Marking twelve years since the abduction of the Bishops of Aleppo, Boulos Yazigi (Greek Orthodox) and Youhanna Ibrahim (Syriac Orthodox), the Patriarchs of Antioch have issued a joint statement renewing their appeal for answers and justice, and placing the case at the center of their Paschal prayers and concerns.
On April 22, 2013, the two archbishops were kidnapped near Aleppo while on a humanitarian mission. Since then, both the Greek Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox Patriarchates of Antioch and All the East have “spared no effort” in pursuing the case, engaging with “local and international officials,” “embassies,” “governments,” and “security agencies” across the globe, including the Vatican, Russia, the United States, Syria, Lebanon, Türkiye, Jordan, Cyprus, Greece, and Italy. Despite these efforts, “no clear and certain outcomes” have emerged.
In a deeply moving reflection, Patriarch John X and Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II described the case as “a fundamental matter for both churches and all Eastern Christians, as it reflects part of the suffering of the Eastern human being in facing the challenges of remaining in their land.”
They lamented that despite ongoing diplomatic and ecclesiastical efforts, the mystery surrounding the abduction remains unsolved. The Patriarchs also made a heartfelt appeal to the media and public to “handle this file responsibly and not to trade it in the arena of political conflicts and media competition.”
In the spirit of the Paschal season, they called upon the faithful to persist in hope: “In a time of hope that cannot be bereft from hearts, despite all wounds, the Church of Antioch prays, works, and places this file at the forefront of its concerns… asking God with the heartfelt prayers of its children for the kidnapped bishops.”
They concluded by stating that the fate of Bishops Yazigi and Ibrahim “embodies the case of every kidnapped and distressed person and abridges a small part of the cross of this East that seeks the dawn of Resurrection.”
