Syria: Franciscan college bombed in Aleppo

Terra Santa College

Source: Vatican Media/Holy Land Custos

As conflict reignites in Syria, the Franciscan Holy Land College in Aleppo has been damaged in a bombing. The Custody of the Holy Land reports "a growing tension and fear among the civilian population."

The Franciscan complex of the Holy Land College in Aleppo, Syria, was heavily damaged by a Russian attack yesterday, 1 December. the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land confirmed that no one was injured.

The college is located in an inner section of the monastery near the church where Mass was scheduled to be celebrated later that same evening.

The Custos of the Holy Land, Fr Francesco Patton, affirmed in a statement that "thanks be to God, there are no casualties or injuries; only the building was damaged."

He reported all the friars and parish members were doing well and that the Franciscan Curia is "in constant contact with them."

The Custos explained the community feels "a growing tension and fear among the civilian population of Aleppo" regarding the "unpredictable developments of the ongoing confrontation."

Fr.Patton urged all Christians in the Holy Land and all Churches to come together in "prayer for peace in Syria, which has been ravaged by long years of war and violence."

The college was just one of the many places damaged in Aleppo - one of the oldest cities in the world - following the eruption of violence in the last five days.

Dating back twelve years, the Syrian civil war began as a political conflict between pro-democracy demonstrators and government forces.

With this new advance by jihadist rebels opposed to the president, Bashar al-Assad, activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that for the first time since 2012, Aleppo has been overrun by these rebels.

SANA, the Syrian state news agency, reported that, on December 1, joint Syrian-Russian air forces carried out airstrikes in a city outside Aleppo.

Since the violence reignited on November 27, more than 300 people have been killed and at least 15,000 people displaced from their homes, the United Nations reports. These figures are expected to rise as rebel forces have entered the Hama region in Syria. The UN has also begun evacuations from Aleppo to Damascus.

Some residents of Aleppo shared via WhatsApp that they continue to hope as they "live day by day," wondering when they "will no longer live in this dramatic situation." They describe how "daily life is not easy" living amid bombings, curfews, mortar fire, and snipers.

LINK

Custos of the Holy Land: www.custodia.org/en/