Nr. Prot.: 79/S/2015

Date: 31/12/2015

Statement Issued by

Syriac Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch

In tears and gloomy hope,

Christians of Qamishli, Syria, to welcome 2016

    Hardly Pope Francis has just launched his message of peace for the New Year “Overcome Indifference and Win Peace”, that the Christian community of Qamichli, one of two major cities in North-East Syria, so far relatively unscathed, was the target of an unprecedented terrorist massacre. Wednesday night, December 30, 2015, twenty people were killed and more than forty injured of whom several lying in hospitals. Most victims were young people willing to welcome the New Year with hope and joy. It was a sinister message the terrorists wanted to send to the Christians of this city, sowing death and tears. A message of horror so far to the entire Christian community in this war torn country for the past five years!

    The funeral of the victims were held in an ecumenical ceremony which was chaired by two Syriac Catholic Archbishops, Elias Tabéand Behnan Hindo, a Bishop of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and members Armenian Catholic and Orthodox clergy. A witness of communion that Christians of the Middle East continue to give, living "the Ecumenism of Blood", as Pope Francis has repeatedly said.

    Oppressed with the psalmist, our Christian community of the Middle East keep crying to the Lord God: "Why, Yahweh, do you keep so distant…?", And called to live the Hope against all human hope, Christians she implores: “Yahweh, do not stay silent; Lord, do not stand aloof from me. Up, awake, to my defence!” (Psalms 10 and 35).