wfn.org | Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Joins in Appeal Condemning Mideast

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Violence

                    GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
April 19, 2001
Contact: Nikki Stephanopoulos

              ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW JOINS IN APPEAL
           CONDEMNING VIOLENCE IN MIDEAST AND URGES WORLD LEADERS
                       TO USE ALL MEANS TO END UNREST

Istanbul,  Turkey,  April  17  ?  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met with
Christian,  Islamic and Jewish leaders here last week and joined in signing
an  appeal  to end war and violence and terrorism in the Middle East and in
other areas of conflict in the world. In strong language, the appeal stated
that  encouragement  of  military  operations  and terrorism will transform
today's  world  into  a  hell  and  sow  the  seeds  of  hatred  in  future
generations,  endlessly  proliferating violence. "War leads to violation of
human  rights  and justice and is founded upon blood, tears and misery that
does not benefit anyone," said the appeal, which was released today.

His  All  Holiness has, on his own, directly appealed to world leaders with
special  attention  to  the  visit  to  the  Middle  East  of United States
Secretary  of  State  Colin  Powell,  to intervene "to exhaust all possible
means"  to  bring an immediate end to the unrest and to bring back peace to
the  region and its peoples, it was revealed today by the Chief Secretariat
of the Holy Synod.

In  a  series  of  letters,  His All Holiness addressed President George W.
Bush,  United  Nations  Secretary  General  Kofi Annan, European Commission
President  Romano  Prodi,  as  well  as  the  American  Secretary of State,
expressing his "deep concern" in a "heartfelt appeal" to intervene and stop
what  he  termed  "senseless  killing  that  is  occurring among peoples of
different faiths who live together in the same region."

Secretary  of  State  Powell  ended his visit to the region today without a
ceasefire  in effect and the continued confrontation of the warring parties
in  the  West  Bank.  However,  he announced an international commitment to
negotiations  and  a comprehensive settlement of the dispute between Israel
and the Palestinians.

The Ecumenical Patriarch, who has worked actively to convene leaders of the
major  religious  faiths to promote cooperation and specific acts to defuse
conflict,  characterized  each  of  the  leaders  as  an ardent promoter of
"interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding among world religions."

In  his  appeals  to  President Bush and Secretary of State Powell, His All
Holiness,   in   a   reference  to  September  11,  said  that  the  United
States,better  than any other nation, because of the tragic consequences of
the  distortion  of understanding among differing faiths, would realize the
urgency of immediate intervention.

Throughout  the  letters,  the  spiritual leader of the world's 300 million
Orthodox  Christians,  referred  to "the Holy Land" and said he prayed that
"enlightened  leadership"  would  bring an end to the conflict "in order to
make   God's   desire  for  good  will  and  mutual  understanding  between
individuals,  nations and faiths prevail in this land, which is central and
holy to millions of God-fearing people throughout the world."

His  All  Holiness,  who  has traveled in the recent past to Bahrain and to
Iran  late  last  year, has been meeting with Jewish and Moslem leaders, as
well  as  representatives of governments in the Middle East to find ways to
defuse  the  conflict.  He  is  in  daily  touch  with Patriarch Ireneos of
Jerusalem,   who  leads  a  large  community  of  Orthodox  Christians  and
administers the vast majority of sites holy to all Christians.

In  addition,  His All Holiness has designated the director of the Orthodox
Liaison  Office  to  the European Union, Bishop Emmanuel of Reghion, as his
representative for interfaith cooperation and has dispatched him to Jordan,
Egypt  and  Iran,  amongst  other  nations  in  the  Middle East, where the
Ecumenical Patriarchate has established good relations.
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