Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II holds Divine Liturgy for Sayfo martyrs

DARAMSUQ — The Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for the Syriac Orthodox held a Divine Liturgy, presided over by Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, in the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Cathedral of Saint Jirjis in Bab Touma in Daramsuq (Damascus).

Heads and representatives of various Church denominations and a crowd of believers attended the Divine Liturgy.

During his sermon, the Patriarch called on the international community to recognize the 1915 Genocide and commended the stances of the governments that have recognized the Sayfo.

He added that the Sayfo martyrs, Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans), Armenians, and Greeks, faced killing, slaughter, abuse, and torment for their adherence to their faith. This gives us steadfastness to stay in our homeland Syria, said the Patriarch.

“The Sayfo memory includes pain, sadness and pride in the martyrs of our people.”

Patriarch Aphrem II prayed to God to have mercy on the Sayfo martyrs and return the kidnapped Metropolitans of Holeb (Aleppo) Youhanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi and all the missing people to their families.

After the Divine Liturgy, a candlelight march set off from the Patriarchal Edifice to the Garden of the Syriac Martyrs.