Syrian Christians flee persecution as Patriarch urges them to stay in war-torn country

endthelie.com
November 21, 2013

As some 450,000 Christians have fled Syria since a civil war erupted two years ago, the Syrian Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic church has called on Christians to stay in Syria and survive a “difficult” future.

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Editor’s note: Christians face increasing persecution around the world. The situation is especially terrible in certain parts of the world, as it is in countries like Syria, Egypt, Iran, certain parts of Africa, India and North Korea.

“I say to my children, stay in your country, the future will be difficult, but it will be better, God willing,” Syrian Patriarch Gregory Laham told AFP in an interview.

On the eve of a trip to the Vatican for meetings with Pope Francis, Laham urged European countries to not “encourage Syrian Christians to emigrate.”

“I say to the European countries that want to help, help people in difficulty, humanitarian cases but don’t encourage people to emigrate,” he said.

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