On the occasion of his pastoral visit to Aleppo on Armenian Christmas, His Holiness Aram I appealed to all Armenians to act urgently to help the historical Armenian community in Aleppo to recover and rise again.
The Catholicos recalled the tragic experience of Armenians in Syria during the past five years, in which they faced the daily prospect of death, helplessly watched the destruction of their homes and neighbourhoods, suffered from the disintegration of their economy, and experienced the loss of their loved ones, especially the young men who died while protecting the community. He also spoke of the families that were torn apart because of the emigration of their young members. He praised the communities and organizations in Aleppo that have set aside divisions and differences and created a United Relief Committee in order to respond to the problems of the community with one voice and ensure the fair distribution of humanitarian assistance.
He also praised the Armenians from Armenia, Lebanon and the Diaspora who have assisted their suffering brothers and sisters. He singled out the government of the Republic of Armenia, which has aided the Syrian Armenians in a number of ways, and the Catholicosate of Cilicia, which has created a Special Central Fund for Syria and appealed to Armenian institutions and individuals in the world to channel their contributions through the fund. He noted that the Catholicosate of Cilicia has sent the money to the United Relief Committee for Armenians in Syria, through the Armenian Prelacy in Aleppo, ensuring its secure transfer. To conclude this part of his message, His Holiness thanked everyone for their solidarity in the words of the Apostle Paul, who wrote: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (I Corinthians 12:26).
In the second part of his message, His Holiness Aram I said that he hoped the recent ceasefire would persist and the community would be able to begin the process of reconstruction and reorganization in a coordinated and comprehensive way; he shared his vision of the process: He said that an inventory should be prepared and priorities be defined to respond to the damage and loss; time should be taken to design an achievable, comprehensive, and sustainable plan, one that includes clearly defined phases of implementation and is congruent to local conditions; finally, he suggested that budgeting and fund-raising activities should be implemented immediately.
In view of the magnitude of the cost of reconstruction and the nature of projects, Catholicos Aram I proposed that discussions on budgeting, fund-raising strategies and stages of implementation take place simultaneously, and he proposed the following plan of action:
- A Committee be created, to be located in Aleppo, for the reconstruction of the Syrian Armenian Community. The committee should include representatives of the three Armenian religious communities, political parties and humanitarian organizations.
- A consultation be held in April 2017, either in Aleppo or in Lebanon, with the participation of the representatives of Armenian communities, organizations and individuals ready to pledge funds.
- Reports be prepared by experts with proposed budgets for each of the projects requiring funding.
- Each request be presented and discussed, and partners be identified who are willing to support the projects,
- A committee of experts in Syria be nominated to supervise the implementation of the project by the Committee for Reconstruction of the Syrian Armenian Community and the sponsoring organizations.
- All projects be planned in a professional manner and include careful benchmarks to promote accountability.
In conclusion, His Holiness expressed his confidence that the Nation, including the Government of Armenia, the Armenian Church, the Armenian Catholic and Protestant churches, all organizations and wealthy individuals, will support the reconstruction of Aleppo.
With Prayers
Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia
