Syria: Deadly attack on St Elias Church in Damascus

Regina Lynch, Executive President of ACN International, said: “We are deeply shocked by this tragic and senseless act of violence. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the entire Christian community in Syria. We stand in full solidarity with our brothers and sisters in faith, and we echo the urgent call of His Beatitude Patriarch John X to protect places of worship and to put an end any cycle of violence.”

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, a long-standing project partner of ACN, issued a statement denouncing the attack in the strongest terms. The translation of the statement reads:

“On the day our Antiochian Church commemorates all the Antiochian saints, the treacherous hand of evil struck this evening, claiming our lives along with the lives of our loved ones who fell today as martyrs during the evening liturgy at St Elias Church in Dweila, Damascus.”

“According to the preliminary information available to us at this time, an explosion occurred at the entrance of the church, resulting in the death of many martyrs and injuring others who were inside and around the church.”

“As we continue to count the martyrs and wounded and to gather the remains and bodies of our martyred loved ones—whose exact number we have yet to determine—the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East strongly condemns this heinous act and denounces in the strongest terms this horrific crime. The Patriarchate calls on the authorities to assume full responsibility for what has occurred and continues to occur in terms of violations of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens.”

“Beatitude Patriarch John X follows what is happening personally from the first moment. It is conducting its local and regional contacts to convey the dark image from Damascus to the whole world. It calls for action to stop these massacres.”

“We pray for the repose of the souls of the martyrs, for the healing of the wounded, and for the comfort of our people. We also affirm our steadfastness in faith and, through that steadfastness, our rejection of all fear and terror. We ask Christ our God to guide the ship of our salvation amid the storms of this world—He who is blessed forever.”

The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch is one of ACN’s project partners in Syria, with whom the foundation has collaborated for years in supporting Christian communities through pastoral, humanitarian, and reconstruction aid.

ACN urges the international community not to look away and to work to ensure the protection of all religious communities in the Middle East. We pray for the souls of the departed, for the healing of the wounded, and for peace to prevail in Syria.

ACN currently supports a range of ongoing projects in Syria that assist Christians of various denominations — including the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch — through pastoral aid and emergency relief. Donations can be made to help sustain the Christian presence in Syria and provide vital support to these suffering communities.

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