(Click here to read Full Article in Arabic from An-Nahar Newspaper)

His Beatitude Patriarch IGNATIUS IV spent more than a month visiting the Antiochian faithful in North America. On Tuesday, August 10, 1999, His Beatitude returned to Lebanon accompanied by His Eminence Metropolitan Elias Aoude of Beirut. His Beatitude was welcomed at the Airport by Metropolitan Elias Kfoury and Bishops Elias Najim and George Abou Zakhem, and Archimandrite Boulos Yazigi, Dean of Balamand Seminary.

Upon his arrival, the Patriarch answered the questions of the journalists at the Beirut International Airport. He said: "My visit to the United States was pastoral. We in the Holy Synod of Antioch thought that there is a necessity to stay close to our faithful in the United States, for distances that separate people make them think that the no one else is out there except them. So we thought that I go to visit the United States, and His Eminence Metropolitan Aoude came also with me. Our main concern is to preserve the mission of  the Antiochian Orthodox Church and Heritage in North America ... Our Church in North America is well run and well organized, under the strong leadership of Metropolitan PHILIP."

His Beatitude emphasized the need for further cooperation between the faithful in Middle East and in North America.

"I assured the faithful in the US that we are one with them. We cannot be without them, and they cannot be without us. I emphasized the need to be cooperative and productive," His Beatitude declared.