Damascus church bombing: ‘There is no justification’

Vigil, prayers for victims of suicide bombing at Damascus church (ANSA)

By Kielce Gussie

Following the suicide bombing of St Elias Church in Damascus—which killed 25 people and injured 63 others—the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land issued a statement expressing its “profound shock and deep revulsion.”

An act of unspeakable evil

The Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries in Holy Land (ACOHL) brings together the Bishops/Eparchs/Exarchs of the Catholic Church holding jurisdiction over the territory of the Holy Land in Jerusalem, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Cyprus.

“There is no justification—religious, moral, or rational—for the slaughter of innocents, least of all in a sacred space,” the ACOHL statement continued. The Assembly argued that claiming faith as the reason to justify this violence “is a grave perversion of all that is holy.”

It is an act of “unspeakable evil—a crime against humanity and a sin before God.”

Referencing the Pope Francis-signed Document on Human Fraternity (Abu Dhabi, 2019), the Assembly highlighted that this attack violated the right to worship in peace and safety:

“The protection of places of worship—synagogues, churches and mosques—is a duty guaranteed by religions, human values, laws and international agreements. Every attempt to attack places of worship or threaten them by violent assaults, bombings or destruction, is a deviation from the teachings of religions.”

May they live in peace

Moreover, the Assembly extended its condolences to the Greek Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, condemning the “barbaric act” and rejecting “ideologies that seek to justify violence in the name of religion.”

Expressing their solidarity with all the Christian communities in Syria who have been living for years with persecution, the statement offered prayers for the victims, healing for the wounded, and comfort for the families affected.

In addition, the Assembly urged the Syrian authorities to work to ensure the protection and freedom of Christians around the country, so “that they may live in safety and contribute fully to the life of their homeland.”

Reflecting on Pope Leo XIV’s words from his Angelus address on Jun 22, the statement ended, praying that “the swamps of hatred and fanaticism be decisively eradicated so that the peoples of the Middle East—and beloved Syria in particular—may finally live in peace, dignity, and shared humanity.” – Vatican News