Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Benedict XVI launched an urgent appeal for an end to bloodshed in Syria last Sunday, calling on the international community to do everything to help resolve the conflict.

“I continue to follow with alarm that tragic and growing episodes of violence in Syria with the sad succession of deaths and injuries,” the Pope said following his Sunday Angelus prayers at his summer residence near Rome.

“I renew an urgent appeal to bring an end to all violence and bloodshed,” he added, calling for ‘no effort to be spared, particularly on the part of the international community, to reach a just political solution to the conflict.’

The Holy Father said his thoughts went in particular to the ‘huge number of internally displaced people and refugees in the neighbouring countries,’ and asked that they be guaranteed the ‘necessary humanitarian assistance and help.’

Nuncio’s support

Archbishop Mario Zenari, the nuncio to Syria, said that the Pope’s words were very welcome.

“The appeal of the Holy Father for the cessation of the violence in Syria, and his solidarity with the sufferings of the people, was of great consolation,” Archbishop Zenari said.

The nuncio went on to describe the situation in Syria as extremely grave and he called on all the religious leaders of Syria to unite in the cause of reconciliation and peace.

“Come together all of you—and with all the strength of your moral authority, launch a joint and severe warning to the parties to the conflict, to stop, in the name of God, the violence and repression that take the country to destruction,” he said.

Conflict

A fierce battle between Syrian troops and rebel fighters raged in Syria’s commercial capital Aleppo over last weekend, amid calls from peace envoy Kofi Annan for both sides to down weapons and find a political solution.

Human rights monitors say the conflict has killed more than 20,000 people since it erupted in March 2011 and one catholic charity said the situation was so dire they were smuggling bread into Damascus to feed the starving.

Aid to the Church in need said it was giving more than £15,600 in help for families who have fled their homes and priests ministering to them in Damascus.

Fr Andrzej Halemba, Aid to the Church in Need’s Middle East expert, said that the grant will provide basic foodstuffs such as bread, vegetables and baby milk.

“Bread is not available now in Damascus—it has to be smuggled into the city from over the border which is half an hour away by taxi,” he said.  “Church leaders report that it is a very difficult situation for all those in the city. It is a situation of siege—people are not being allowed to leave—and the situation is getting more and more tense.”

Refugees

The emergency grant will provide food and housing for 107 displaced families in one parish. The charity is also giving Mass stipends to 12 priests. The families being helped have come from areas of Damascus that are no longer safe because of the fighting and from outlying villages caught up in the conflict.

“They are in a desperate situation, they have had to leave their homes and run away from the danger zone,” Fr Halemba said. “But they are being welcomed by Catholics, who have previously opened their doors to Christian refugees from other countries, but are now helping their own.”

Christians in the unaffected parts of Damascus have provided lodging for the displaced families—but they themselves have very little.

So far this year, Aid to the Church in Need has provided more than £230,000 in aid for Syria, of which more than £100,000 is emergency help.

However, Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham of Damascus, the head of the largest Catholic group in Syria, has said he believes Syrians should resolve the crisis themselves using only ‘love and forgiveness.’

“The greatest dangers in Syria today are anarchy, the lack of security and the massive influx of weapons from many places,” he said. “All the Catholic churches in Syria have raised their voices asking for reforms, freedom, democracy, an end to corruption, support for development and freedom of speech. Today we ask for an end to the cycle of killing and destruction, especially against civilians of all faiths who are in difficulty and are the real victims.”