DAMASCUS, Syria (LifeSiteNews) — Around 20 people are believed to have been killed Sunday after suicide bombers attacked a Christian church in Syria’s capital city.
On Sunday afternoon, footage began to emerge on social media showing devastation inside Mar Elias Church, a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus.
Latest estimates from official state agencies suggest that at least 20 people are believed to have been killed, with over 50 injured. Other reports suggest the dead and injured have already climbed to around 100. There were around 200 people inside the church at the time of the attack which took place during the Divine Liturgy.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by men linked to Islamic State, and – as attested to by Reuters and by eyewitnesses to the attack – was the work of two attackers. One man is reported as having shot at worshippers inside, while the second is understood to have detonated the suicide vest he was wearing.
Conflicting reports carried by the BBC and AFP suggest that only one attacker was present, shooting first with his weapon and then exploding himself.
Following the attack, prayer vigils were held in Syria as Christians were determined not to be cowed into submission.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch strongly condemned the attack and demanded accountability from the authorities to “assume full responsibility for what has happened and continues to happen in terms of violation against the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens.”
The Patriarch John X called for “urgent action to put an end to these massacres.
Continuing, the patriarchate outlined its adherence to the Christian faith in spite of the attacks:
We offer our prayers for the repose of the souls of the martyrs, for the healing of the wounded, and for the consolation of our grieving faithful. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our faith and, through that steadfastness, our rejection of all fear and intimidation. We beseech Christ our God to guide the ship of our salvation through the storms of this world, He who is blessed forever.
Similar statements also came from Catholic leaders in Jerusalem:
There is no justification – religious, moral, or rational – for the slaughter of innocents, least of all in a sacred space. Such violence under the guise of faith is a grave perversion of all that is holy. This is an act of unspeakable evil – a crime against humanity and a sin before God.
Echoing the Orthodox patriarch’s call for the Syrian authorities to take full action into protecting the nation’s Christians, the Catholic Ordinaries of Jerusalem expressed the hope “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.”
Since the new Islamic regime took power in Syria late in 2024 anti-Christian attacks have continued, including murders and less bloody persecutions.
In December the Papal Nuncio Cardinal Mario Zenari commented that “rebels met with the bishops in Aleppo immediately after their victory, assuring them that they would respect the various religious denominations and Christians.”
Syria’s government is currently led by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, after having led the revolt against the Assad regime in December and the takeover of the country by his Islamist militants.
Al-Sharaa fought as a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq against U.S. forces in the early 2000s, but has in recent months been lauded and diplomatically courted by global leaders as he has emerged as Syria’s new leader.
In recent years, the number of Christians in the Middle East has suffered a significant decline, as attested to by numerous reports and research groups. Persecutions of Christians at the hands of Muslims and Jews have been documented, especially as conflicts in the Holy Land region have drastically escalated in recent years.
Advocacy group “persecution.org” wrote last year that “places such as Iraq, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, and, to a lesser degree, Egypt and Lebanon have seen a continuation of the historic exodus of Christians during the past decade alone. The decline is especially significant when one considers that these communities are among the oldest Christian communities in the world.”
The Christian population of Iraq and Syria has “shrunk by somewhere between 75% to 85% in the past 20 years, and Palestine’s Christian community is finding itself at threat, highlighted by Gaza’s Christians suffering near extinction in the latest Israeli-Palestinian war,” the group reported.
More recently, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians in the Middle East to remain in their homeland, but with such attacks continuing the presence of the Christian community in the region remains highly volatile.
