This post was originally published on this site
NEW YORK — His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America wrote on Friday to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s representative in Amman, offering the prayers of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America after gunmen killed at least seven people at a funeral in a Greek Orthodox church in southern Jordan. The letter was addressed to His Eminence Archbishop Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis, who has served since 2018 as Patriarchal Commissioner in Amman and pastor of the city’s Orthodox community.
Archbishop Elpidophoros called the shooting at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud a “shameful terrorist attack,” stating that no words could describe the shock felt by Orthodox Christians “and all people of faith and goodwill around the world.”
Speaking for the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Archdiocese, Archbishop Elpidophoros extended condolences to Archbishop Christophoros and his flock, praying for the repose of the dead and the recovery of the wounded.
“In a spirit of compassion and solidarity, we commit to continue to pray and work for peace in the world – a peace grounded in dialogue, mutual understanding, and coexistence,” he wrote.
The shooting took place on Friday in Karak governorate, about 110 miles south of Amman, as mourners gathered for a funeral. Security camera footage aired by the state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka showed three men firing at the church from a sidewalk, taking cover behind trees and a low wall, then running for the entrance. Witnesses told the station the gunfire went on for several minutes. One said that between 150 and 200 people were inside and around the church, and that most of the victims were between 50 and 70 years old.
Jordanian officials put the number of wounded at 34, while the health minister said 40 had been hurt. Officials described the attack as terrorism carried out by extremists but said it was too early to know whether the gunmen had ties to any organized group. No one had claimed responsibility by Friday evening, and security forces were still searching for the attackers.
The Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in a statement issued on behalf of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, the Holy Synod and Archbishop Christophoros, condemned what it called a “vile, cowardly, and bloody act.” It voiced confidence that Jordan’s security services would bring the attackers to justice and said the killings would only strengthen the bond between the country’s Christians and Muslims. The Patriarchate also answered any suggestion that violence could drive Christians from the Holy Land. “We shall remain here as witnesses to the faith, regardless of how great the challenges or how severe the trials may be,” the statement said.
King Abdullah II traveled to Karak hours after the shooting. “The terrorist attack against Karak will be met with the harshest retaliation,” the King said in a statement. The government declared three days of national mourning. António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, condemned the killings and said attacks on civilians and places of worship were unacceptable.
In a message to Archbishop Elpidophoros, the Very Reverend Protopresbyter George Jweinat, Archiepiscopal Vicar of the Vicariate of the Palestinian and Jordanian Orthodox Christian Communities in America, condemned the “acts of terrorism and violence against innocent people” around the world, above all the attack in Hamoud. He also thanked His Eminence for his “continued fatherly care and spiritual leadership.” The Vicariate’s parishes are under the jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
In his own letter to Amman, Archbishop Elpidophoros asked God to comfort those in mourning and to “preserve the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in peace and harmony always.” He drew on St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.”
With reports from Reuters, The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and The Washington Post.
The post Archbishop tells Jordan church ‘all suffer together’ after Hamoud shooting appeared first on Orthodox Observer.
