Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Provinces, SANA- The Armenian denomination which follows the Eastern calendar, has celebrated Christmas, the birth of Christ, Messenger of love and peace.
On this occasion, a holy mass was held at St. Sarkis Church for the Armenian Orthodox in Damascus presided by Bishop Armash Nalbandian, of the Armenian Orthodox Church Diocese of Damascus.
In a sermon, Bishop Nalbandian talked about the sublime meanings that the glorious Christmas carries, saying “We receive with great hope and deep faith the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messenger of love and peace with hearts overwhelmed with joy, peace and hope.
Nalbandian pointed out that the past year brought many sad and difficult times, especially as a result of the spread of the Coronavirus, which has claimed and continues to claim innocent lives and caused great damage to the economy of all countries of the world, poor and rich, and affected family and human relations, as well as the catastrophic explosion in Beirut Port and what happened in Armenia, saying “But we as Christians have our symbol and ideal, the holy family of Christ, who faced life’s difficulties and overcame them thanks to their faith and cohesion.”
Nalbandian denounced the massacre committed by terrorists in the Kabajib area on the road between Deir Ezzor and Palmyra, condoling the families of the martyrs, the brave heroes of the Syrian army, and praying to God Almighty to preserve Syria, its people, its army and its leader, President Bashar al-Assad and to support it in its war on terrorism.
In Aleppo, the Armenian Orthodox and the Armenian Evangelical denominations celebrated the birth of Christ by holding prayers and masses at Saint Gregory Armenian Orthodox churches in al-Midan neighborhood and the Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church in al-Mansheya neighborhood in Aleppo.
Rev. Haroutune Selimian, Head of the Armenian Evangelical Community in Syria, who presided over the mass at the Emmanuel Church, said in a statement to SANA’s reporter “Christmas comes this year amid difficult circumstances that the whole world is going through, but the essence of Christmas lies in the hope that it pulls us out of difficulties, increases our positivity and makes us cling to life and continuity.”
Selimian added “With the birth of Christ our hearts are filled with love, tolerance and gentleness towards each other, and this is embodied through human values that build a healthy society and contribute to the recovery of our homeland.”
In St. Gregory Armenian Orthodox Church, a Mass was presided over by Archbishop
In Hasaka province, a mass and prayer were held in the Armenian Orthodox Church of St. John the Baptist celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. The mass was presided over by the priest, Arshak al-Ajajian, who emphasized the values of tolerance, love, adherence to the land and love for the homeland of Syria.
In Qamishli City, a mass was held in the Armenian Orthodox Church on the birth of Christ presided by His Eminence Bishop Levon Agiayan and prayers for security to prevail in Syria and the world.
Ruaa al-Jazaeri
Damascus
Qamishli
Aleppo
