Prayers for Metropolitans Paul Yazigi & Youhanna Ibrahim who were KIDNAPPED..

[Gxg (G²)]

Both articles mention an Iranian paper, but I've not yet checked it (can't read Persian) or other sources.

Got ya.

 

[MariaRegina]

From the Russians: Abducted Syrian Orthodox Priests Alive In Turkey – Report : A Russian Orthodox Church Website

From the Serbs: Abducted Syrian Orthodox priests alive in Turkey – Report – InSerbia News

Lord have mercy

 

[E.C.]

From al-Joumhouria paper in Lebanon: Al Joumhouria | الجمهورية | Newspaper | Lebanon

It is in Arabic, but Google Translate will surprisingly work well enough. Kind of.

Basically, they're saying that Senator Charles Dent of Pennsylvania revealed information from the US State Department that the two bishops are "safe" (a very relative term) in an area near the border between Syria and Turkey near Aleppo.
There was a fourth guy (a Protestant) who was in the car with the two bishops. He plans to move to either Emirates or America. He says that they were on the road to pick up a kidnapped priest when they were indeed ambushed as soon as the ambushers realized that they were Christian clerics. He himself somehow managed to escape and did not go to either Church to tell them what had happened out of "fear and confusion".

The two bishops are being held by either the Muslim Brotherhood or fighters from the Syrian National Council.

The paper notes that it is about time that information is coming out about the bishops especially after a "strongly-worded statement" from the Syriac Orthodox Church (they're part of the Oriental Orthodox) was released recently.
The paper also notes that their is fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Islamist groups (Jabat al-Nusra and others) and the fact that the Islamists continue to kidnap Christians with impunity shows how much influence and control they have in Syria.

That's the E.C. summary. What gets me, personally, is the fact that if the bishops are being held by the National Council people; than why doesn't their chairman, a self-proclaimed Orthodox Christian, lobby for their release? Assuming he is not already.
Sadly, I only find solace in two facts. 1) the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Saidnaya (a titular see in Syria) Luke, said in an interview with RT (Russian) that said chairman of said Council "lacks the morals of a true Christian" because his fighters keep targeting Christians and 2) after being around Arabs for most hours in the day for the last year I can say this: they tend to lack long-term thinking.

Lord have mercy.

 

[ArmyMatt]

From al-Joumhouria paper in Lebanon: Al Joumhouria | الجمهورية | Newspaper | Lebanon

It is in Arabic, but Google Translate will surprisingly work well enough. Kind of.

Basically, they're saying that Senator Charles Dent of Pennsylvania revealed information from the US State Department that the two bishops are "safe" (a very relative term) in an area near the border between Syria and Turkey near Aleppo.
There was a fourth guy (a Protestant) who was in the car with the two bishops. He plans to move to either Emirates or America. He says that they were on the road to pick up a kidnapped priest when they were indeed ambushed as soon as the ambushers realized that they were Christian clerics. He himself somehow managed to escape and did not go to either Church to tell them what had happened out of "fear and confusion".

The two bishops are being held by either the Muslim Brotherhood or fighters from the Syrian National Council.

The paper notes that it is about time that information is coming out about the bishops especially after a "strongly-worded statement" from the Syriac Orthodox Church (they're part of the Oriental Orthodox) was released recently.
The paper also notes that their is fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Islamist groups (Jabat al-Nusra and others) and the fact that the Islamists continue to kidnap Christians with impunity shows how much influence and control they have in Syria.

That's the E.C. summary. What gets me, personally, is the fact that if the bishops are being held by the National Council people; than why doesn't their chairman, a self-proclaimed Orthodox Christian, lobby for their release? Assuming he is not already.
Sadly, I only find solace in two facts. 1) the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Saidnaya (a titular see in Syria) Luke, said in an interview with RT (Russian) that said chairman of said Council "lacks the morals of a true Christian" because his fighters keep targeting Christians and 2) after being around Arabs for most hours in the day for the last year I can say this: they tend to lack long-term thinking.

Lord have mercy.

well, thanks for the update. good to know they are still relatively safe, but Lord have mercy.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

well, thanks for the update. good to know they are still relatively safe, but Lord have mercy.

Indeed...

 

[Gxg (G²)]

From al-Joumhouria paper in Lebanon: Al Joumhouria | الجمهورية | Newspaper | Lebanon

It is in Arabic, but Google Translate will surprisingly work well enough. Kind of.

Basically, they're saying that Senator Charles Dent of Pennsylvania revealed information from the US State Department that the two bishops are "safe" (a very relative term) in an area near the border between Syria and Turkey near Aleppo.
There was a fourth guy (a Protestant) who was in the car with the two bishops. He plans to move to either Emirates or America. He says that they were on the road to pick up a kidnapped priest when they were indeed ambushed as soon as the ambushers realized that they were Christian clerics. He himself somehow managed to escape and did not go to either Church to tell them what had happened out of "fear and confusion".

The two bishops are being held by either the Muslim Brotherhood or fighters from the Syrian National Council.

The paper notes that it is about time that information is coming out about the bishops especially after a "strongly-worded statement" from the Syriac Orthodox Church (they're part of the Oriental Orthodox) was released recently.
The paper also notes that their is fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Islamist groups (Jabat al-Nusra and others) and the fact that the Islamists continue to kidnap Christians with impunity shows how much influence and control they have in Syria.

That's the E.C. summary. What gets me, personally, is the fact that if the bishops are being held by the National Council people; than why doesn't their chairman, a self-proclaimed Orthodox Christian, lobby for their release? Assuming he is not already.
Sadly, I only find solace in two facts. 1) the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Saidnaya (a titular see in Syria) Luke, said in an interview with RT (Russian) that said chairman of said Council "lacks the morals of a true Christian" because his fighters keep targeting Christians and 2) after being around Arabs for most hours in the day for the last year I can say this: they tend to lack long-term thinking.

Lord have mercy.

• Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Patriarchs of Antioch Hold Prayers for the Release of Abducted Bishops of Aleppo