SYRIA: Which Christmas and which future for the Christians of Syria?
HRWF (23.12.2024) – On the eve of Christmas, Christians in Syria and in Europe wonder how their future will look like. Various voices are heard from several parts of the country and from experts abroad about possible perspectives. The celebration of Christmas will be a first test. Here is a short digest of their analyses:
19.12.2024 – Syria: Gunmen fire at Orthodox church – minor damage caused
CSW – Unidentified gunmen opened fire on an Orthodox church in Hama, Syria yesterday, 18 December. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which caused minor damage to the walls.
Security forces moved quickly to secure the scene and the culprits were arrested on the following morning of 19 December. The Bishop of Hama issued a statement confirming the incident and the quick response of the local authorities.
In a separate incident in the days following the fall of the Assad regime, a cemetery in the Christian town of Mhareh near Hama was vandalised. The local authorities moved quickly and condemned the incident and vowed to arrest the perpetrators and hold them accountable.
In another incident, a person claiming to be a member of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) security entered a bar in a Christian neighbourhood in Damascus and attempted to intimidate the owner for serving alcohol. When confronted and asked to show his ID, he tried to run away but was quickly arrested and identified as a former member of a paramilitary group loyal to Assad.
17.12.2024 – L’Oeuvre d’Orient was with the first French mission in Syria in 12 years
L’Oeuvre d’Orient– L’Œuvre d’Orient was alongside the first French diplomatic mission in Syria in twelve years, marked by the raising of the tricolor flag at the French embassy.
Vincent Gelot, country director of L’Œuvre d’Orient, welcomed the delegation to the Study Zone of Bab Tooma, in the historic Christian quarter of Damascus.
This exchange with members of civil society from different communities reflects the ongoing commitment of L’Œuvre d’Orient to local populations.
Jointly supported by L’Œuvre d’Orient and the Crisis Center, the 14 Study Zones in Syria have allowed nearly 10,000 students per month to continue their university studies since the start of the war, offering a space of resilience and solidarity.
16.12.2024 – Syria: Future of Christianity remains uncertain
Aid to the Church in Need – Despite Syria’s Christian schools reopening – with assurances from rebel authorities that there will be no restrictions on religious practice – concerns remain about the future of Christianity in the country. Local sources who wished not to be named told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the mood of the Christian community is subdued yet cautiously optimistic.
16.12.2024 – Syria: Patriarch Yohanna X and the new Syria: “We Christians are not ‘guests’ in this land”
FIDES – “We are here in Damascus, on the street of Al-Marymiya, next to the Umayyad Mosque, and we tell the world that we, as Christians, come from the land of the Levant and the cedars of Lebanon… from the spaces of Homs and the authentic history of Aleppo, from the waterwheels of Hama and the roar of the springs of Idlib, from the sea of Latakia and the Euphrates of Deir ez-Zor.
We are not guests in this land, and we are not children of today or yesterday. We come from Antioch of the Apostles, from this land that has marked the universe with the name of Jesus Christ,” said Yohanna X Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, about the defining characteristics of the indigenous Christian communities of Syria.
His speech delivered in Damascus after the 15 December Sunday mass, is a sort of “manifesto” of the feelings and expectations of many Syrian Christians regarding the future in post-Assad Syria.
13.12.2024 – Leaders discuss future of Christianity in Damascus
Aid to the Church in Need – Christian leaders have welcomed assurances from those controlling Syria, that believers will have a future in the country, after it was seized by rebel forces including jihadist militias last weekend.
Armenian Catholic Bishop Georges Assadourian of Damascus told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that he met with the rebel leaders in the capital’s Four Seasons Hotel, which they have made their headquarters.
The meeting at which he represented the Christian community along with two priests was also attended by a number of ambassadors from overseas governments.
11.12.2024 – World Council of Churches to church leaders in Syria: ‘continue living out your faith with courage and hope’
WCC – a letter to church leaders in Syria, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay extended deep love and solidarity during a time of profound uncertainty and upheaval.
“We recognize that the road ahead is fraught with challenges, as political instability, societal divisions, and economic hardship weigh heavily on your nation,” wrote Pillay. “Yet, even in this time of trial, we draw hope from the steadfast witness of your faith and the abiding presence of Christ among you.”
10.12.2024 – Syria: Christian leaders hold ‘positive’ meeting with Islamic groups
FIDES – On Monday, 9 December, the leaders of all the Churches and ecclesial communities present in Aleppo met for the second time with representatives of the armed groups that have taken control of the Syrian city. It was the first meeting after President Bashar al Assad fled and the rebels also took Damascus. “We were all present: bishops, priests and religious,” said Jesuit Antoine Audo, Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, in an interview with Fides. It was a “very positive meeting”.
The unprecedented summit took place in the Franciscan church and convent, where the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholics of the Latin Rite is also located. “Their intention,” said Bishop Audo, “seems to be to build trust.” Expectations are good, especially considering that “we have reached a dead end: there is no electricity, everything is expensive, many people have difficulty feeding themselves.”
10.12.2024 – SYRIA – Aleppo, new meeting between Christian representatives and Islamist groups. Bishop Audo: “they show respect for our traditions”
FIDES – Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) – On Monday, December 9, the leaders of all the Churches and ecclesial communities present in Aleppo met for the second time with representatives of the armed groups that have taken control of the Syrian city. It was the first meeting after President Bashar al Assad fled and the rebels also took Damascus. “We were all present: bishops, priests and religious,” said Jesuit Antoine Audo, Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, in an interview with Fides. It was a “very positive meeting”.
The unprecedented summit took place in the Franciscan church and convent, where the Apostolic Vicariate of the Catholics of the Latin Rite is also located. “Their intention,” said Bishop Audo, “seems to be to build trust.” Expectations are good, especially considering that “we have reached a dead end: there is no electricity, everything is expensive, many people have difficulty feeding themselves.”