ACI MENA, 17 December, 2024 / 12:00 pm (ACI Africa).
After more than 13 years of death, oppression, and destruction, the bells of Syrian churches are once again ringing with hope. It is a hope for the rebirth of Syria — a once-lost aspiration whose absence has been a source of profound anguish for Syrians everywhere.
This past Sunday, churches in Syria witnessed a remarkable surge in attendees across cities and towns as people gathered to pray freely with a renewed spirit of hope.
Not a single incident of assault or restriction was reported. Christmas decorations adorned church facades and even some neighborhoods with a significant Christian presence. The Latin Church in Latakia announced plans to illuminate its Christmas tree on the evening of Dec. 17.
During the Sunday Mass at the Holy Cross Church in Damascus, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Antioch and all the East, John X (Yazigi), emphasized that Christians are not mere guests in this land but rather “a deep-rooted part of Syria, as ancient as the jasmine of Damascus and the apostolic heritage of Antioch — this land that has marked the world with the name of Jesus Christ.”
