The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Aleppo, northern Syria posted photographs of the damage to its cathedral and other property following the massive earthquake that hit nearby Turkey.
Photographs published on Facebook show blocks of stone that had crashed down onto its mezzanine and further damaged the Cathedral of Elijah the Prophet.
The cathedral was consecrated in December 2000 as the new Greek Cathedral in Aleppo.
“This unprecedented earthquake caused great destruction of life and body,” the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese said in a statement.
“We ask you to lift prayers for the repose of the souls of the dead, the healing of the wounded and for the relief of the homeless displaced who died without shelter. We also ask your brothers, while waiting to contain the damage and organize relief work, to initiate steps within your diocese to express our love and solidarity with our suffering brothers,” it added.
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo is one of the nineteen archdioceses of the Church of Antioch. The archdiocese traces its beginnings back to the Antioch of the earliest Christians and Apostle Paul, as related in the Book of Acts. The archdiocese encompasses communities in both Syria and Turkey.
In April 2013 during the Syrian civil war, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul (Yazigi), who resided in the cathedral, was kidnapped together with the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim by forces allegedly loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
The two clergymen have not appeared since then, and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Prophet Elijah has been without an archbishop since 2013. At the end of 2021 Bishop Ephraim Maalouli was appointed as the new archbishop.
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