Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, noted that His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew recently spoke with His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East. “In pledging ‘the unwavering support of the Mother Church of Constantinople,’ His All-Holiness emphasized “the enduring unity and fraternal bonds between the two Patriarchates during these trying times.”

“‘Great fear’ haunts Christmas celebrations in Syria’s Christian town,” by Martin Dumas Primbault, Croix International, December 26, 2024:

“May God protect us. We are safe nowhere. Weapons won’t help. May God protect us…,” murmurs Noura Koba, repeating these words like a prayer as she enters the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Saint George in Maaloula. With a solemn expression, the 60-something woman lights a candle “so the children of Maaloula can find peace,” before silently taking a seat on a prayer bench.

The first midnight Mass since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in this Christian-majority village, perched 1,400 meters high in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, 60 kilometers north of Damascus, was held in an atmosphere heavy with apprehension. On the evening of December 24, despite freezing temperatures, around a hundred worshipers gathered at the entrance of the newly rebuilt church, restored with the help of international organizations after being destroyed by bombings in 2014.

In the courtyard, teenagers posed in front of an overly decorated Nativity scene adorned with a “Merry Christmas” garland, while adults hurried inside under the sound of church bells. During the service, Father Jalal Edouard Ghazal tried to comfort his parishioners: “Let us rise to the occasion, wish for peace across the country, and hope that the days ahead are gentler than those behind us,” he said.

Haunting memories of violence

When regime forces fled December 8, leaving behind military posts filled with weapons, most Christians in Maaloula had already left, fearing retaliation from Islamists who had just taken control of Syria. “The next day, no one came to pray,” recalls Father Ghazal. “There is great fear among the population,” he admits, though he maintains a kindly smile.

Upon returning a few days later, villagers found that the regular army had been replaced by members of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Among them were some familiar faces. “Members of the Diab family, who had taken power here ten years ago and were later banished, have returned,” the priest reports.

In September 2013, a car bomb explosion killed 25 soldiers at a checkpoint at the village entrance, signaling the start of a violent offensive by the al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s former Syrian branch. The ensuing battles claimed three Christian lives, while rebels established a stronghold in the village.

“They set up their base in the heights at the Saphir Hotel. From there, they descended to kidnap young Christians for ransom,” recounts Father Ghazal. The regime, with the help of Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, only regained control of the area in April 2014.

But memories of the violence remain vivid. “They took 12 young people from the church hostage and then massacred them in the first days, prompting everyone to seek refuge in Damascus,” recalls Fadi Wakim, the sacristan at the Saint Sergius and Bacchus Monastery near the now-ruined Saphir Hotel.

The return of the rebels has unsettled the approximately 300 Christian families that remain. Ahmed Hussein al-Charaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Joulani and a former founder of the al-Nusra Front in 2012, now leads in Damascus. This situation heightens fears. Community members worry about being viewed as traitors, having been protected by the recently ousted president….