eurasia.expert
The Patriarch Kirill has called the destruction of Christian shrines in Iraq a civilizational catastrophe, RIA Novosti reports. He said this at a meeting with the heads of the Iraqi Christian churches on November 22.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) expressed compassion for the people of Iraq who survived the terrible tragedy and still suffer from the consequences of an invasion and a civil war.
He added that Christian cities in Nineveh Valley caused the core concern. There armed militants destroyed or profaned the Christian churches.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church recalled that such crimes happened despite the fact that the protection of human rights and religious minorities are discussed all over the globe.
It is very important to take the necessary measures for the Christian shrines restoration. This will be another step aimed at bringing the Middle East Christians back home - to Iraq, Syria, to other regions where war or civil conflict forced them to flee from.
Patriarch Cyril admitted that the links between Christian communities played an important role as Christians living in this troubled region felt support.
He assured that the ROC did a lot to provide humanitarian assistance mainly to Syria. “We are ready to develop appropriate activity in relation to Iraq”, the patriarch explained.
The situation in Iraq was one of the most striking and tragic examples of devastation after foreign aggression, he stressed.
Russkiy Mir
