George fled Syria about a year ago when fighting between regime forces and an armed opposition near his home seemed too close for comfort. He left with hundreds of Christians from Homs and sought refuge in Zahle, a quaint city perched on the edge of the Bekaa Valley and the heartland of Catholic Christendom in Lebanon.

They hoped to find help and sympathy from co-religionists. Instead George felt his wounds deepen. Instead of open arms, George felt he received an icy reception that has only just begun to warm.

“Christians here, they don’t care. We left with nothing, and we still don’t have anything,” George says.

APOCALYPSE AND RESURRECTION
Dear friends
I will keep on writing as long as I live and as the Internet access is still possible ... Since Tuesday, July 17, 2012 morning, the battles reached the capital Damascus using heavy weapons, tanks and helicopters in a crowded city. The destruction is enormous. What a Calvary!

The clashes are taking place in the streets and move from one neighborhood to another. It is impossible to sleep with the fear and the sound of bombs and gunfire of cannons. Summer temperatures are from 42°C (108°F) to 56°C (133°F) and power outages are awful.

Damascus is cut off the rest of the Syrian cities and suffers from many shortages. The supplies can no longer reach it. We are short of bread, vegetables, live, cooking gas and fuel for bakeries ...

Run for your lives ... Many families are leaving the hot neighborhoods of battles to form an endless chain on the road to Lebanon. Other roads to Jordan, Iraq and north to Homs-Aleppo are closed.

A general feeling of panic is causing the exodus towards Lebanon. I hope the people the will find the proper welcome there … Because the Syrians have so welcomed Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqis refugees...


The few faithful who dared coming to pick up the courage from the mass burned many candles at the tomb of Blessed Martyrs of Damascus. They exchanged farewells and tears before returning running to their homes under the sounds of gunfire and explosions ...

Damascus was spared for 16 months from the violence that tore the other cities of Syria ... here comes our turn to suffer and die.

We just managed to fit in a corner under the stairs to shelter with our neighbors from the bombshells, the caves of the parish have just been cleaned …

Provided that the Resurrection will not be late after so much suffering ....

Damascus July 20, 2012.

+ Samir NASSAR
Maronite archbishop of Damascus

Damascus, 3 August 2012
“Blessed are the peacemakers”

With these words Our Lord exalts peace-makers, saying that “they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Through these same Gospel words, I should like to explain the Church’s attitude to the widespread talk of arming Christians, especially in Damascus:

No official has spoken to us about arming Christians.
We have never contacted any official and we have never asked for our Christian children to be armed, in Damascus or elsewhere.
We have never considered – and never will – arming ourselves.
Furthermore, we believe that the attempt to arm Christians, from whatever quarter, involves a danger of sectarian conflict and exposes predominantly Christian districts to attacks of unknown origin.
We call upon all our faithful, in all parishes, to refuse offers of arms. We remind them of the teachings of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matthew 26:52) And also, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth… Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:5 and 9)
We remind them likewise of Saint Paul’s teaching, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)
Our role as Christians is one of mediation and reconciliation: of being bridge-builders between the children of the same homeland. That is the finest mission that we could carry out for our country, Syria, for our brother and sister fellow-citizens of all denominations, regardless of political party, tribe, region or persuasion.
We have not stopped calling for this, ever since the outbreak of the crisis in March, 2011. That is the role of the Church and its pastors – Patriarchs, bishops, priests – monks, nuns and lay-persons involved in various sectors of activities and services of the Church. Our churches, schools, institutions and confraternities are all schools of peace, faith, virtue, love and frank, sincere fellow-citizenship and respect for all.
I recall a saying of the late Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, “I am no longer afraid, because I have laid my weapons down!”

Our Lord calls us to this in the Holy Gospel, “It is I, be not afraid!” (Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 6:20) And also, “Be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And John the Evangelist tells us, “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Let us add: faith in our brethren, our homeland and our sincere, humane national values.

We pray God to deign to bring back love to the hearts of all Syrians, so that they will have no need of weapons or fear of massacres, for they will be living together, as children of the same family and the same homeland.

We implore him: God of peace, grant peace to our country.
+ Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East,
Of Alexandria and of Jerusalem