See my earlier posts today:
...plus these recent press releases from the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations (excerpts only below; follow links for full reports):
Press conference on ‘Syria: Christians in the Heat of War’ with participation of Syrian hierarchs takes place in Moscow (10/11/2013 — Archbishop Mor Silwanos Butros al-Ni’meh thanked the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian state for their help and support. According to the Syrian archbishop, there are very serious problems with delivering aid to the needy... The Syrian hierarch noted that many people have lost their homes to become refugees. Blood is being shed in the country, but Syrian Christians do not wish to leave their homeland, even in the situation when many of them are being forced to do that. Full story...
Mr. Leonid Kalashnikov, deputy chairman of State Duma Committee on International Affairs, meets with Christian hierarchs from Syria (10/09/2013) — On behalf of the Syrian people, Archbishop Mor Silwanos Butros al-Ni’meh expressed gratitude to the people of Russia and to the Russian Orthodox Church for their sympathy and support and emphasized that the war in Syria affected all its citizens. So far, sixty Christian churches have been destroyed in Homs, Aleppo, Maalula and other cities and towns. Many Christians in these cities have already died and die every day. The Syrian archpastor expressed his hope that Syria would remain home for Christians and noted with regret that half a million Christians have already left their homeland. Full story...
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, DECR chairman, meets with representatives of Christian Churches of Syria (10/10/2013) — Archbishop Samir Nassar noted that three million Syrian citizens have become refugees as a result of the war; another five million people are forced to migrate from one place to another within the country. Metropolitan Hilarion expressed his hope for the peacemaking potential of the forthcoming Geneva II Conference and emphasized the importance for Christian Churches to join their efforts in order to help Syrian people. The participants in the meeting also discussed the relationships between Christians and Muslims within one and the same country. Full story...
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk meets with Mr. Gebran Bassil, Lebanon’s acting Minister of Energy and Water (10/10/2013) — Mr. Bassil expressed his deep gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Christians in the Middle East. The Minister reminded all those present about the history of the region where Christianity had arisen and shared with them his concerns over the unceasing hostilities in Syria and over the sufferings of Christians there. Mr. Gebran Bassil expressed his hope that the situation would stabilize and peace would be re-established in the country. Metropolitan Hilarion assured Mr. Bassil of the willingness of the Russian Orthodox Church to continue her efforts aimed at defending Christians in the Middle East. Full story...