Russian Orthodox patriarch begins Syria peacemaking bid

[RZM]

Source: Al-Arabiya

Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill on Saturday started a peacemaking bid to unrest-swept Syria for talks with President Bashar al-Assad and other leaders, officials said.

“I am deeply convinced that all the problems can be solved peacefully and through dialogue,” Kirill told journalists at Damascus airport, the Russian news agencies RIA Novosti and Interfax reported.

“The most important thing is that human blood is not spilled. History teaches us that when human blood is spilled it will be hard to solve the problem,” he said.

Patriarch Kirill is due to meet Assad on Sunday and travel on to Lebanon the next day for talks with President Michel Suleiman, the church said in a statement.

Read more: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/11/12/176741.html

[fascisthunter]

1. WOw... and from the Religion I was Born Into

Bolshoi!

[RZM]

3. I don't know. I think this is more part of a larger diplomatic effort to shore up the Assad regime

Syria and Moscow go way back and Russia doesn't want to take any chances with one of their strongest allies in the region.

I actually first saw this story in the Russian media on the Kremlin-owned 'Vesti' site.

The headline there is a bit different and translates to:

'Patriarch Kirill wished success upon the Syrian regime'

http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=629116

[fascisthunter]

4. very interesting...

[No Elephants]

5. Syria has an Orthodox Church as well, possibly the first, given that

Antioch, Syria was, I believe, the first stop for the Apostle Paul's conversion efforts.

[ShockediSay]

2. Good luck Padre ! nt