Cypriot Church Synod reports genocide of Christians in Syria

Syrian government forces. Photo: BBC

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus has expressed deep concern over the plight of Christians in Syria, declaring the situation a genocide against followers of Christ.

In a statement issued following a recent session, the Synod emphasized that systematic violence, discrimination, and mass killings have led to a drastic decline in Syria’s Christian population.

According to the hierarchs, this process has been ongoing for more than a decade but has reached particularly alarming levels in recent months. If the situation does not change, the long-term presence of Christians in Syria may be in jeopardy.

The Synod denounced the indifference of the international community, particularly that of European nations, which, fearing accusations of Islamophobia, have turned a blind eye to the suffering of their Christian brothers and sisters.

Particular concern was expressed for the Antiochian Patriarchate, which is suffering heavy losses due to the mass exodus of Orthodox Christians.

The Church of Cyprus, having endured its own bitter experience of displacement from ancestral lands following the Turkish occupation, declared full solidarity with the Church of Antioch and all Christians in the Middle East.

As a sign of support, the Synod announced a Church-wide fundraising campaign to be held in all parishes across Cyprus on the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, April 6, 2025, in aid of the suffering Christians of Syria.

Cypriot hierarchs called on world leaders to take immediate action, stressing that the disappearance of Christianity from the very land where it first spread – and where the voice of the Savior Himself once echoed – must not be allowed.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the U.S. State Department condemned Islamists for killing Christians and Alawites in Syria.

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