Monday, April 29, 2013

Letter to Secretary of State John Kerry

Source (ACOB)

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Download the Letter in PDF format


The Honorable John Kerry

United States Secretary of State


Dear Secretary Kerry,


We, the Members of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of North and Central America, kindly bring to your attention the urgent and very serious plight of the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox Archbishops of Aleppo, Paul Yazigi and Yohanna Ibrahim, who were abducted this past week by “a terrorist group” in the village of Kfar Dael as they were carrying out humanitarian work.


Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria, religious minorities have not only come under increasing attacks by Islamic fundamentalist rebels, but also have been caught in the crossfire of the opposing factions. As you well know, on April 22, 2013, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released a report entitled Protecting and Promoting Religious Freedom in Syria. Religious minorities, including the Christian population, have been targeted for extinction in an attempt to create an Islamic State in Syria and to impose Sharia Law as the law of the land. To that end, Christian clerics have been kidnapped and murdered, even as they tried to bring aid and comfort to their people in this war torn country, while others are still missing, taken captive by rebel forces.


We fervently beseech you to immediately call for and actively work towards the immediate release of Archbishops Paul Yazigi and Yohanna Ibrahim, especially as Orthodox Christians around the globe are preparing to celebrate the Resurrection of OurLord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 5th. We would further hope that the United States government, which has always been a champion of civil rights and religious freedom and defends the dignity and safety of every individual, would exert pressure on all parties in Syria to stop the killing of innocent people and restore freedom of religion and respect for all religious minorities.


We are indebted to you and others within the administration for your tireless efforts. As Orthodox Christians, the most appropriate way to express this appreciation is to continue to pray for all our civil authorities. May the Lord bless and keep you: The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace. (OT Book of Numbers 6:24-26).


Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America


Metropolitan Philip, 1st Vice Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of New York and all North America


Archbishop Justinian, 2nd Vice Chairman of the Assembly of Bishops

Russian Orthodox Church in the USA


Bishop Basil, Secretary of the Assembly of Bishops

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America


Metropolitan Antony, Treasurer of the Assembly of Bishops

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Eastern Eparchy


Metropolitan Iakovos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago


Metropolitan Methodios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston


Metropolitan Isaiah

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Denver


Metropolitan Alexios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta


Metropolitan Nicholas

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Detroit


Metropolitan Savas

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Pittsburgh


Metropolitan Gerasimos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco


Metropolitan Evangelos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey


Bishop Andonios

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America


Bishop Demetrios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago


Bishop Sevastianos

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America


Metropolitan Athenagoras

Holy Metropolis of Mexico


Metropolitan Nikitas

Patriarch Athenagoras Orthodox Institute in Berkley, CA


Bishop Gregory

American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA


Bishop Daniel

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Western Eparchy


Bishop Ilia

Albanian Orthodox Diocese


Archbishop Joseph

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Los Angeles and the West


Bishop Antoun

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Miami and the Southeast


Bishop Thomas

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Charleston, Oakland and the Mid-Atlantic


Bishop Alexander

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada & Upstate New York


Bishop John

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Worcester and New England


Bishop Anthony

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of Toledo and the Midwest


Bishop Nicholas

Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese, Bishop of Brooklyn and Assistant to the Metropolitan


Metropolitan Hilarion

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Eastern America and New York Diocese


Archbishop Alypy

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Chicago and Mid-America Diocese


Archbishop Kyrill

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, San Francisco and Western America Diocese


Bishop Peter

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Administrator of Chicago and Mid-America

Diocese


Bishop Theodosy

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Vicar – San Francisco and Western America Diocese


Bishop George

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Vicar – Eastern America Diocese


Bishop Jerome

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia


Bishop John

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Bishop-in-Charge of Old Ritualist Parishes


Bishop Longin

Serbian Orthodox Church, Chicago and Mid-America Diocese


Bishop Mitrophan

Serbian Orthodox Church, Eastern American Diocese


Bishop Maxim

Serbian Orthodox Church, Western American Diocese


Archbishop Nicolae

Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas


Bishop Ioan Casian

Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in the Americas


Metropolitan Joseph

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church of the USA, Canada, and Australia


Bishop Daniil

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church of the USA, Canada, and Australia


Metropolitan Dimitri

Georgian Orthodox Church, Dioceses of Batumi & Lazeti and America


Metropolitan Tikhon

Orthodox Church in America, Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.


Archbishop Nathaniel

Orthodox Church in America, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate


Archbishop Nikon

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of New England and Albanian Archdiocese


Archbishop Benjamin

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of San Francisco and the West


Bishop Melchisedek

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania


Bishop Michael

Orthodox Church in America, Diocese of New York and New Jersey


Bishop Alexander

Orthodox Church in America, Bulgarian Diocese


Bishop Irineu

Orthodox Church in America, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate


Bishop Mark

Orthodox Church in America


Metropolitan Sotirios

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto


Bishop Christoforos

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto


Metropolitan Yurij

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada


Bishop Ilarion

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada


Bishop Andriy

Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada


Archbishop Gabriel

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia


Bishop Iov

Russian Orthodox Church


Bishop Georgije

Serbian Orthodox Church


Bishop Irénée

Orthodox Church in America, Archdiocese of Ottawa and Canada


Bishop Pankratij

Holy Metropolis of Mexico


Metropolitan Antonio

Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Mexico, Venezuela, Central America & the Caribbean


Bishop Ignatius

Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Mexico, Venezuela, Central America & the Caribbean


Archbishop Alejo

Exarchate of Mexico Orthodox Church in America






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