Church leaders react to deadly attack on Mar Elias church in Damascus

ACI MENA, Jun 23, 2025 / 12:06 pm (CNA).

The death toll from the attack on Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in the Douailah district of Damascus has risen to 22, with 59 others injured, according to Syria’s Ministry of Health. The attack took place during a Sunday evening Divine Liturgy attended by nearly 400 faithful.

Eyewitnesses reported that two armed men stormed the church. One of them remained outside, firing at worshippers and into the church’s stained-glass windows, while the second tried to enter the church and detonate a grenade. 

Two parishioners, Jiris and Boutros Bishara, intervened and managed to wrestle the explosive device away from the second man, preventing an immediate detonation. However, while being dragged outside, the attacker activated his suicide belt, resulting in a massive explosion that killed and wounded dozens and caused extensive destruction.

This marks the first religiously motivated attack targeting Christians in Syria since the fall of the previous regime more than six and a half months ago, reviving prior warnings and threats against the Christian minority despite earlier assurances of protection after the political transition.

Father Melatios Shtahi of the Greek Orthodox Church, speaking from the crime scene, stated: “Remaining silent about what was once described as isolated incidents has led us to this very moment. I am not surprised.”

The attack drew widespread condemnation from local, international, and ecclesiastical authorities.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch called on authorities to take full responsibility for protecting places of worship and ensuring the safety of all citizens. Patriarch John X. Yazigi has been in contact with local and regional leaders to “convey this dark image from Damascus to the entire world and demand an end to these massacres.”

The Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate stated the assault is part of an alarming rise in sectarian tension in Syria and reflects the increasing threats to Christians’ lives and their right to worship freely.

Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II expressed to Patriarch John X his hope for a swift and transparent investigation into the incident.

Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rai said: “Targeting Christians in the East is an affront to the very fabric of this region, which is now facing existential threats to its civilizations, cultures, and heritage of diversity.”

The Armenian Catholic Patriarchate affirmed that “Christians do not fear intimidation nor surrender to hatred. The blood of yesterday’s martyrs is a resounding cry for truth in the face of injustice.”

Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, described the attack as “a barbaric act that is not only an assault on Christians in Syria but also a deep wound to the dignity of all humanity.”

Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan stressed that “this attack is meant to sow division and drive innocent people from their homes. It is a clear act of terrorism plotted by the forces of darkness.”

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/264933/church-leaders-react-to-deadly-attack-on-mar-elias-church-in-damascus