BY THE GRACE OF GOD
IN THE NAME OF THE SELF-EXISTENT
SEMPITERNAL OF NECESSARY EXISTENCE THE ALMIGHTY

IGNATIUS ZAKKA I IWAS PATRIARCH OF THE HOLY SEE OF ANTIOCH AND ALL THE EAST, SUPREME HEAD OF THE UNIVERSAL SYRIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE WORLD

We offer apostolic benediction and benevolent prayers to our brothers in Christ their Eminencies Mor Clemis Eugene Kaplan and Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim and to our spiritual children the priests, deacons and deaconesses, and the entire Syrian Orthodox faithful in the United States of America. May the divine providence embrace them through the prayers of Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and Sts. Peter and Paul, the heads of the Apostles, and the rest of the martyrs and saints. Amen.

We recoil in horror and disbelief at the injury and loss of life caused by the recent bombings in the cities of New York and Washington D.C. Countless innocent people going to work and school had their lives torn apart. We are indeed saddened by this tragic event and strongly condemn this barbaric attack against humanity. We remember all the victims in sorrow and we lift up in prayer their families and loved ones.

These tragic events invite us all to reflect on how such tragedies, both in the United States of America and elsewhere in the world, might be prevented in the future. Our hope and prayer is that such horrendous crimes will never occur in the tuture. At this time of mourning we pray God to grant your leaders wisdom that in their pursuit of justice they may not afflict suffering on other innocent people. We also ask all of you to be God’s agents of peace and reconciliation and to remind everybody that evil can be only overcome by goodness.

In closing, we convey to you our paternal benediction. asking the Lord Almighty to heal the wounds and infirmities of all.

Abun d-bashmayo w-sharko (Our Father Who art in Heaven…).

Issued at our Patriarchal house in Damascus, Syria
on the ^th day of , in the year two thousand and one
which is the 21^st year of our Patriarchal reign.