Statement issued by Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate on issues in Diocese of Switzerland and Austria
SAIDNAYA/DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS) — The Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate issued a statement regarding accusations of impropriety in the Diocese of Switzerland and Austria. The patriarchal statement addressed what has so far been discussed and circulated on social media regarding the waste of church funds and the abuse of honesty in the Diocese of Switzerland and Austria. The Patriarchate stated that, “Everything that is being circulated is absolutely incorrect.”
The Patriarchate added that it is, “closely following the case of Bishop Mor Dionysius Isa Gürbüz, the Patriarchal deputy in Switzerland and Austria, who is currently in the Republic of Georgia for personal matters of his own.”
The Patriarchate said that His Holiness, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, will visit the diocese, as soon as airports open, to explain the issue and to check on his spiritual children and to learn about the conditions of the parishes.
At the end of statement, the Patriarchate called on everyone to seek objectivity in extracting news about the Syriac Orthodox Church and rely on its official sources.