On December 1st, 2023, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II officially inaugurated the follow-up conference of the First Gathering of the Syrian Christian Youth Leaders, convened at Ebla Conference Center in Damascus.
The gathering is organized by Hope Center, under the auspices of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, in collaboration with the Latin Diocese of Syria.
The opening session was attended by their Eminences Archbishops: Mor Andrawos Bahhi, Patriarchal Vicar for Youth Affairs and Christian Education, Mor Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury, Archbishop of Homs, Hama, Tartous and Environs, Mor Yacoub Babawi, Patriarchal Vicar for Monks Affairs and the Administration of Mor Aphrem Theological Seminary in Maarat Saydnaya, and Mor Augeen Al-Khoury Nemat, Patriarchal Secretary. Their Eminences the Archbishops of the different archdioceses in Syria, also attended the gathering.
In his inaugural speech, His Holiness welcomed the youth and reminded them that, though leaders, we are disciples of the Lord Jesus Who calls us to work in His vineyard and serve His Church, not for our sake, but for His glory.
He emphasized that the purpose of this gathering is for the youth to express their needs and aspirations and offer solutions to the problems.
He expressed his joy to see a great number of bishops in the gathering; this reflects their interest to offer the youth a great role in the life of the church.
His Holiness pointed out that Christian presence in Syria is important. He said: “Syria is our homeland for thousands of years; we are not strangers in it, rather it is the source and cradle of Christianity. We are proud to live on this holy land and we have to be faithful to our Christian mission of love.”
In conclusion, His Holiness hoped that all the participants would give efforts to make this gathering successful and come up with practical solutions.
Click to view slideshow.
Comments