During the [great consecration of the Orthodox church in honor of the Icon of the Mother of God "Inadvertently Радость"](https://fscch.ru/ru/news/sostoyalos-velikoe-osvyashchenie-hrama-v-chest-ikony-bozhiej-materi-nechayannaya-radost-v-livanskom-gorode-zahle/ On May 18, 2025, in the Lebanese city of Zahle, a message from Patriarch John X of Antioch was read out, in which he expressed deep gratitude to the Russian Orthodox Church and concern for the fate of Orthodox believers suffering in modern conflicts.
The Patriarch's address was read out by Archimandrite George Yakub, rector of the Balamand Patriarchal Monastery. In his message, Patriarch John highly appreciated the historical support of the Church of Antioch from the Russian Church, from the tsarist era to the present day. He also conveyed warm greetings to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and all the faithful of the Russian Church. The text of the message was published by the press service of the Antiochian Patriarchate.
Special attention in the Patriarch's speech was paid to the suffering of people trapped in the zone of armed conflict. Patriarch John also stressed the support of the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who, as stated in the message, "pay a high price for their faith – the closure of churches, confiscation of property, and prohibition of religious life."
The Patriarch called the Church a "witness to the Truth of Christ," which draws strength not from political alliances, but from the Gospel, and assured that the Antiochian Church would remain faithful to this path. He also recalled the tragedy of the Palestinian people suffering in Gaza, and once again recalled the abducted bishops of Aleppo, whose fate remains unknown.
The message ended with words of support and blessings to the residents of Zahla, the city where a new church in the Russian architectural style was built. The church has become a symbol of fraternal ties between the Antiochian and Russian Orthodox Churches, as well as evidence of common faith and hope for peace.