Patriarch of Alexandria: Why this hatred among brothers who have coexisted for centuries?
His Beatitude Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa expressed deep sorrow upon learning of the tragic suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of Prophet Elias in the Doueila district of Damascus on Sunday, 22 June 2025.
In an official statement, Patriarch Theodore said: “With a heavy heart, I learned today of the tragic suicide bombing that struck the long-suffering Greek Orthodox community of Prophet Elias in Doueila, Damascus. The attack resulted in the horrific death and injury of dozens of our Orthodox brothers and sisters. I hasten to offer my heartfelt solidarity, both in spirit and through comforting prayer, to my Beatitude brother, Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, as well as to the grieving families and all members of the Orthodox spiritual family of Damascus.”
The Patriarch expressed profound anguish, questioning the senseless hatred among brothers who have coexisted for centuries in the blessed lands of historic Damascus. He asked, “Why this destruction toward peaceful Christian brethren who, amidst the agonizing times of deadly missile strikes and deafening bombings in the Middle East, sought comfort in the liturgical life, especially in the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist on this sacred Sunday, praying fervently for ‘the peace of the whole world’?”
He further lamented, “What good can these abhorrent acts of hatred, bloodshed, and destruction bring to a humanity already traumatised by long years of conflict?”
Patriarch Theodore called upon all to pray with all their heart to the One Great God of Peace and Reconciliation, that this unjust and horrific tragedy may mark the beginning of a unified movement of reconciliation and mutual understanding among the long-suffering peoples of the bloodied Middle East. “So that never again will there be a fratricidal act of blind hatred, especially in the name of God,” he emphasised.
Expressing deep compassion from the God-fearing land of peaceful Egypt, Patriarch Theodore conveyed the sympathy and grief of the sacred clergy, the faithful people of the ancient Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, and himself personally to the Greek Orthodox community of Damascus and to the families of the martyr victims and wounded in this bombing. He invoked upon the Church of Antioch, its Beatitude Primate, and its tested flock the divine support, comfort, and protective grace of the Triune God.
Source: Patriarchate of Alexandria
