Patriarch of Antioch: Terrorist attack in Damascus was a real massacre

Funeral service for the slain Christians. Photo: orthodoxianewsagency

On June 24, 2025, Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East declared that the terrorist attack in Damascus, which claimed the lives of 25 Christians, was “a massacre in every sense of the word.”

The Patriarch held a meeting with the hierarchs of the Syrian dioceses at the Patriarchal residence in Damascus prior to attending the funeral of the Christians killed in the terrorist attack at the Church of the Prophet Elijah in Damascus.

The gathering served as an opportunity to reflect on the country’s ongoing tragic situation and to raise “a cry of truth, pain, and sorrow” in response to the horrific massacre at the Prophet Elijah Church.

Patriarch John and the hierarchs emphasized that the attack was a deliberate act of intimidation against Syria’s Christians and was aimed at every Syrian and Eastern citizen.

The Church of Antioch once again drew attention to the dire plight of the Christian population in the Middle East, which continues to suffer from brutal attacks and systematic violence.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that terrorists in Syria killed 15 people in an Orthodox church.

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