Patriarch John X of Antioch visited the village of Sarilar and honored the abducted metropolitans of Aleppo

His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East made a pastoral visit to the village of Sarilar during the celebration of Easter and the feast day of St. George the Victorious Martyr. During the visit, the Primate supported the local faithful, inspected the construction of a new monastery and honored the memory of missing hierarchs.

According to Orthodox Times, the visit began with an inspection of construction work at St. George’s Monastery. Patriarch John X called the erection of new walls «a courageous testimony of the will to life overcoming destruction,» noting the resilience of the parishioners, whose efforts and blessing of the Patriarchate are restoring the shrine.

In the village church, the Patriarch led Vespers, after which Metropolitan Ephraim Maaluli of Aleppo addressed the congregation with a sermon. He emphasized that Christians are the «children of the Resurrection» and their mutual love is the main strength to overcome any challenges in life. The head of the parish association, Munir Balgacioğlu, in turn expressed gratitude to the Patriarch for his fatherly care after the devastating earthquake and welcomed the election of the village’s native, Archimandrite Paul Ordoğlu, as bishop of the region.

In his address to the faithful, Patriarch John X expressed his joy at the election of a new bishop from the local community, noting that the village of Sarilar has always been a blessed land that has bestowed outstanding clergy to the Antiochian Church. The speech paid special attention to the tragic date, the anniversary of the abduction of Metropolitans Paul Yaziji and Gregory John Ibrahim of Aleppo. «On this day of our bleeding Antiochian wound, we remember the absence of our brothers….. Although their bodies are hidden from us, their spirit is present in every stone of this land,» the Patriarch stated.

At the end of the solemn event, Patriarch John X awarded parish priest John Papasoglu with a pectoral cross in recognition of his services. The meeting ended with a mass gathering of the faithful and the traditional folk singing of the Lazarus Hymn, which is a unique cultural heritage of the people of Sarilar.