It is with a heavy heart that we learned of the terrorist attacks targeting your churches and faithful flock who, like us, gathered to pray and honour this most holy day of the ecclesiastical year marking the Lord\u2019s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We witnessed in the media with great grief the destruction and mourning that these barbaric attacks have brought to your community, as well as to all of Christendom, and we hasten to convey our wholehearted condolences and the prayers of our Ecumenical Patriarchate. As a martyric Church, we also stand in solidarity with you and your people, who have prevailed courageously and faithfully for centuries over persecution and oppression.<\/p>\n
The challenges posed to our present day and age by fundamentalism are great. The pain of those mourning equally so, yet we understand that our responsibility to the contemporary world is to remain resilient in times of terror and faithful in times of doubt and unnerving circumstances. We worship the One who responded to the godless and unrepentant spirit of humanity, by descending from His heavenly abode to embrace us. He for \u201cus and our salvation\u201d became Man in order that \u201cmen might be like God\u201d. It was through His humility, forbearance, simplicity, and unceasing and inexhaustible love that He not only conquered sin, but also won for us the ability to be victorious with Him over sin and death.<\/p>\n
Our victory through Christ Jesus was promised to us, most especially when persecuted for righteousness and because of His name. at this very moment, we remember His words: \u201cBlessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven\u2026\u201d (Matthew 5:11-12). May the promise of the Kingdom and the gift of grace be bestowed upon the victims of this tragedy and their families and grant peace and refreshment to all those suffering. May their memories be eternal and may He who accepted to ride upon a colt \u201cas though riding upon the cherubim\u201d grant us all unending faith, courage, and patience to endure and transform this \u201csinful and perverse generation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Conveying Your Holiness and the entire Coptic Church our sympathies once again, we embrace you with a \u201choly kiss\u201d and remain with much love and fraternal honour.<\/p>\n
Bartholomew
\nArchbishop of Constantinople \u2013 New Rome and
\nEcumenical Patriarch<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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