War-torn Syria faces losing its Christian community
Syriac Catholic patriarch calls on Western countries to lift all economic sanctions because they only harm the innocent
Updated: May 25, 2021 04:45 AM GMT
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The Bajet Kandala camp for displaced Yazidis near Dohuk, 430 kilometers northwest of the Iraqi capital, by the border with Syria, on Nov. 18, 2020. (Photo: Florent Vergens/AFP)
The Syriac Catholic patriarch said the situation in Syria continues to be humanly unbearable and devastating and risks emptying the war-torn country of its Christian community for good.
Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan called on Western countries to lift all economic sanctions against Syria because they only harm the innocent.
Syriac Catholic patriarch says situation in Syria humanly unbearable cruxnow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cruxnow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Syria situation ‘devastating,’ threatens Christian community
Doreen Abi Raad / CNS | 05.24.2021
BEIRUT (CNS) The Syriac Catholic patriarch said the situation in Syria “continues to be humanly unbearable and devastating” and risks emptying the war-torn country of its Christian community for good.
Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan called on Western countries to lift “all economic sanctions against Syria, because they only harm the innocent.”
“The economic sanctions imposed on Syrian people by the Western governments in the name of democracy and political liberty have created horrendous consequences in a country that endured wars, siege and abandonment for over 10 years,” Patriarch Younan told Catholic News Service May 23 after visiting Syria.
May 24, 2021 Catholic News Service BEIRUT – The Syriac Catholic patriarch said the situation in Syria continues to be humanly unbearable and devastating and risks emptying the war-torn country of its Christian community for good. Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan called on Western countries to lift all economic sanctions against Syria, because they only harm the innocent. The economic sanctions imposed on Syrian people by the Western governments in the name of democracy and political liberty have created horrendous consequences in a country that endured wars, siege and abandonment for over 10 years, Patriarch Younan told Catholic News Service May 23 after visiting Syria.
Pope Francis waves from the popemobile as he arrives to celebrate Mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Erbil, Iraq, on Sunday / Vatican Media
Pope Francis’s historic trip to Iraq, including visits to the war-torn north, has been deeply significant. It is one that needs to be seen in the context of peace rather than politics.
The pope, as a de facto religious “father” recognised around the world, offers consolation for all people, not just Christians. His visit brought the triple significance of hope, courage and peace to those in need.
It comes at a time when the world continues to face the dual threat of terrorism and the Covid-19 pandemic. Entering Iraq where Covid-19 is still rampant and there was the risk of attack by Islamic State was powerfully symbolic.