Russian religious communities in Syria and Lebanon hold major humanitarian campaign

A large-scale humanitarian campaign kicks off today in Lebanon, RIA Novosti reports. The role of its organizers was undertaken by major religious communities of Russia. As per the Moscow Patriarchate, the campaign is taking place in Damascus and Bekaa valley, Lebanon, the place of living of Syrian refugees.

The campaign is held with direct participation of leaders of the main Syrian and Lebanon Christian and Muslin communities.

Delegation of interreligious target group of the Russian Presidential Council for Interaction with religious organizations will set off to the Middle East.

Secretary for inter-Christian affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate’s department for external church relations hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov) explains that the campaign can be called unprecedented by the scale of rendered assistance, by composition of the delegation and by degree of its coordination with local religious communities.

This campaign is the third one organized by the target groupg following initiative of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Kirill discussed question of assistance to Syria during his meeting with Patriarch John X of Antioch. Russian Orthodox Church will continue collecting finances for assistance to Syrian population, he promised.

In his opinion, today, when a larger part of the county is cleaned off the terrorist groupings, it is high time to deal with the problem of rendering help to population. Patriarch Kirill has mentioned that local population should return to their homes, it is necessary to create work places for them and arrange favorable life conditions.

Russkiy Mir