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SYRIA - سوريا

Pope Saint John Paul II was a pilgrim to Syria in 2001, on his Jubilee Pilgrimage "in the footsteps of Saint Paul the Apostle".

Papa Benedict XVI gave catecheses on the Syrians St Ignatius of Antioch (Father of the Church), St John Damascene (Father of the Church), St Peter the Apostle (1st Bishop of Rome), St Romanus the Melodist & John Climacus.

Papa Benedetto: 'Please join me in praying for Syria, so that constructive dialogue will replace the horrendous violence.' - @Pontifex tweet 7 Jan 2013

Here below are responses to Totus2us podcasts given by Syrians
- شكرا جزيلا لك  ♥

You can download the free mp3 audio recordings individually by double / right clicking on the blue play buttons - يمكنك تحميل التسجيلات الصوتية MP3 الحرة بشكل فردي عن طريق الحق / النقر المزدوج على أزرار اللعب الزرقاء

Dania      

"Mary is the mother of Jesus, she’s my mother, she’s the mother of Syria, she’s the mother of all the countries who are suffering from war, from trouble. So please Mary, pray for us."

Dania gives her شيء عن ماري in English and Arabic.

Bishop Elias Sleman       in French       in Arabic  

"Il y avait un prêtre qui vivait une vie de sainteté, le curé du village. À l'âge de dix ans, j'ai dit à mes parents 'Je veux devenir prêtre comme ce prêtre.' Et par conséquent, j'ai été au Liban dans le seminaire patriarcal maronite où j'ai été à l'âge de dix ans. Bien sûr j'ai souffert parce que j'étais enfant séparé de sa famille, dans un autre pays, tout ça c'est difficile. J'ai eu beaucoup de maladies après, beaucoup de dépaysements mais ça m'a fait beaucoup, beaucoup de bien, parce que à partir des souffrances on découvre l'amour de Dieu et on découvre réellement le Christ, le Christ. "

Father Rami      

".. "

Father Rami gives his something about Mary in Italian and Arabic.

(ACN film published on 6 June 2013)

If you'd like to give your something about Mary,
please do get in touch with the Totus2us team

- as well as hopefully bringing you joy,
you'd be really helping Totus2us   ♥

Totus tuus ego sum et omnia mea tua sunt.
Accipio te in mea omnia. Praebe mihi cor tuum, Maria. - St Louis de Montfort

Papa St John Paul II took his motto Totus Tuus from this quote.

"I am totally yours and all that I have is yours.
I accept you for my all. O Mary, give me your heart.”

Renewal of Act of Consecration of Syria to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Led by Archbishop Samir Nassar on Sunday 26th May 2013 at 6pm local time
in his Cathedral in Damascus, on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

“The Shepherds chosen by Your Son to watch over and feed in His name the sheep He has acquired at the price of His blood – in this “Land of Holy Mary”, whose name cannot be pronounced without pronouncing Your own – come today – as the official and consecrated representatives of their flocks, and in an act of filial “homage” (vassalagem) of faith, love and trust – to solemnly consecrate the Syrian nation to your Immaculate Heart. Take it from our fragile hands into Your own; defend it and guard it as Your own property; make Jesus reign, conquer and rule in it. Outside of Him there is no salvation…

We, the bishops of your people, feel a terrible storm raging round us, threatening to disperse and destroy the faithful flock of those who bless You because You are the Mother of Jesus. Afflicted, we stretch out our suppliant hands towards Your Son, as we cry out “save us, O Lord, for we perish!”… Intercede for Syria, O Our Lady, in this grave hour when from all around blow furious winds, bringing cries of death against Your Son and against civilization founded on His teachings, deceiving minds, perverting hearts and lighting the fires of hatred and revolution in the world. Help of Christians, pray for us!

Intercede for Syria, Our Lady, in this troubled hour when the unclean waves of an open immorality, which has even lost the notion of sin, exalt the rehabilitation of the flesh in the face of the very Cross of Your Son, threatening to choke in this world the lily of virtue nourished by the Eucharistic blood of Jesus. Virgin most powerful, pray for us!

Intercede for Syria, Our Lady, in this hour of passions and doubts when even the good run the risk of being lost…Unite all the Syrian peoples around Your Son in the love of the Church and the cultivation of virtue, in respect for order and fraternal charity. Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Remember finally, Patroness of our country and Mother of Jesus that we now only have recourse to Your Immaculate Heart and Divine Mercy. O Blessed Virgin Mary through the powerful intercession of your Immaculate Heart, save Syria, by giving it Jesus, in Whom it will find Truth, Life and Peace.” Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us.
Immaculate Heat of Mary, Pray for us.
St. Joseph, patron and protector of the Universal Church, Pray for us.
Martyrs of Syria and the Middle East, Pray for us.
Saints of Syria and the Middle East, Pray for us.
St. Charbel, Pray for us."


Based on the form and text of the Act of Consecration of Portugal to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the Portuguese Bishops in 1931.

