During a visit to Rome, Archbishop Jacques Mourad, Syrian Catholic Archbishop of Homs, shared his views with I.MEDIA on the delicate political transition in Syria, which has so far failed to meet the hopes of the population.
Archbishop Mourad was held hostage by ISIS in 2015. Now, he urges Christians to overcome their fear despite the violence that surrounds them and the attack that killed 25 people in an Orthodox church in Damascus on June 22.
He calls on the United Nations to implement a peace plan in this country traumatized by 54 years of dictatorship and 14 years of war, with the urging of Pope Leo XIV.
A time of great change
How do Christians in Syria feel in a context marked by regime change and the attack on a church in Damascus?
Archbishop Jacques Mourad: We’re living in a time of great change. The liberation from the Assad regime was a great moment for us. I know that many bishops disagree with me, but I believe that it was very important to put an end to this very difficult period during which everyone was humiliated, not only in Syria but also in Lebanon, Iraq, everywhere ... Assad did a lot of harm.
That doesn't mean that things are better today. Certainly, we feel freer. But the situation remains worrying. The terrorist system operating in various regions is unacceptable, especially for the Alawites (members of the minority branch of Islam to which the Assad family belongs, editor’s note), but also for everyone else, even the Sunnis (the majority branch of Islam in Syria, and among the rebels, ed.). There's still a lack of trust, and fear of the future.
Unkept promises
What relations do you have with the new authorities?
Archbishop Mourad: In Homs, on the second day after the new government came to power, the governor and his team wanted to bring all the bishops together. They had very positive words to reassure us. They promised us that Christians were not a minority but an integral part of the Syrian people.
This gave us hope for their political approach. But the reality has been different. After a few days, they started putting people in prison, taking hostages, massacring people, especially Alawites ... I was disappointed.
They surrounded the Alawite neighborhoods and began to frighten the inhabitants by firing into the air, driving their vehicles into the streets, and kidnapping men. After two weeks, the inhabitants of Homs decided to demonstrate against them. The demonstration lasted only five minutes; then militiamen in armed vehicles arrived and fired on the demonstrators.
International peacekeepers needed
Archbishop Mourad: At the same time, ambassadors were beginning to establish relations with the new government. I met with some of these European diplomats and told them that peacekeepers needed to be sent to Syria to protect civilians, especially in Alawite areas and large cities, and also to monitor the border with Turkey and Israel. But I found no one willing to listen.
After the major massacres of Alawites on the coast, I repeated this call. No one listened. When the government representative said that the new leaders couldn't control everything and protect all the people, I told them that they themselves should appeal to the United Nations ... But they would not accept this. From their point of view, a foreign military presence would be domination.
The new Constitution, which mentions Sharia as a source of law, is also a cause of concern. We've expressed our disagreement. I openly criticize the officials I meet, but the government continues on its path without changing anything.
It will take years to rebuild
Are Christians a direct target of the jihadist movements currently in Syria?
Archbishop Mourad: In addition to the attack in Damascus on June 22, there have been a few isolated incidents. Churches have been targeted by gunfire as a means of intimidation, but there have been no casualties. The atmosphere is very tense, and fear prevails everywhere. But for us, the fact that we continue to pray and carry out our projects despite everything is an important testimony, a message.
Our Christians live by Providence. The Church helps many people find something to eat, but many families, both Christian and Muslim, still have nothing. After these years of dictatorship, it will take years to regain dignity and rebuild souls. The inner wounds are very deep.
Christians need support to persevere
Are your parishes managing to maintain their activities?
Archbishop Mourad: My diocese has 12 parishes, with 10 villages scattered over a very large area, from Hama to Nabek, and from Palmyra to Tarnous. Thank God, all our parishes are stable and active at the moment, and emigration is limited.
However, after nearly 2,000 years of history, the parish of Al-Qaryatayn disappeared in 2015 because of ISIS. The Christians do not want to return there. They are now settled near Homs and feel better there than in Al-Qaryatayn, which is too isolated, 110 kilometers (nearly 70 miles, ed.) away.
In Homs, only a few Christians remained at the height of the fighting, along with Father Frans van der Lugt, who was murdered in 2014 in circumstances that remain unclear. Only God knows what happened. But about half of the Christians who left returned after the fighting ended.
It is now essential to build Catholic schools and hospitals to give hope to the Christian community. Even in the desert, there are still Christian villages, which is a great sign of hope. If we manage to find work for these young people and give their children the opportunity to grow up in a just, pure, and healthy environment, this will prevent emigration.
