Source: Basilica News Agency
August 24, 2016
Wednesday, August 17, 2016, His Excellency Andrzej Duda, President of the Polish Republic met His Beatitude John, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, president.pl reports.
Besides the members of the Antioch delegation, Patriarch John was accompanied by His Beatitude Sava, Metropolitan of Warsaw and All Poland, and by His Grace Jerzy, Bishop of Siemiatycze.
Mrs. Malgorzata Sadurska, chief of the Chancellery, and Mr. Wojciech Kolarski, deputy state secretaryof the Chancellery of the Polish President participated on behalf of the Presidential Chancellery.
According to the official website of the president of Poland, discussions were focused on the situation of Christians in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon and Syria, where many Christians are faced with the danger of leaving their country because of armed conflicts. The situation of Christians of the Middle East is becoming more and more difficult, www.president.pl notes. Many are forced to migrate because of the present conflicts and Islamic terrorism.
During the meeting President Andrzej Duda underlined the fact that the Polish State supports the international initiatives designed to resolve the Syrian crisis, but he is aware that the discussions on the theme in Geneva need to be resumed. His Excellency added that a resolution to the Syrian situation is possible only through political dialogue. All international initiatives on the future of Syria must consider close cooperation with the Syrian people who must personally decide their own future.
Patriarch John of Antioch arrived in Poland on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, at the invitation of the Primate of the Polish Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Sava.
On Tuesday Patriarch John was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa by the Christian Theological Academy of Warsaw.
This is the first official visit of His Beatitude John to Poland since his enthronement as Patriarch of Antioch and All the East in 2012.
