Patriarchs of three indigenous Churches historically rooted in Syria signed a joint appeal to stop the “horrible massacres” perpetrated in recent days in several provinces of the country by jihadist militias, with a particularly serious impact on the communities of the Alawite minority. They denounce an “escalation of violence that has led to attacks against innocent civilians, including women and children.”
The recently-appointed Apostolic Vicar of Aleppo for Catholics of the Latin rite, the Syrian Hanna Jallouf, Friar Minor of the Custody of the Holy Land, knows better than anyone the reality of that troubled region.
He was one of the few priests who continued to serve and comfort small Christian communities in the territories of Idlib province, controlled during the war by jihadist militias.
Even in the midst of their own struggles with natural disasters, the Catholic communities of Bangladesh continue to extend a helping hand to those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Through prayer, donations, and solidarity campaigns, these communities are repaying the international aid they have received in the past. Meanwhile, in South Korea, Caritas is mobilizing for an emergency fund to support the earthquake victims, and the Catholic bishops are advocating for the abolition of the death penalty.
The parish house, a low-rise building, has withstood successive shocks. The city’s great mosques, or the Orthodox or Protestant churches, did not have the same luck. With its doors open, the parish house now welcomes the displaced families who live nearby.