Moscow, July 30, 2013
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The kidnappers have not announced their demands and nobody has taken responsibility for the kidnapping as yet. It is not known either whether the Metropolitans are dead or alive, perhaps suffering under tortures, reports Romphea.
The heads and representatives of local Orthodox Churches who gathered for the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia expressed their regret over the absence of Patriarch John X of Antioch from the solemnities: "We express our solidarity with His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Great Antioch and All East who has not been able to share with us the joy of today's celebration, as he had to stay with his flock at this very difficult moment. Our prayers are with him and with our brothers in Christ who are being slain every day (Romans 8:36).
“We are grieving together with all the suffering people of Syria. We demand the immediate liberation of the leading Christian Hierarchs of Syria who were kidnapped by militants as far back as in April—Metropolitan Paul of Aleppo and Iskenderun and Syriac Metropolitan Mar Gregory Johanna Ibrahim of Aleppo".