Houses also need to be built to help young people get married and start families. With the help of the Vatican and the international community, we could achieve a great deal.
Homs is currently the city with the largest Christian population in Syria, much more than Aleppo or Damascus. It’s impossible to have precise statistics, but we can estimate that there are 80,000 Christians in Homs, all churches combined, compared to 25,000 in Aleppo and between 30,000 and 40,000 in Damascus. However, the attack on Saint Elias Church has rekindled a desire to flee and emigrate.
Violence continues
Is ISIS still present and active in Syria?
Archbishop Mourad: When the country was liberated from Assad, all kinds of groups and factions returned. There are terrorists present in the cities and villages. We can no longer speak of ISIS as a structured armed group, but there are others, such as Ansar al-Sunnah, that are making threats on social media. This new group was behind the attack on the church in Damascus.
But I believe that the government is responsible for what’s happening and what will happen. You can sense that the military is afraid of Ansar al-Sunnah. They’re avoiding battle on the ground for the moment. Each group is doing what it wants.
Mobilization of civil society
In the absence of a reliable government, is Syrian society managing to mobilize, taking advantage of new spaces of freedom?
Archbishop Mourad: We’re trying to make progress in Aleppo, Homs, and Damascus, by mobilizing civil society. In Homs, we’re talking with Sunnis, Alawites, all factions, intellectuals, and political leaders outside the government.
We must have the final say. It’s not the government but the people who must decide their own policy. After 54 years of prison and submission to Assad, we will no longer accept being submissive to any government.
Overcoming fear through human contact
Does your experience as a hostage of ISIS nearly 10 years ago give you particular legitimacy to encourage your followers to overcome their fear?
Archbishop Mourad: Yes, it’s truly my priority, especially since December 8, 2024. I saw fear in the eyes of our faithful, but also among Muslims. The capture of Damascus happened on a Sunday, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. I entrusted our country to the Virgin Mary, our mother.
During my homily that day, in front of the few Christians who had come to the cathedral while most had fled Homs, I asked them not to be afraid of the hoods, beards, or military uniforms of the militiamen, but to look them in the eyes and treat them as human beings.
I then went around the parishes to meet people, pray with them, and give them courage. I repeated this tour of the parishes in May, on Mary's advice: she’s our guide!
And it’s important to go out and meet people, because they need us, the bishops and priests. I believe that our attitude has helped to build trust among the population.
The role of the Church going forward
How can the Church help rebuild the country?
Archbishop Mourad: Economically, the situation is dire. In our region of Homs, only the Church is helping people; there is no civil administration. For more than two months, I’ve been alone in promoting humanitarian aid; other organizations no longer have the means to do so.
The bishops of Syria have set up a commission for charitable works, with the support of the apostolic nuncio, but resources are limited. Hunger, poor health, and lack of education remain terrible problems.
Pope Leo XIV spoke of the importance of helping Christians in Syria, but now we need a concrete organization to organize things effectively. It cannot be the direct responsibility of the bishops to raise funds, for example. We need to find another system, freeing the Churches and dioceses from this very heavy burden.
Humanitarian aid is important, but above all we need to develop large-scale projects that give hope to the Christians who remain. We are messengers of Christ, not messengers of Putin, Trump, Netanyahu, or Al-Sharaa. Today, the Church has a responsibility and must take concrete action on the ground, setting up a team to assess needs and respond to them.
It shocks me when I hear priests or bishops talk about the end of Christians in the East. Where is our perspective, our vision, which should first and foremost be biblical and theological? God has entrusted the Church to us, but it is his, not ours! We have no right to announce that this is the end of the Church.
A possible papal visit?
Since his first appearance on May 8, Leo XIV has called for “an unarmed and disarming peace.” Do you hope that the Pope will come to Syria to console your people, as Francis did in Iraq?
Archbishop Mourad: I have high hopes for the diplomatic work of the Holy See to achieve a peace agreement, and I hope that Leo XIV will continue the efforts of Pope Francis. I believe he wants to visit Syria, but we must remain cautious. I was opposed to the idea of Francis visiting Syria under the Assad regime, because it would have given the impression of supporting a dictator, a terrorist.
Currently, it’s not the right time either, because there’s no security. But I pray every day that President al-Sharaa in Damascus will convert like St. Paul. I don't necessarily want him to become a Christian, but I would like Damascus to be the place of conversion of the heart. That is the most important thing, that is what consoles God: that everyone follows God's will, not hypotheses or political interests.
