Greek Orthodox Patriarch Yazigi: If God wills, the kidnapped bishops will soon return

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East John X Yazigi met on Thursday with the General Security Chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim at the Beirut International Airport prior to Patriarch Yazigi's flight to Rome.

Patriarch Yazigi hailed the efforts deployed by Major General Ibrahim in following up the case of the Lebanese hostages in Syria as well as the two kidnapped Syrian bishops.

"If God wills, we will celebrate the return of the two bishops soon," Patriarch Yazigi said.

Two Syrian bishops were kidnapped by gunmen on Monday April 22nd and are still missing.

Pope Francis urged the release of the two Aleppian bishops, 2 days after their disappearance.

They have been identified as Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo and Alexandria Boulos Yazigi, and Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo Yuhanna Ibrahim.

Similarly, eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped on their way back from Iran by insurgents hoping to use them for a prisoner swap on the 22nd of May.

Only two have so far been released.