Christian denominations in Syria call for an end to violence in the country

Patriarchs of Syria issued a joint statement on March 8, 2025. Photo: Facebook / Antioch Patriarchate

On March 8, 2025, the Patriarch of the Antiochian Church, along with the heads of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Antioch, issued a joint statement regarding the "serious escalation of acts of violence, brutality, and killings" in Syria, as reported on the Facebook page of the Antioch Patriarchate.

In the message, Patriarchs John X, Ignatius Aphrem II, and Joseph Absi stated that innocent civilians, including women and children, were being targeted.

"Christian Churches strongly condemn any violation of civil peace, denounce and reject the mass killings of innocent civilians, and emphasize the urgent need to put an end to these horrific acts, which contradict all human and moral values," the statement says.

Christian leaders also called for the acceleration of efforts to create favorable conditions for national reconciliation among the Syrian people, "far from the logic of revenge and alienation."

At the same time, they emphasized the unity of Syrian territory, rejecting any attempts to divide it.

"The Churches call on all concerned parties within Syria to take responsibility for ending the cycle of violence and seeking peaceful solutions that will preserve human dignity and national unity. We pray for God's protection over Syria and its people and for peace to prevail throughout the country," the Patriarchs concluded.

According to Reuters, the head of a military conflict monitoring organization in Syria reported that the country’s new Islamist government had killed more than 340 people since Thursday, including women and children from the Alawite minority, in the coastal region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the mass killings in Jableh, Baniyas, and surrounding areas – considered the heartland of Syria’s Alawite community – constitute the worst violence in years in the 13-year-long civil conflict. On Thursday, the new ruling authorities began what they called a crackdown on a budding Alawite insurgency linked to the government of former President Bashar al-Assad.

As previously reported by the UOJ, religious leaders in Syria had earlier sent a joint message to the new president.

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