Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis, National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, noted: “In a recent phone conversation with His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed, ‘on behalf of the Holy Church of Christ the Great and himself personally, his intense concern for the situation of the Hierarchy, the clergy and the people of the historic Church of Antioch, and his absolute support for it, for its safety and stability.’”

“Hundreds protest in Christian areas of Syrian capital after Christmas tree burned,” The Guardian, December 24, 2024:

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Christian areas of Damascus early on Tuesday to protest against the burning of a Christmas tree near Hama in central Syria.

“We demand the rights of Christians,” protesters chanted as they marched through the Syrian capital towards the headquarters of the Orthodox patriarchate in the Bab Sharqi neighbourhood….

A demonstrator who gave his name as Georges told AFP he was protesting over “injustice against Christians”. “If we’re not allowed to live our Christian faith in our country, as we used to, then we don’t belong here any more,” he said.

The protests erupted after a video spread on social media showing hooded fighters setting fire to a Christmas tree in the Christian-majority town of Suqaylabiyah, near Hama.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighters were foreigners from the Islamist group Ansar al-Tawhid.

In another video posted to social media, a religious leader from Syria’s victorious Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) addressed local people, claiming those who had torched the tree were “not Syrian” and promising they would be punished. “The tree will be restored and lit up by tomorrow morning,” he said.

The Islamist HTS movement, rooted in al-Qaida and supported by Turkey, has promised to protect minorities since its lightning offensive toppled Assad this month after years of stalemate….