MESSAGGIO DI CAPODANNO 2025 AI MEMBRI DELL’ORDINE DI SAN LAZZARO DI SUA BEATITUDINE YOUSSEF ABSI PATRIARCA DI ANTIOCHIA, DI TUTTO L'ORIENTE, DI ALESSANDRIA E DI GERUSALEMME DEI MELCHITI PATRIARCA PROT

MESSAGGIO DI CAPODANNO 2025 AI MEMBRI DELL’ORDINE DI SAN LAZZARO DI SUA BEATITUDINE YOUSSEF ABSI PATRIARCA DI ANTIOCHIA, DI TUTTO L'ORIENTE, DI ALESSANDRIA E DI GERUSALEMME DEI MELCHITI PATRIARCA PROTETTORE DELL’ORDINE DI SAN LAZZARO DI GERUSALEMME

NEW YEAR'S MESSAGE 2025 TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF SAINT LAZARUS OF HIS BEATITUDE YOUSSEF ABSI PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH, OF ALL THE EAST, OF ALEXANDRIA AND OF JERUSALEM OF THE MELKITES PATRIARCH PROTECTOR OF THE ORDER OF SAINT LAZARUS OF JERUSALEM

Dear Sisters and Brothers

At this time of great tension and uncertainty in the Middle East, we wish to express our deep concern and fervent desire for peace for all the communities that inhabit this blessed land. Peace is a precious gift, a fundamental value that we must pursue with determination and love. As the Church Fathers teach us, ‘peace is the highest good’ and we are called to be instruments of reconciliation.

Sacred Scripture reminds us: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God’ (Matthew 5:9). This invites us to be active in promoting peace, building bridges of dialogue and understanding between different faiths and cultures. It is essential that we join together in prayer to promote reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. Our witness of love and compassion can illuminate this terrifying time.

We appeal to all to join Christians in the Middle East in seeking solutions that respect the dignity of every person. Hope is possible and together we can build a future where justice and peace reign supreme. May God bless the path to peace and guide us in our efforts for a united and peaceful Middle East.

Christmas is not just an occasion for celebration, but an invitation to live in unity, in love and in service to others.

I wish you all a Holy Christmas and a New Year filled with peace and hope!

Damascus, 30 december 2024

+ Youssef

Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and all the East