ASIA/SYRIA - Appeal from Deir Mar Musa: "No to military intervention and all forms of violence"

Wednesday, 28 August 2013

Damascus (Agenzia Fides) - While a military attack of Western armed forces in Syria seems imminent, "an appeal for peace and the rejection of all forms of violence" rises from the monastery of Deir Mar Musa (The Monastery of Saint Moses the Ethiopian ), an oasis of prayer, in the north of Damascus, re-founded by Jesuit Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, kidnapped a month ago in the area of Raqqa.
The monks and nuns of the community residing in the monastery, committed to the work of dialogue and spiritual reconciliation between Islam and Christianity, have just experienced a "special day of prayer and fasting", August 27, for the release of Fr. Paolo and for peace in Syria. Fr. Jacques Mourad, head of the community, told Fides: "We have lived this day with joy and spiritual serenity. We prayed, and put our lives in God's hands and we say to him: Thy will be done".
With regards to the imminent military action of Western countries in Siria, Fr. Mourad says: "We are in a phase of extreme suffering. We hope that Western countries assume a right position before this tremendous crisis in Syria. The 'right' position is to reject all forms of violence, stop the weapons, not to put one against the other, defending and protecting human rights".
Sister Houda Fadoul, head of the women's community in Dei Mar Musa, confirms to Fides: "We cannot accept or appreciate an armed intervention of foreign powers. We continue in our mission which is to raise to God spiritual worship, especially to educate young people to dialogue and peace. We believe that today, even in this bitter conflict, prayer is a powerful means to resist evil and is the only tool that nourishes hope". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/08/2013)


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