Syrian Catholics live in fear for their lives, says archbishop
Syrian archbishop describes country’s ‘murderous stalemate,' with widespread reports of civilian and foreign casualties in the country
A SENIOR Archbishop in Syria has described how the country is ‘locked in a murderous stalemate,’ revealing that his flock say farewell to one another after Sunday Mass uncertain if they will meet again.
As news breaks today that Sunday Times foreign correspondent Marie Colvin and French photojournalist Remi Ochlick have been killed during an attack in Homs in Syria, Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus (above) emphasised that the Syrian people were being ‘subjected to enormous pressures’ with conflict and economic disaster spread to almost every town. It has been reported that at least 100 civilians were killed in attacks by Syrian government forces in trouble spots across the country yesterday.
In a statement to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (see in full below), Archbishop Nassar wrote that people were desperate to leave the country but could not obtain visas after the closure of embassies in Damascus. He also reported how young people in particular felt abandoned to their fate by the outside world, which they felt was not doing enough to help them.
The archbishop, a Maronite-rite Catholic prelate, stated that ‘Syria appears to be locked in a situation of murderous stalemate’ that is ‘paralysing the country.’
“This inescapable situation is stoking the fears of the faithful who say goodbye to each other at the end of each Mass, so uncertain are they of what the future might hold,” he said.
“The little [people] are subjected to enormous pressures and sufferings that only grow with the passing of time and the hatred that divides and the poverty that is spreading.”
The problems of destruction and displacement caused by war were, he said, compounded by economic crisis most notably economic embargo, inflation, massive currency devaluation and huge unemployment.
“The young people in first-time employment, who have been the victim of mass lay-offs, take a very dim view of this diplomatic embargo which has only made their plight still worse,” Archbishop Nassar said. “The [young people] think the world no longer wants anything to do with us and is closing the door on us.
“As we enter the season of Lent, we do so in silence, our hands empty, our hearts constricted and our gaze fixed on the risen Christ, who will guide our steps on the path of forgiveness and peace.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is trying to increase diplomatic efforts against President Bashar Assad’s regime on a trip to North Africa, via London, this week.
—Additonal reporting by SCO staff
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Hold on a sec … all of the other articles I have been reading are consistently saying that it’s the Syrian opposition (the rebels)that the Christians in Syria fear??? In Homs over 200 have been killed, just in the last few months since the government lost control of parts of the city!? The Sunni muslims are much more “extremist” than the Shiites, and are now persecuting, kidnapping, beating, and even killing Christians in Syria that don’t join the anti-regime demonstrators!!