By Doreen Abi Raad • Catholic News Service • Posted July 30, 2018

BEIRUT (CNS) — Syriac Catholic bishops from around the world, meeting in Lebanon for their annual synod, lamented the plight of their “tormented and persecuted” faithful.

In their final statement from the July 23-27 gathering, with Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan presiding, the bishops noted that they have “raised their voices high in front of the world, denouncing the calamities” which have especially affected the Syriac church, particularly in Syria and Iraq.

They characterized the situation as “a catastrophe that repeats the tragedy of genocide that took place with their ancestors a hundred years ago.”

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“This grave violation of their civil rights has shaken their human, societal and cultural being, especially as they have experienced the tragedies of the displacement of thousands of families,” the bishops said.

The prelates also said they addressed the issue of the migration of thousands of Syriac Catholic families from the region and “the sense of shared responsibility and the urgent need to pursue the spiritual, pastoral and social service of those displaced.”

Regarding Syriac Catholics who settled in Europe, the Americas and Australia, the bishops encouraged them to continue to live their traditions and heritage and “to love their new countries, to be faithful to them and to be creative in various fields,” while stressing “their constant quest for spiritual service despite challenges and difficulties.”

The prelates “renewed their support and solidarity with all the tormented and persecuted” Syriac people who suffer “the pain of displacement, migration and uprooting, assuring them that the Church will remain with them.”

Likewise, they also discussed the return of the displaced to their villages in the dioceses of Syria and Iraq, countries which have been “plagued by disturbances and futile wars in recent years.”

The Syriac Catholic bishops also underscored concerns regarding specific areas in the Middle East.

They stressed the need for solidarity among the Iraqi people, for dialogue and acceptance of the other and for security, peace and stability to be restored to Iraq.

Regarding Syria, they called for an end to the country’s seven-year civil war and for all parties “to work together for the return of normalcy” in the country.

The Syriac Catholic bishops maintained that “Jerusalem is a city for all followers of the three religions” and affirmed “the right of the Palestinian people to return to their land and to achieve a lasting peace in the two-state solution.”

They expressed their confidence “in the wise leadership” of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the government of Egypt and congratulated Lebanon for peaceful parliamentary elections May 6, reiterating an earlier call that the Syriac Catholic community be represented in the new government.

Typically, the Syriac Catholic bishops meet in October. However, this year’s synod was scheduled to follow the first Syriac Youth International Convention July 17-22, also held in Lebanon. More than 400 youth from 15 countries worldwide attended.