Home » News » “We don’t want any more bloodshed in Syria,” says Homs Archbishop

“We don’t want any more bloodshed in Syria,” says Homs Archbishop

Archbishop Arbach will be participating in the “Night of Witnesses” in the cathedral of Madrid on 14 March

Following the massacres that took place in western Syria during the past weekend, which, according to available reports and estimates, left 1,000 dead, the Archbishop of Homs, Jean Abdo Arbach, has told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that “we don’t want any more bloodshed. We call for unity and reconciliation. After 14 years of war, we don’t need another conflict.” The archbishop condemned the attacks which have been attributed to militants of the HTS group, currently in power in Syria, who carried out the attacks following an ambush on government security forces. “This is very painful. I ask for justice, because murdering women and children is not a good thing for Syria,” said the archbishop.

Archbishop Jean Abdo Arbach
Archbishop Jean Abdo Arbach

Archbishop Arbach described the difficult situation Syria is facing following the fall of the Assad regime: “People don’t have jobs, there is a lack of food and of medicine. Many people are asking when this will end, they can’t see a future and they want to leave.” According to the prelate, it has become commonplace to see people wandering in the streets of Homs talking to themselves in an atmosphere of loneliness, fear and sadness. The archbishop asks for the lifting of international economic sanctions, which continue to have a deep effect on a country which is still in a very fragile situation.

Remaining in Syria

The Syrian Church faces great challenges to address the needs of its faithful. The Archbishop of Homs explains that “we are supporting our faithful in every sense of the word: paying rent, providing medication, food and clothing, and also sustaining them spiritually so that they feel close to God, to encourage them to remain in their land, in their country, and to preserve Syria’s roots, which are the Christians.” Archbishop Arbach thanks ACN for all the support it has been providing to the Church in Syria, to help the Syrian Christian community.

The Syrian Church leader calls attention, once again, to the real risk of the Christian population in the Middle East disappearing altogether. “I encourage people to wait, and to stay firm, because without the Christians, there can be no future for Syria. Christians are the roots of Syria and Syria is the cradle of Christianity. In Damascus we can still find the places where Saint Paul converted to Christianity in the first century. We still have first-century churches and monasteries, and we have kept Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, alive.”

Indiscriminate attacks

The indiscriminate attacks which took place last weekend, 8 and 9 March, in the region of Latakia and Tartus in western Syria, killed over 1,000 people, including entire families. The Alawites, a minority Shia Muslim group, were particularly targeted. The attacks have been attributed to militants from the HTS group, which led the overthrow of the previous Syrian government.

Syria has been going through a time of great uncertainty since the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s regime on 8 December. Power is currently in the hands of an interim government, led by President Ahmed Al Sharaa, who has promised a transition to new democratic elections.

Archbishop in “Night of Witnesses”

The Archbishop of Homs will be participating in the “Night of Witnesses” vigil, in the Cathedral of Almudena, Madrid, on 14 March. This prayer and witness vigil for persecuted Christians around the world will be presided over by Cardinal José Cobo and accompanied by Hakuna Group Music. Participation in the vigil is free of charge, and it can also be followed through ACN Spain’s YouTube channel.

 

Don't miss the latest updates!

Children prepare to send “tidal wave of prayer” around the world

Responds to the ever-pressing yearning for peace and unity in…

Iraq: Ecumenical festival points to future for persecuted Church

Today, the very same communities will raise the Cross high…

Bishop denounces illegal occupation of Church land in Mozambique

"Officials who were sent there were chased away, there must…

Priest’s murder shocks Sierra Leone

Father Amadu was a man of peace, compassion, and unwavering…

Christian clergy in Gaza defy evacuation orders to remain with their flocks

Like other residents of Gaza City, the refugees living in…

Mozambique: Pope “close” to suffering people of Cabo Delgado

The Pope’s words were an important solace for the people…

Thousands of children prepare to return to school, thanks to ACN

Many families would not have been able to pay tuition…

Student’s dedication bears fruit for Ukrainian children

This year, a group of Portuguese students decided to do…

List of News

Vatican gathers the stories of 1,624 Christians murdered for their faith since the year 2000

An ecumenical tribute will be held in Rome, but names will not be published for now A Vatican commission comprising historians, theologians and other experts has documented the stories of...

Children prepare to send “tidal wave of prayer” around the world

Responds to the ever-pressing yearning for peace and unity in a world wounded by division, conflict, and suffering

Iraq: Ecumenical festival points to future for persecuted Church

Today, the very same communities will raise the Cross high in public squares, in churches, and in joyful processions