Sources: different
By Baghdadhope
Accepted by Pope Benedict XVI the resignation of Patriarch of the Syrian Catholic church, His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad.
"Our children have become sacrificial lambs" these are the words, referred to the recent attacks that in Iraq have struck several Christian places of worship, that His Beatitude Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syriac, pronounced on January 22 during the last official act of his patriarchate in a meeting with Mor Ignatios I Zakka Iwas, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church. During the meeting, held at the Syrian Orthodox monastery of Deir Mar Ephrem in Deir Sadnayia (Damascus) Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad gave a speech not only attentive to the situation of eastern christianity, with particular reference to the attacks that have recently hit 10 christian places of worship in Iraq, but also to the hope for a greater brotherhood and unity among churches "syriac and in particular between the Orthodox and Catholic ones."
From today, February 2, 2008, the Patriarchate of Ignace Pierre VIII Abdel-Ahad, which began in 2001, ended with his resignation accepted as a "gesture of ecclesiastic love" by Pope Benedict XVI.
As a final gesture of his patriarchate His Beatitude thanked all, persons and institutions, that cooperated with him in the last seven years: the Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East, the Council of Churches of the Middle East, the Council of Patriarchs and Catholics Bishops of Lebanon and Syria, the bishops, priests, monks and nuns of the Syriac Catholic church, the various pastoral councils and all the benefactors who collaborated on several charitable projects: former Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, Sarkis Aghajan, the Waleed bin Talal Foundation and former minister of Lebanon and vice president of the Waleed bin Talal Foundation, Mrs. Leila Sohl Hamade.