26-06-25 Visit of the Secretary General for Religious Affairs to the Patriarchate of Antioch – 26 June 2025
On Thursday, 26 June 2025, the Secretary General for Religious Affairs, Mr. George Kalantzis, representing the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports o the Hellenic Republic, visited His Beatitude Patriarch John X of Antioch at the seat of the Patriarchate in Damascus.
Present at the meeting were the Ambassador of Greece to Syria, Mr. E. Kakavelakis; His Eminence Metropolitan Athanasios of Laodicea; His Eminence Metropolitan Ephraim of Beroea and Alexandretta (Aleppo); the Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Antioch, His Grace Bishop Romanos of Seleucia; and Archimandrite Meletios Shattahi, Director of GOPA–DERD (Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East – Department of Ecumenical Relations and Development).
The Secretary General conveyed the sincere condolences of the Government of Greece and, personally, of Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports Mrs. Sofia Zacharaki, as well as of His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens and All Greece and of the Greek people, for the victims of the terrorist attack of 22 June 2025 at the Church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus. The Secretary General emphasized that “the protection of religious freedom for all is the responsibility of the Syrian Government and, at the same time, a vital prerequisite for Syria’s prosperity, stability, and progress. Twenty-three of our fellow human beings were murdered simply because they were Orthodox Christians who wished to pray to Jesus Christ in the Church of the Prophet Elias on the day the Patriarchate of Antioch commemorates the Saints of Antioch. They were killed as martyrs of the faith they had freely chosen. Orthodox Christians in Syria, as in the broader Middle East, are neither strangers nor guests. They have always been present in the region and form the largest Christian community, with a significant contribution to the development and progress of the countries in which they live. Without Orthodox Christians, the Middle East would lose its identity. The terrorists—and those who guide them—must not and will not succeed in their goals.”
His Beatitude Patriarch John X warmly welcomed the Secretary General and the Ambassador and expressed his deep gratitude for the immediate support expressed by the Government of Greece, the Greek people, and the Church of Greece. He stressed the significance of Greece sending an official representative to Damascus to express condolences in person and highlighted the enduring bonds uniting Greece and the Patriarchate of Antioch.
The Secretary General and the Ambassador, accompanied by the Patriarchal Vicar, visited Saint Louis Hospital, where victims of the terrorist attack are being treated. They were received by Dr. Riad Abdel Massih, Director of the Hospital; Dr. Maher Ammari, Board Member of the Holy Cross; and Dr. Fadi Al Hareth, Board Member of both the Holy Cross and the Medical Support Fund of Saints Cosmas and Damian.
The Secretary General for Religious Affairs, Mr. Kalantzis, listened to the testimonies of the injured, spoke with them, and, after warmly thanking the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul as well as the hospital’s medical staff for their care, informed them that the Government of Greece stands ready to cover the transportation and hospitalization costs in Greece for any injured person in need, as well as to contribute to the restoration of the Church of the Prophet Elias, the site of martyrdom of the 23 Orthodox Christians.
