For 43 years, I have been a proud citizen of Romania and a staunch supporter of Romanian traditions and values. These include our adherence to a faith in God that, I think it safe to say, is second to no other people on earth.

And as a Christian born and raised in Syria, who shares with my many family members and the Syrian people that same deep devotion to faith, and as an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Contantinople-New Rome, I think often of the land of my ancestors.

My community has been in Syria for millennia. My extended family is there, native to the Valley of the Christians.

We have long prayed for the deliverance of Syria and its diverse society from the aberrant, abhorrent, and repressive dictatorship and ideology that have wreaked havoc on this land for over half a century. And so, we are overjoyed by the news of the end of the Assad Regime.

As a result, Syria now has the opportunity to establish peace after long years of horrific war, and to work in concert with its neighbors to that end. In particular, I believe Turkiye’s role will be key to progress. Turkiye is an amazing country, a true success story with rich, profound, and natural cultural connections and interests across the region. I have long supported, both publicly and privately, strong relations and friendship with Turkiye as central to achieving prosperity and stability in the Balkans, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

We are acutely aware that the bloodshed and brutality of war have left their mark on all the people of Syria, and that rebuilding will be a long, difficult and uncertain process. The current moment is fraught with the serious potential risk of chaos, which we all seek to avoid.

As a person trained as a medical doctor, and with a deep love of the glories of Greece and Greek culture, both ancient and modern, I have always approached my endeavors in light of the great Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who admonished doctors to “first, do no harm.” Like Hippocrates, we should be clear-eyed and mindful of the complexities of any situation confronting us. We should also strive to avoid oversimplification, or reducing our understanding to a mere caricature of reality, to be manipulated in the service of one political agenda or another.

In that light, the first order of business is to establish stability and peace, to bring an end once and for all to violence. Christians, as well as Muslims, Jews, and other communities, have an abiding interest in dialogue, comity, and tolerance, built on deep respect for faith and absolute equality of all Syrian citizens.

In my view, achieving stability will require a strong commitment to the terrirorial integrity of Syria, and governmental arrangements that enshrine the principle of equality in law and practice, and without favoring or disadvantaging any individual or group. In this way, we will avoid repeating what in other countries has, unfortunately, too often degenerated into a mere spoils system among different communities, one that promotes parochial interests and fierce competition for resources in ways that can too easily be portrayed as a fundamentally “religious” or ethnic competition, inexorably devolving into antagonism and strife.

In the period ahead, various organizations will be involved in what we expect will be an iterative process representing the views of all citizens. In that light, I would note that the Christian community has long played a major role in building Syria, despite the predations of the Assad Regime, and in the development of civil society. We have always been, and continue to be, the bridge that connects all religions and communities in Syria to the wider region, including above all to Muslims and Christians, and between East and West more generally.

Our community will seek support for initiatives as Christian laypeople and as full citizens of this country, and to participate in the leadership of institutions, associations, and assistance in cooperation with people of other faiths. In this way, we can continue to help rebuild and protect Syria and safeguard the social fabric of the country.

There is much work to do, but we believe that with God’s blessing, the understanding and support of regional neighbors, and the sincere, constructive efforts of the Syrian people, Syria will one day be a land of faith, peace, plenty, and democratic stability.