Patriarch John X Meets with Clergy and…

His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox, met with clergy and leaders of associations from the region of Antioch, İskenderun, and Mersin at the St. John of Damascus Institute in Balamand.

The meeting was attended by Metropolitan Athanasios Fahed of Latakia and its dependencies, and Metropolitan Ephrem Maalouli of Aleppo, İskenderun, and their dependencies. His Beatitude discussed with the attendees the conditions of the parishes and churches, and listened to their concerns and the challenges facing pastoral work in the aforementioned region, which constitutes the historical center of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.

His Beatitude affirmed that the Antiochian Church takes pride in its tangible, active, and authentic historical presence in those lands. In turn, the clergy and association leaders emphasized the importance of solidarity and unity to preserve the ancient Christian presence in the region and to revitalize pastoral life, in light of the recent challenges the area—mainly the earthquake in early 2023.