Syria's Christian community decreases sixfold over years of war
A Christian church in Syria. Photo: Info Chrétienne
Over the years of civil war, the size of Syria's Christian community has decreased from approximately 1.8 million to 300,000 people, reports InfoChrétienne.
The main reasons cited for the mass departure of Christians are war, economic crisis, instability, and intercommunal conflicts. Many families are leaving the country for safety reasons and no prospect for a normal life.
Church leaders note that the exodus of young people is particularly alarming. According to them, it is precisely the absence of young people that calls into question the future of Christian communities and church life in Syria.
The situation is further aggravated by attacks by radical Islamists, threats, and pressure on believers. Some Christians who have survived terrorist attacks, including those injured in the explosion at the St. Elijah Church in Damascus, now view emigration as the only way to protect their families.
Despite the difficult circumstances, the Christians who remain in the country continue their church and social ministry. They help those affected, provide spiritual and psychological support, and strive to preserve the presence of the Church in Syria.
The UOJ previously reported that the Patriarch of Antioch honored the memory of the abducted metropolitans in Syria.
Read also
Poland collects signatures to ban 'Banderism'
Polish activists are calling for criminal penalties for promoting the ideology of the OUN-UPA, placing it on par with Nazism and communism.
OCU cleric says people should eat less meat on Wednesdays and Fridays
OCU cleric and blogger Oleksii Filiuk, who has over a million followers, explained that he tries to limit his meat consumption on fasting days.
DESS head: Religious freedom was violated under Yanukovych, not Zelensky
Yelensky claims that the law banning the UOC, adopted under Zelensky, does not restrict believers’ religious freedoms.
Drabinko donates ROC-published books with patriarch's foreword to OCU academy
Oleksandr Drabinko donated books to the OCU's Volyn Theological Academy featuring a foreword by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch on the spiritual unity of the Russian and Ukrainian peoples.
Yelensky complains courts are hearing hundreds of cases over OCU “transfers”
The head of DESS said courts in Vinnytsia region alone are hearing more than 100 lawsuits challenging the “transfer” of religious communities to the OCU.
OCU opens registration desk for "services" at Lavra
A former church shop at the UOC monastery takes prayer notes and registers visitors for OCU "services".