Syrian communities celebrate Christmas

Christian communities in Syria on Saturday celebrated Christmas by holding masses and prayers in various churches all over the country, where heads of the communities made sermons on this occasion.

A large religious mass was held at Mar Jurjus Cathedral for the Assyrian-Orthodox.. It was led by Patriarch Mar Agnatuis Zakka Ewas I, the patriarch of Antioch and the whole east and the higher chairman of the Assyrian-Orthodox church in the world.

Patriarch Ewas stressed the noble and sublime values of Christmas and extended his congratulations to all Muslims and Christians in the Arab homeland on Christmas and the holy month of Ramadan.

In similar sermons the spiritual leader of the Anglican church in Damascus, Rev. Botrous Zaour, and the deputy general archbishop of the Greek- Catholic Church in Damascus, Asadour Bateikha, spoke in their separate sermons about the humanitarian message of the Christ to free human beings from their sin and suffering.

In the two Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Homs, the Christian communities also celebrated the birthday of Jesus.

In this respect, delegated by President Hafez al-Assad, the minister for presidential affairs, Wahib Fadel, on Saturday paid visits to the leaders of the Syrian Christian communities in Damascus and conveyed to them President al-Assad's greetings and congratulations on the occasion of the Christmas.

Fadel visited the patriarchal of the Greek-Orthodox and met with its patriarch Agnatuis IV Hakim, the patriarchal of the Orthodox Syriacs' Patriarch Zakka I, Patriarch Youssef Munir of the Catholic Syriacs Church, Metropolitan Youssef Arnaoutri and the chief of the Latin Monastery, Abo Nader.