Dec 6, 2024
CV NEWS FEED // Syrian Catholic Archbishop Jacques Mourad, of the Diocese of Homs, Syria, has decried the immense suffering of refugees fleeing the ongoing violence in Aleppo and the impending destruction of Christianity in the region.
In an interview with Agenzia Fides, the news outlet for the Pontifical Missions Society, Archbishop Mourad described the dire situation.
“We are really tired,” he said. “We are really exhausted, and we are also finished, in every sense.”
Archbishop Mourad, a member of the monastic community of Deir Mar Musa, was born in Aleppo. He retains cherished memories of the city. As a spiritual son of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, the Jesuit founder of Deir Mar Musa who disappeared in 2013 in ISIS-controlled Raqqa, the Archbishop personally endured the horrors of conflict. He was kidnapped in 2015 by jihadist forces and held captive for months, first in isolation and later alongside 150 other Christians in territories controlled by ISIS.
Now, as refugees from Aleppo pour into Homs, Archbishop Mourad and his diocese are overwhelmed. The Archbishop told Agenzia Fides that many of the refugees have endured grueling 25-hour journeys, arriving thirsty, hungry, cold, and destitute.
“We cannot bear all the suffering of the people who arrive here exhausted,” he said.
In response, he has coordinated with other bishops to set up two reception centers with assistance from the Jesuits and support from international organizations like Œuvre d’Orient and Aid to the Church in Need. These centers urgently need food, mattresses, blankets, and diesel to meet the refugees’ basic needs.
The ongoing violence in Aleppo, recently besieged by armed jihadist groups and bombed in retaliation by Syrian and Russian forces, has left Syrians in shock.
“Why is Aleppo being so tormented? Why do they want to destroy this historic, symbolic and important city for the whole world?” Archbishop Mourad questioned. After 14 years of war, he lamented the continuous suffering, misery, and death the Syrian people have endured.
“Why are we so abandoned in this world, in this unbearable injustice?” he asked.
The Archbishop placed responsibility for the tragedy not only on the Syrian government and rebel groups but also on foreign powers, including the United States, Russia, and Europe.
“They all bear direct responsibility for what happened in Aleppo,” he stated, calling the situation a “crime” that endangers the broader region, including Hama and Jazira. He condemned the international community’s “political games,” which he believes have deepened the suffering of Syrians.
In his diocese, Archbishop Mourad has worked to rebuild Christian communities shattered by the war, initiating catechism courses for children and young people as a foundation for renewal. However, he fears that recent events will drive Christians out of Aleppo for good.
“After the action of these armed groups,” he said, “the Christians of Aleppo will be convinced that they cannot stay. That it is over for them. In Aleppo they are trying to bring about the end of the rich, magnificent and unique history of the Christians of Aleppo.”
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