Every living nation passes through difficult times, periods laden with trials and crises that thrust it into peril or cast it down steep paths, then destiny is overshadowed by calamity, doubt spreads, fear of the future prevails, and the horizon grows dark.

 

In our present time of affliction, Antioch gathered under the banner of her shepherd, the thirteenth among the holy apostles, His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Love and Wisdom, to discern the future, probe the depths of these trying times, and seek solutions to challenges that faith, will, and knowledge can overcome.

 

Alongside the hierarchs of the Church, His Beatitude brought together some of its elites, politicians, intellectuals, social activists, and experts in various fields, to share this time of anxiety and to take part in the sacred task of seeking a better destiny.

 

Patriarch John X firmly drew the boundaries of human dignity through his memorable homily bidding farewell to the martyrs of Saint Elias Church in Dweilaah, near Damascus, declaring before all “We are here. This is our faith. This is our land. This is our history. And this is our future, which we are writing with our own hands.”

 

Interventions followed one another, and discussions shone with ideas like flashes of lightning. Signs of new directions emerged, challenging the days to come and proclaiming: we are ready, the future is ours, and our existence has its rightful place under the sun.

 

Many came in response to the Patriarch’s invitation, receiving it with affection and eagerness, following his path, resonating with his thought, and sharing in his vision, his own and theirs alike, embraced with faithfulness and expressed with rare courage in a time of grave transformation.

 

He knows when to stand firm in moments demanding strength, and when to act with flexibility where wisdom requires. This is the hallmark of his leadership; wisdom joined to courage.

 

All this was evident in the closing of each session of the symposium, which represented a new and bold approach within the meetings of the Holy Synod. Previous synods had included participation from church figures, but never with such depth or breadth.

 

For difficult times require difficult decisions.

 

Throughout this Holy Synod, through its reflections and dialogue, Antioch, through the voice of her venerable Patriarch, addressed all members of society, named its afflictions, prescribed remedies, and offered people courage and hope.

 

Antioch is not only for Christians; she belongs to all who live in the Antiochian Levant, a land that has long suffered siege, bloodshed, and devastation through the centuries.

 

The capital of the Antiochian East, where we were first called Christians, belongs to the whole inhabited world, the oikoumene, for it was from here that the message of salvation went forth to all the ends of the earth.

 

Our Christianity is not only for Christians, but for all humanity, for Christ was incarnate for the sake of all. The Good Samaritan did not ask the wounded man his name or identity before tending his wounds.

 

Our Christianity is not against others, but with others and for the sake of others. It is founded upon self-giving love, through which humanity is healed, and mercy is made manifest.

 

Our “Orthodox” faith is a project of unity in life, within the fabric of social existence where we all interact and share.

 

The salt of the earth can only season and preserve, this is the commandment of the Lord that Antioch and her Patriarch hold dear.

 

The Holy Synod continues its work in partnership even with non-Christians, an unprecedented and courageous step that reflects an enlightened vision and an open heart. Is this not the very essence of our Christianity, our Antiochian heritage, and our “Orthodox” right-mindedness?

 

The unity of society and civil peace, born of sincere participation in life, are among the deepest concerns of His Beatitude, the thirteenth among the holy apostles, for stability is the foundation of progress, and social cohesion is the direct response to the plots woven against us, especially those that threaten our very existence and destiny.

 

The Holy Synod continues its work, preparing to take bold decisions touching every aspect of our lives, an effort by Antioch, through her blessed and inspired shepherd, to prevent the cracks from widening and the decay from spreading within our society.

 

After this Holy Synod, things will not be as they were before. And so, we say: we, the children of the Antiochian Levant, true Antiochians, pray that God preserve our loving Patriarch, who opened the Synod with his prayer and will conclude it with his blessing.

 

Many years to come, Your Beatitude!