THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM CONDEMNS TERRORIST ACTS IN VOLGOGRAD
On Tuesday the 18th/31st of December 2013, His Beatitude Theophilos, our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, sent His Holiness Cyril, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, the following epistle:
Your Holiness Cyril, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, in Christ the Lord, dearest brother and co-officiator of Our Mediocrity. Brotherly embracing Your Holiness in Christ, we gladly address You.
Dwelling in the holy Jerusalem and the Horrendous Golgotha, and serving the Lord’s Life-giving Sepulcher, already gazing towards the holy Bethlehem in order to celebrate the feast of the Nativity in flesh of the Angel of the great will of God, the Lord of peace, in the plain Cavern and the Village of the Manger, it is with profound sorrow and sacred indignation that we learned of two atrocious terrorist attacks in Volgograd, South Russia, which caused the death of three hundred peaceful citizens, our innocent fellow humans, and severe or deathly injuries of tenths of others.
We categorically and irrevocably condemn these criminal and atrocious acts, and extend our profound condolences to Your Holiness and the relatives of the victims, while praying for the repose of the souls of those murdered, and the speedy recovery of those injured.
Upon this we embrace Your erudite Holiness from the Holly and Divine Cavern where Christ was miraculously born of the Virgin.
In the Holy City of Bethlehem, 18 December 2013.
Of your Embraced Holiness
Your Dearest Brother in Christ
THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
In the letter, the Patriarch condemns the terrorist attacks which took place in the city of Volgograd, Russia, extending condolences to the innocent victims.
On the same day, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem sent the following epistle to His Excellency the President of the Russian Republic, Mr Vladimir Putin, similarly condemning these atrocious acts and extending condolences to the innocent victims:
Your Excellency,
Dwelling in Jerusalem and already gazing towards Bethlehem for the feast of the Nativity in flesh of the Angel of the great will of God, the Lord of peace, we learned with profound sorrow and sacred indignation of the terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Volgograd, South Russia, aimed at obstructing the organization of the Winter Olympic Games.
Extending our profound condolences to Your Honoured Excellency and the relatives of the innocent victims, we pray from the All-holy and Life-giving Sepulcher that the souls of our three hundred murdered fellow humans rest in peace, that the tenths of injured at these atrocious and condemnable crimes recover speedily, and that the citizens of the pious country of Russia be protected from acts of people who hate peace and have no respect for the value of human life.
Upon this, we beseech for Your Excellency the grace and protection of the All-holy and Life-giving Sepulcher towards the unhindered performance of Your lofty government services.
In the Holy City of Bethlehem, 18 December 2013.
For Your Honoured Excellency
Fervently praying to the Lord
THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
On the 20th of December 2013/2nd of January 2014, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Jerusalem sent an epistle condemning the aforementioned acts and reassuring for the victims, to the Most Reverend Metropolitan of the city of Volgograd, as follows:
The Most Reverend Metropolitan German of Volgograd and Kamyshin, our brother in Christ and co-officiator of Our Mediocrity, we embrace in Christ the Lord.
Dwelling in Jerusalem and gazing towards the holy Bethlehem, which is by no means least among the rulers of Judah, in order to celebrate the Metropolis of all feasts in the sacred and divine Cavern and the village of the Manger, where the Lord of peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, was born, it is with profound sorrow and sacred indignation that we learned of the two recent terrorist attacks against the Metropolis of your most dear and erudite Reverence, claimed the lives of three hundred innocent human beings, its spiritual children, and severely wounded tenths of others among them.
We categorically condemn these atrocious acts, and extend our deep condolences to the innocent victims, praying that those murdered rest in peace in the country of the living with the saints and the righteous, and that those unjustly and severely wounded recover speedily.
We embrace your Reverence from the All-holy and Divine Cavern where Christ was miraculously born of the Virgin.
In the Holy City of Bethlehem, 20 December 2013.
Your Dear Brother in Christ
THEOPHILOS III
Patriarch of Jerusalem
From the Secretariat-General