Archbishop Arbach will participate in the “Night of Witnesses” in the cathedral of Madrid on March 14th. 

Following the massacres that took place in western Syria on March 8th and 9th, which, according to available reports and estimates, left 1,000 dead, the Archbishop of Homs, Jean Abdo Arbach, has told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that “we don’t want any more bloodshed. We call for unity and reconciliation. After 14 years of war, we don’t need another conflict.” The archbishop condemned the attacks, which have been attributed to militants of the HTS group, currently in power in Syria, who carried out the attacks following an ambush on government security forces. “This is very painful. I ask for justice, because murdering women and children is not a good thing for Syria,” said the archbishop.   

Archbishop Arbach described the difficult situation facing Syria after the fall of the Assad regime: “People don’t have jobs; there is a lack of food and of medicine. Many people are asking when this will end; they can’t see a future and they want to leave.” According to the prelate, it has become commonplace to see people wandering in the streets of Homs, talking to themselves in an atmosphere of loneliness, fear, and sadness. The archbishop asks for the lifting of international economic sanctions, which continue to have a deep effect on a country that is still very fragile.  

Remaining in Syria 

The Syrian Church faces great challenges to address the needs of its faithful. The Archbishop of Homs explains that “we are supporting our faithful in every sense of the word: paying rent, providing medication, food, and clothing, and also sustaining them spiritually, so that they feel close to God, to encourage them to remain in their land, in their country, and to preserve Syria’s roots, which are the Christians.” Archbishop Arbach thanks ACN for all the support it provides to the Church in Syria, to help the Syrian Christian community.  

The Syrian Church leader calls attention, once again, to the real risk of the Christian population in the Middle East disappearing altogether. “I encourage people to wait, and to stay firm, because without the Christians, there can be no future for Syria. Christians are the roots of Syria, and Syria is the cradle of Christianity. In Damascus, we can still find the places where Saint Paul converted to Christianity in the first century. We still have first-century churches and monasteries, and we have kept Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, alive.”  

Indiscriminate attacks 

The indiscriminate attacks on March 8th and 9th took place in the region of Latakia and Tartus in western Syria, and killed over 1,000 people, including entire families. The Alawites, a minority Shia Muslim group, were targeted in particular. The attacks have been attributed to militants from the HTS group, which led the overthrow of the previous Syrian government. 

Syria has been going through a period of great uncertainty since the fall of Bashar Al Assad’s regime on December 8th. Power is currently in the hands of an interim government, led by President Ahmed Al Sharaa, who has promised a transition to new democratic elections. 

Archbishop in “Night of Witnesses” 

The Archbishop of Homs will be participating in the “Night of Witnesses” vigil, in the Cathedral of Almudena, Madrid, on March 14th. This prayer and witness vigil for persecuted Christians around the world will be presided over by Cardinal José Cobo and accompanied by Hakuna Group Music. 

 

By churchinneed.org

Source Link: https://www.churchinneed.org/we-dont-want-any-more-bloodshed-in-syria-says-homs-archbishop/