War in Syria: Bishops assure that they will stay in Aleppo alongside the population

“The bishops have assured their faithful that they will remain in Aleppo, as will the priests, the religious,” reported the Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, Cardinal Mario Zenari, who reported that the city is experiencing “a very uncertain and difficult moment.” after being captured by jihadists.

Last week, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, a jihadist faction considered an offshoot of al Qaeda in Syria, launched its largest operation in nearly nine years against government forces in rural western Aleppo.

After taking over several villages and towns, the terrorist group captured Aleppo and is now trying to take the nearby province of Hama.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, whose headquarters are in London, as of Tuesday, 571 deaths had been recorded since the jihadist offensive began. Of the total, 98 are civilians, 182 are members of the army and allied militias, and the rest are members of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and its allies.

In statements published on December 2 by Vatican NewsCardinal Zenari indicated that the population is tired after fourteen years of civil war and that with the surprise capture of Aleppo “it is not known what the future will hold for this area and for Syria in general.” “The entire Middle East is burning and the geopolitical cards are in disarray,” he noted.

Regarding the Christian community, the cardinal indicated that he is in contact with “the bishops, priests, religious men and women of Aleppo to see how the situation evolves.”

“There is a certain calm in some areas, but also mistrust. There is a lot of fear, the government offices have disappeared, the army is not even seen, there are these armed groups that walk around and have promised not to touch the civilian population. Until now it seems that they have respected it, but people are still afraid, they are locked in their homes,” he said.

The Apostolic Nuncio also reported that displaced people are arriving in the capital Damascus and other places on the coast. “Let us remember that among the refugees in neighboring countries there are around 6 million Syrians. Between outsiders and insiders, Syria maintains a sad record of refugees: around 13 million, more than half of the population. This number will increase, it is inevitable,” he said.

“Now people no longer have hope for the future of the country, especially young people. We don’t see any reconstruction, we don’t see any economic start, there is no work, so the only desire of the people, of the young people, is to leave,” he added.

Cardinal Zenari also addressed the international community to point out that “it is right to help resolve conflicts, but above all we must prevent.”

“Some recent conflicts that have broken out in the world were predictable, something had to be done first. In the Middle East, in Ukraine… Therefore, I would insist on preventing wars, on acting first; Otherwise, we will act when the pieces are already broken, when they are on the ground,” he indicated.

The Apostolic Nuncio in Syria expressed his hope that the Jubilee 2025, “which has as its theme ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, can send a breath of fresh air to these people who have been suffering for 14 years from war, hunger and lack. of work.”

“This is the situation… The only desire of the population, as I said, is to escape. With these latest events in Aleppo, this desire to emigrate has increased,” he lamented.