Patriarch of Antioch: Christians in the East carry the legacy of bearing witness to Christ

Patriarch Ioannis X of Antioch and All the East met with the monastic community of Bose during his visit to the monastery in northern Italy.

During the meeting, attended by the delegation accompanying him, Patriarch Ioannis spoke about the difficulties and challenges facing Christians in today’s world.

He also reflected on the meaning of the Cross and the path it opens toward the Resurrection, referring to the relationship between suffering and the joy of the Resurrection in Christian life.

The Patriarch linked this experience to Baptism and its symbolism of dying and rising again with Christ.

Referring to the Christian presence in the Middle East, Patriarch John stressed its deep roots in the region.

“In the East, through our presence and our deep-rooted existence there, we carry the legacy of bearing witness to Christ,” he said.

Patriarch John also asked the Bose monastic community to pray for the Church of Antioch and for Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and the wider Middle East, “where Christ was born.”

The meeting concluded with an exchange of commemorative gifts.