Beloved in the Lord,

The new ecclesiastical year always begins with a certain excitement, anticipation, and joy as parish programs resume after their summer hiatus. The summer break has refreshed us, providing us with the energy that will propel our ministries, advancing the life of our Church.

This year though our new year begins as we watch the tragedy of the Middle East continuing to unfold. Our fellow Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq have been singled out for persecution and possible extinction. The word genocide should not be invoked lightly, but many are afraid that this is precisely what is transpiring. In parts of Africa and other parts of the world as well, Christians are being actively persecuted.

Our most natural response is to grow angry, seeking to lash out against the prosecutors, to harm or even destroy them. But as His All-Holiness our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has recently stated, “Violence never is pacified by violence, and hatred is only overcome by tolerance.” As difficult as it is, we must advocate for a peaceful and just resolution of this crisis, without the spilling of more blood or adding to the destruction. As Gandhi said so many years ago, “an eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”

Without adding to the violence already occurring, we can do something to support those who are in danger. First, we must lift our voices to the Most High God and pray for our persecuted sisters and brothers. “Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your most holy sanctuary,” says the Psalmist (Psalm 28:2). For this reason, I ask all the clergy of this Metropolis to include a petition in the Great Synapte for our persecuted brothers and sisters. After the petition "for the city and country..." include the following: “for those being persecuted for their faith in the Middle East, Iraq, Africa, and throughout the world, that their suffering may end through peaceful means and they are safe from persecution and find freedom from oppression, let us pray to the Lord.”  Recite this petition until our brothers and sisters in these areas of strife find safety and tranquility.

Second, lift up your voices to those with political power. Again, as His All-Holiness stated, “We will not remain indifferent or silent before such irrational persecution, cultural intolerance and appalling loss of life, especially when it is caused by religious hatred and racial hostility.” Contact your elected officials in Washington stating that these Christians are our brothers and sisters who need our assistance. Remind the Senators and Congressmen that Christianity is threatened with extinction in the Middle East, disappearing from the Holy Land itself. Describe for them the constant threat of violence that Christians in parts of Africa and elsewhere in the world live under, merely because they are Christians. This is not hyperbole, but the reality of the situation. Call upon your elected officials to bear witness of this reality and to use the powerful voice of our nation to the whole world.

Third, as you begin your parish programs, include prayers and actions for the Christians of the Middle East, Iraq and Africa. Learn about Christianity in those lands. Participate with the relief agencies, such as IOCC, to bring aid and assistance to those in need. Pray for them. Use knowledge, charity and intercession as your chief weapons to combat this crisis.

May the One God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the most compassionate and lover of humanity, grant peace to us all in this new Ecclesiastical year and always.

With Love in Christ,
+ G E R A S I M O S
Metropolitan of San Francisc