Papa Saint John Paul II's reflection on his Jubilee pilgrimage to Syria
General Audience, Wednesday 16 May 2001- in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"1. A week ago I concluded my pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Paul, which led me to Greece, Syria and Malta. I am pleased today to reflect with you on the event, the final segment of my Jubilee itinerary which took me to the principal places of salvation history. I am grateful to all those who have followed me with their prayer in the unforgettable "return to the sources", from which we draw the freshness of the original Christian experience. ...

Everywhere I wished to express to the Orthodox Churches the affection and esteem of the Catholic Church, with the desire that the memory of past sins against ecclesial communion may be fully purified and make way for reconciliation and fraternity. Also, I had the opportunity to reaffirm the sincere and open way in which the Church turns to the believers of Islam, to whom we are united by the adoration of the one God.

I consider it a particular grace to have been able to meet, above all in the places where they exercise their pastoral activity, the Catholic bishops of Greece, Syria and Malta, and their priests, men and women religious, and many of the faithful. In the footsteps of St Paul, the successor of St Peter was able to strengthen and encourage those Churches, exhorting them to fidelity as well as to openness and fraternal charity. ..

3. After Greece, I went on to Syria, where on the road to Damascus, the Risen Christ appeared to Saul of Tarsus transforming him from persecutor into untiring Apostle of the Gospel. It was a way of going to the beginning, as it was with Abraham, a return to the call, to the vocation. This is what I was thinking about when I visited the Memorial of St Paul. The history of God with men always begins with the call of God, who invites a person to leave himself and his own security to move forward towards a new land, trusting in him who calls. It was true for Abraham, Moses, Mary, Peter and all the other Apostles. It was also true for Paul.

Syria is a country which is prevalently inhabited by Muslims, who believe in the one God and wish to submit to Him, after the example of Abraham to whom they constantly refer (cf Nostra aetate, 3). The interreligious dialogue with Islam becomes ever more important and necessary at the beginning of the third millennium. As a result I found very encouraging the warm reception I received from the civil authorities and the Grand Mufti, who even accompanied me on the historic visit to the Great Umayyad Mosque where one finds the Memorial of St John the Baptist who is highly venerated by the Muslims.

At Damascus my pilgrimage took on a strongly ecumenical character, thanks to the visit I had the joy of realizing in the two Orthodox Cathedrals, to His Beatitude, Ignace IV, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, and to His Holiness, Mor Ignatius Zakka I, the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch. In the historic Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of Our Lady, we then celebrated a solemn prayer service. With interior gratitude, I saw realized one of the principal goals of our Jubilee pilgrimage, that of "gathering in the places of our common origin to bear witness to Christ our unity" (cf Ut unum sint, 23) and to confirm our mutual commitment to restoration of full communion" (Letter concerning the pilgrimage to the places linked to the history of salvation, 11).

4. In Syria I could not resist directing to God a special prayer for peace in the Middle East, compelled by the unfortunate situation which becomes ever more worrisome. I traveled to the Golan Heights to the Church of Kuneitra, partially ruined by the war, and there I made my petition. In a certain sense, I have remained there in spirit continuing my prayer and I will not cease to pray until revenge will give way to reconciliation and the recognition of mutual rights.

Such hope is founded on faith. It is the hope that I entrusted to the young people of Syria, whom I had the joy of meeting the evening before I left Damascus. In my heart I still carry the fervour of their greeting and I pray to the God of peace so that Christian, Muslim and Jewish young people can grow up together as sons and daughters of the one God. ..

Once again I wished to indicate the way of holiness as the path to be followed by the faithful of the third millennium. On the vast ocean of history, the Church need not fear the challenges and the threats which she meets in the course of her voyage through time if she keeps steering a steady course in the royal channel of holiness, towards which the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 directed us (cf Novo millennio ineunte, 30).

May it be a reality for all, thanks to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, to whom we turn constantly during the month of May which is consecrated to her. May the Virgin Mary assist every believer, family and community to continue with unhesitating enthusiasm on the path of daily fidelity to the Gospel.
"

Benedict XVI's Letter to Patriarch Ignace Youssif III Younan
on the occasion of the Granting of Ecclesiastical Communion
- in English, French, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

To His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch for Syrians,
I have just received, Your Beatitude, the message full of deep trust in the Lord with which you inform me of your election to the Patriarchal See of Antioch for Syrians and it fills me with joy.

I accept very willingly, Beloved Brother in Jesus Christ, your request for ecclesiastical communion in conformity with the practice and with the wishes of the whole Catholic Church. On this occasion, I am pleased to address my warm congratulations to you, while I assure you of my fraternal love.

May the Lord, Master of history and Shepherd of the Church, crown you with his graces throughout your new ministry, for the glory of God, the consolation of the souls entrusted to your fatherly solicitude and the good of the universal Church!

As I entrust you to Our Lady of Deliverance, I assure you of my fervent prayers to the Holy Spirit that your patriarchal mission may bear much fruit.

Your Beatitude, I offer a most fraternal kiss to you and to all the members of the Holy Synod, as I impart to you and to all the Bishops, priests, men and women religious and faithful of your Patriarchate my affectionate Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 22 January 2009

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI