ACN mourns Syrian archbishop who never abandoned his flock
Archbishop Jeanbart believed that had it not been for the care of God the Christians of Syria would have been wiped out during the civil war.
It was with sadness that Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) heard of the death of its long-time project partner Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart, aged 83, on Saturday 9 May.
ACN had a long-standing relationship with the archbishop, who died suddenly during a trip to France.
“Learning of the death of a project partner is always a shock, especially one we had accompanied for such a long time and during so much suffering during the of war. But as a Christian and knowing of the archbishop’s faith and trust in Jesus Christ, my sadness is accompanied by the certainty that he is rejoicing in the rewards of his tireless advocacy for the community the Lord entrusted to him,” said Regina Lynch.
Jean-Clément Jeanbart was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1943, the sixth of 12 children of a devout Melkite Catholic family. He first entered the seminary as a young boy of only 11, but left to continue his studies in Aleppo before returning definitively aged 19. He was ordained in 1968.
From early on he felt a special calling to work with the youth, which he would maintain until his final years.
Archbishop Jeanbart led the Melkite Archeparchy of Aleppo from 1995 until his retirement in 2021. He actively worked to improve the spiritual and material life of his flock, believing this was key to helping Christians remain in their homeland. He also invested heavily in ecumenical relations, having partnered with the Greek Orthodox Church in Syria to build the Church of Unity, shared by Melkites and Orthodox.
Archbishop Jeanbart never ceased speaking publicly about the suffering of Syria’s Christians. During the Syrian civil war, Archbishop Jeanbart became one of the strongest advocates for the survival of Christianity in Syria, repeatedly warning against the disappearance of ancient Christian communities from the Middle East.
When the war in Syria began, he refused to leave Aleppo, despite the constant danger. When a church building was struck by a missile, in 2016, he wrote to ACN, expressing his gratitude for the fact that none of the youth or priests had been hurt. “The next day, when a great crowd had gathered for Sunday Mass, I was at a loss for words, but I called on the faithful to join me in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, who, once again, had seen fit to protect us. It was a good occasion to remind Christians that they are not alone and that our Good Shepherd is always there, very close to us, and that He never leaves us orphaned or without help.”
“In reviewing the course of events of the past five years of this pitiless war, we cannot fail to see His salutary actions among us. This terrible and infernal war, would have utterly destroyed us or driven us to despair and madness, had it not been for His tender care. Without his providential protection, the ceaseless bombardments we are suffering would have annihilated us a long time ago,” the archbishop concluded.
“Unfortunately, Archbishop Jeanbart did not live to see peace and stability fully return to his country. We can only hope that now he will be able to intercede for Christ’s peace to bless Syria and the wider region of the Middle East,” Regina Lynch said.
Recommended
