Syria: Christians call for protection after attack on Damascus church

More than 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in Damascus on Sunday.

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, based in Jerusalem have sent this statement:

It is with profound shock and deep revulsion that we received the tragic news of the suicide bombing at St Elias Church in the suburbs of Damascus, during Sunday prayer, that caused numerous fatalities and injuries among the faithful.

There is no justification-religious, moral, or rational-for the slaughter of innocents, least of all in a sacred space. Such violence under the guise of faith is a grave perversion of all that is holy. This is an act of unspeakable evil-a crime against humanity and a sin before God.

This attack is also a direct assault on the right to worship in peace and safety. As the Document on Human Fraternity (Abu Dhabi, 2019) affirms:

"The protection of places of worship-synagogues, churches and mosques-is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international agreements. Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by violent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of religions"

We strongly condemn this barbaric act and reject the ideologies that seek to justify violence in the name of religion. We extend our deepest condolences to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, and express our solidarity with all Christian communities of Syria, who have endured years of persecution, displacement, and now face renewed fear and insecurity.

We pray to "God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction" [2 Corinthians 1:3-4], for the eternal rest of those who were killed, for the healing of the wounded, and for comfort and strength for their bereaved families.

We call upon the Syrian authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and freedom of Christians throughout the country, so that they may live in safety and contribute fully to the life of their homeland.

'Mindful that such acts inflict deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal' [Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, Sunday 22 June 2025], we pray and hope that the swamps of hatred and fanaticism be decisively eradicated so that the peoples of the Middle East-and beloved Syria in particular-may finally live in peace, dignity, and shared humanity.

In a statement the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Patriarchate said: "On the day our Antiochian Church commemorates all the Antiochian saints, the treacherous hand of evil struck this evening, claiming our lives along with the lives of our loved ones who fell today as martyrs…

"As we continue to count the martyrs and wounded and to gather the remains and bodies of our martyred loved ones - whose exact number we have yet to determine - the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East strongly condemns this heinous act and denounces in the strongest terms this horrific crime."

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate called on Syrian authorities "to assume full responsibility for what has occurred and continues to occur in terms of violations of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens. His Beatitude Patriarch John X follows what is happening personally from the first moment. It is conducting its local and regional contacts to convey the dark image from Damascus to the whole world. It calls for action to stop these massacres."

The statement concluded: "We pray for the repose of the souls of the martyrs, for the healing of the wounded, and for the comfort of our people. We also affirm our steadfastness in faith and, through that steadfastness, our rejection of all fear and terror. We ask Christ our God to guide the ship of our salvation amid the storms of this world - He who is blessed forever."

Regina Lynch, Executive President at Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), said: "We are deeply shocked by this tragic and senseless act of violence. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the entire Christian community in Syria."

Ms Lynch added: "We stand in full solidarity with our brothers and sisters in faith, and we echo the urgent call of His Beatitude Patriarch John X to protect places of worship and to put an end any cycle of violence."

ACN is supporting Christian communities in Syria - including the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Church - through emergency and pastoral aid programmes.