Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has expressed his sympathies and pledged Hungarian aid to Jean-Clement Jeanbart, the retired Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo, after reports that the archeparchy’s residence collapsed during last week’s earthquake, killing one priest and injuring Jeanbart.
According to MTI, PM Orbán said in a letter he was distressed to hear of the disaster and relieved when the archbishop’s life was no longer in danger. The prime minister said he remembered fondly the archbishop’s visit to Hungary in 2017, adding that Hungary stood by the community during its present trials. “The Hungarian government will do everything in its power to aid [the region] to survive and start anew. We remember the victims and pray for those who have lost loved ones and their homes,” PM Orbán said.