On Monday, 6 November 2023, His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece met with the Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Mr. Noam Katz, and representatives of Israeli families kidnapped in Gaza.
The Ambassador thanked the Archbishop for the reception and said that he was accompanying representatives of 242 Israeli families kidnapped by Hamas in October. He stressed that they seeked to appeal for help from anyone who can help, so that their families can return home.
The Archbishop welcomed the Ambassador and the members and stressed that everyone was shocked by all that hase been happening recently in the Middle East. “I think that there is no person in this world who is not indignant from the barbaric footage of children being slaughtered and the captives,” the Archbishop stressed.
His Beatitude Archbishop Ieronymos added that those shocking feelings upset all the Hierarchs of the Church of Greece, all the Greeks and himself personally. He noted that the Church will do everything in its power to help these families. “It is time to stop talking and start working,” the Archbishop pointed out and wished God to quickly provide a solution.
Afterwards, the representatives of the families shared their experiences and begged the Archbishop to help so that the captives could return back home.
The Archbishop promised to raise the issue at the next meeting of the Holy Synod, because, as he said, “this is a burden that all the Hierarchs of the Church of Greece must bear”.
The Protosyncellus of the Archdiocese, Archimandrite Varnavas Theocharis, and Archimandrite Iakovos Andriopoulos were also present for the meeting.
Photos: Christos Bonis / Church of Greece