The Syro-Catholic Archbishop of Homs (Syria), Mons. Jacques Mourad, has released an urgent call for the future of the Christian presence in Syria in the midst of a situation marked by violence, poverty and collapse of institutions.
Born in Aleppo and member of the Monastery of San Moisés El Abyssinio, Mons. Jacques Mourad – who was kidnapped by ISIS in 2015 and managed to escape after five months of captivity – expresses with pain his concern for the present of his country: “Today Syria has ceased to exist as a country,” he says in an interview to the VATICAN AGENCY FIDES.
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However, he has not lost hope or his spiritual conviction: “Jesus wants his Church to remain in Syria. And this idea of Syrian empty of Christians is certainly not the will of God.”
Syria is going through a stage of great uncertainty after the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime in December 2024. Although the end of its government generated expectations of democratic transition, violence has intensified and the humanitarian crisis continues.
Various armed factions dispute power, especially in key cities such as IDLIB, Aleppo and Damascus, which has caused selective murders, massacres, arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances.
The Archbishop of Homs, Hama and Nabek recalled with weighing the recent massacre of Orthodox Christians that occurred in Damascus on June 22, when they participated in the divine liturgy in the church of San Elías.
“Every government is responsible for the security of the people. And I do not mean only Christians. Also many (Muslims) Sunni, many alauitas have been killed, many have disappeared. This government is chasing the people. To the entire people,” he denounced openly.
According to the prelate, both the Assad regime and the current “have no respect for the Syrian people and their history.”
To violence is added the daily hostility suffered by the baptized. The Archbishop denounced the practice of driving in official cars with speakers that proclaim verses of the Qur’an and call Christians to become.
“They pass with government safety cars and, through the speakers, they ask the Christians to become. If we then ask security managers why they act like this, they tell us that these are individual initiatives. But in the meantime they continue to use security cars … the people no longer believe in this government,” he said.
Faced with rumors about a possible renewal of the armistice with Israel, Mons. Mourad said: “Almost all the Syrian people want peace, also with Israel, because all are tired of the war. But if now an agreement was reached, it would be only because Syria is weak. It would be another act of humiliation for the people.”
The humanitarian situation in Syria
According to the archbishop, the humanitarian situation in Syria is also devastating. “Much of the population lives below the poverty threshold, we are massacred, humiliated, tired.”
“We have no strength to recover our dignity for ourselves. If there is no sincere political support in favor of the people, and not from the government, we are finished,” he says firmly.
In spite of everything, the archbishop insists that the Church can and must be a source of hope: “The Church is the only reference of hope for the entire Syrian people, not only for Christians. We do everything possible to support our people, within our possibilities.”
That is why he has personally traveled all the parishes of his archdiocese to encourage the faithful. “Thank God, I always feel the Lord accompanying me in the words that I address to the people,” he says.
Mons. Mourad also highlights the importance of dialogue between religious communities in a deeply injured country: “In Homs, the encounter with all communities is encouraged: alauitas, Ismaelitas, Suníes and Christians.”
“To all those who are concerned about government policy, even Muslims. We are united because we are all on the same ship, as Pope Francis repeated,” he added.
Syrian reconstruction
In his vision for the reconstruction of the country, Mons. Mourad highlights the role of the Church in specific areas: “It is essential that the Church is involved intensely in the reconstruction of schools and all the educational fabric in Syria. And also in the construction of decent hospitals for our people.”
Currently, there are schools in operation in Aleppo and Damascus, but “in Homs there is nothing,” he lamented.
Therefore, it is also urgent to act in favor of young people: “We need to revive the pastoral and cultural centers that can accompany the human and cultural growth of our young people. And also houses for young people who want to marry. Thus, all young people can be encouraged to stay in the country, not to leave.”
Finally, with firm hope, the archbishop reaffirmed: “There are resources, but the horizon is clear: thus we can move forward, on the path of our Church in Syria. Because this is, without a doubt, the will of Jesus.”
“Jesus wants his Church to remain in Syria. This idea of empty Syria of Christians is certainly not the will of God. We have the duty to protect our faithful and do everything possible to guarantee the future of the Church in Syria,” he concluded.
Diego López Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I work as a digital journalist. I started my career in the newspaper El Comercio in Peru. In 2016, I began as editor in ACI Press and I perform as a web editor since 2018. From 2024, I write the Newsletter for Social Media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.