Syriac Orthodox Churches across Syria mark the 105th anniversary of the Sayfo Genocide

DARAMSUQ (DAMASCUS) and ZALIN (QAMISHLI), Syria – On the 105th anniversary of the Sayfo Genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire against the Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people, crimes committed in parallel with the genocides targeting the Armenian and Pontic Greek peoples, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Ephrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syriac Orthodox Church, held a divine Liturgy for the martyrs of the Sayfo in the monastery of St. Ephrem in Ma`rat Saydnaya in Daramsuq (Damascus).

A number of bishops participated in the Divine Liturgy performed by His Holiness. During his sermon, His Holiness spoke about the martyrs of the massacres of the Syriac extermination, which the Syriac Orthodox Church commemorates on the 15th of June each year. He also pointed out that the Church does not forget the martyrs who endured distress, hardship, and persecution and died in the defense of faith. He also urged believers to commemorate the memory of these martyrs as they are a good example in the struggle to preserve the Christian faith no matter the cost. His Holiness added that the blood of martyrdom will continue to irrigate the Church of Christ allowing it to persevere. In addition, it is a renewed faith in the hearts of the Church’s children and a conversion that leads thousands of unbelievers to faith.

The Patriarch indicated that we are called on to testify to our faith and show the glory of God and thus many will believe because of us and our work.

During the Divine Liturgy, His Holiness held a ritual prayer for the martyrs of the Sayfo. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, believers were blessed from the icon of Sayfo martyrs.

In Zalin (Qamishli), Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Jazeera and Euphrates Mor Maurice Amsih commemorated the martyrs of the Sayfo in St. Jacob Nussaybini Cathedral for the Syriac Orthodox in the presence of priests and members of the local Council of the Syriac denomination and church institutions.

During the commemoration, the Fourth Scout Regiment of the Syriac Orthodox in Zalin presented ecclesiastical musical passages for the spirit of the martyrs. His Eminence Mor Maurice laid a wreath on the Sayfo monument in honor of their pure souls.

Members of Syria's Syriac Christian minority attend a ceremony to mark the mass killing of the Assyrian civilian population more than a century ago, on June 15, 2020 in Qamishli in the country's northeastern Hasakah province. Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP pic.twitter.com/TaQGrmnMPg

— Delil souleiman (@Delilsouleman) June 15, 2020