In the evening of Sunday 25 October in the Aziziyeh district of Aleppo a shell hit the Latin church dedicated to Saint Francis where evening Mass was being celebrated. The grenade, coming from the area held by anti-Assad rebel groups, hit the roof ripping a hole in the dome, not actually entering the church building and then exploded outside. “It was about 5.50 in the evening, inside the church there were at least four hundred people and it was the moment of Holy Communion” Fides was told by Bishop Georges Abou Khazen OFM, Vicar apostolic of Aleppo for Catholics of Latin Rite. “Had the shell exploded inside the church- the Franciscan Bishop added – there would have been a massacre. Instead only seven of the faithful present were slightly injured by falling rubble and the roof was damaged. We thank the Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thanks also to other members of the faithful who live nearby and rushed to the scene to assess the damage and t idy up the church and this enabled us to celebrate our daily morning Mass here today”.
Source: Fides News
