed confrontation and hostility within Syria” ensuring that “all vulnerable communities in Syria and refugees in neighboring countries receive appropriate humanitarian assistance” and that “a comprehensive and inclusive process toward establishing a just peace and rebuilding Syria” should be developed.
In Armenia they also called for “the immediate release of the two Archbishops from Aleppo, His Eminence Boulos (Yazigi), Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo and Alexandretta, and His Eminence Mor Youhanna Gregorios (Ibrahim), Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, as well as Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, and all captives and those unjustly imprisoned.”
The leaders gathered on the eve of the Centenary of the Armenian and Syriac Genocide and prayed for justice and peace. The group included representatives from the Middle East Council of Churches, the WCC, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, and the Community of Sant’Édigio. Participants came from Armenia, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Norway, Poland, Russ, the UK and the USA.

Communique from church leaders on situation in Syria
Meeting in Armenia, 11-12 June, 2014
13 June 2014
Church leaders and representatives from Syria, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the Holy See [1] gathered in Etchmiadzin from 11-12 June at the invitation of His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians for a consultation in cooperation with the WCC to address the challenges for faith communities in the ongoing crisis in Syria.
We gathered on the eve of the Centenary of the Armenian and Syriac Genocide, and prayed for justice and peace. We visited the Armenian genocide memorial, and remembered all those who lost their lives for their faith or ethnicity.
This gathering also occurs at the time of the celebration of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended to give common voice to the believers in every tongue. The Holy Spirit guides us to believe that peace and justice for all people cannot be achieved by the initiatives of humanity alone.
Through diakonia and humanitarian assistance, the churches continue to witness to the unconditional love of Christ to all people in Syria. It is of high significance that churches continue to accompany those who have found refuge in neighbouring countries. Therefore, we encourage further cooperation among the different churches and church agencies within Syria and internationally. We call upon the churches who have embarked on the path of reconciliation to continue being bridge builders, deepening dialogue with their Muslim sisters and brothers.
We acknowledge with gratitude the hospitality of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Government of Armenia for hosting more than 12000 Syrian refugees in their country.
At the ecumenical and international consultation on Syria held by the WCC in January 2014, we expressed our concern for all people affected by the extreme violence and humanitarian calamity in Syria and clearly stated our deep conviction that there will be no military solution to the crisis in the country.
Almost four months have passed since the failure of the Geneva II peace process. With great sadness we continue to witness a dramatic deterioration of the situation. We abhor the massive and indiscriminate destruction of homes, schools, hospitals and places of worship. We are witnessing an alarming and dangerous development as the war has spilled over into neighbouring Iraq. Therefore we reiterate our urgent call upon all parties to the conflict to pursue an immediate cessation of armed confrontation and hostility within Syria and Iraq.
We call for the restrictions on money transfer to Syria for humanitarian purposes as well as the blocking to humanitarian assistance to be lifted, the flow of arms and funding to all parties to the conflict to stop, and all foreign armed fighters to be withdrawn.
We demand the immediate release of the two Archbishops from Aleppo, His Eminence Boulos (Yazigi) Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo and Alexandretta and His Eminence Mor Youhanna Gregorios (Ibrahim) Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, as well as Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, and all captives and those unjustly imprisoned.
These contexts shape our intentions and hopes in the journey of the fellowship of churches in the wide ecumenical family toward peace and justice among all people of faith.
“Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).
[1] Participants came from the following countries: Armenia, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Norway, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and the WCC Ecumenical partner, the Community of Sant’Egidio.