Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Archbishop, Criticizes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Palestine, strongly criticized US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, made the sign of the cross on his forehead during the Ash Wednesday celebration. Atallah Hanna, the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Christians in Palestine, reacted strongly to Rubio’s action and criticized him during a speech on Thursday, March 6.
Atallah Hanna, while referring to Washington’s support for Israel in the massacre and ongoing war against Christians, posted a picture of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio along with a post on his Facebook page, stating: “A true Christian should stand with the oppressed, the suffering, and the tortured, not with the oppressors who commit violence and injustice against people.”
While condemning politicians’ insistence on distorting the message of Christianity through their positions, he considered this contradictory to the teachings of the Holy Bible and described these politicians as domestic enemies who target the church from within.
In his remarks, he said: “Those who take pride in the cross and declare their Christianity must acknowledge that historical injustice has been inflicted on the Palestinian people, and this injustice must end so that Palestinians can enjoy the freedom and peace they deserve.”
These reactions to Rubio’s action come at a time when he announced on Saturday that a decision had been made and signed by Donald Trump to accelerate the delivery of military aid to Israel, coinciding with the lifting of conditions imposed by Joe Biden. He also emphasized on Tuesday during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the primary priority of the Donald Trump administration, which is American support for Israel.
