A mass was held Sunday evening at St. George Cathedral in Bab Touma district, Damascus, to mark an end to the centennial commemorations of the Assyrian genocide committed by Ottomans.
Presiding upon the mass, Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II said that the memory of the martyrs who fell at the hands of the Ottomans in 1915 will live in the hearts of Syrians, especially in light of new threats that target not only Christian Syrians, but also Muslims who reject the dark, extremist mentality of terrorism.
Patriarch Aphrem II called on honest people and decision makers around the world to support Syrians in the face of terrorism, praying for the souls of Syria’s martyrs and the victims of the Assyrian genocide.
In a sermon delivered at the mass, Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan said the centennial is an occasion fraught with pain and sadness, but pride in the sacrifices of the Syriac people will trump pain and sadness.
The patriarch added that Syriacs, along with the Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Greek Orthodox have fallen victim to massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire for wanting to follow their faith in their homeland, adding it was shameful the massacres took place in recent history and in full view of the world.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
