There are about 400,000 Christians left in Syria (4% out of a population of 22 million). Of these, only 20,000 are Catholics. Thirteen Franciscans serve parishes in Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia, Tartous and Idlib, bringing hope in the midst of war, earthquakes and government changes.
In the troubled coastal city of Latakia, Syria, Father Fadi Azar embodies the resilience of the Catholic Church in the midst of a war that is now in its 14th year. A Franciscan of the Custody of the Holy Land, this Jordanian Palestinian priest arrived in the midst of conflict (2015) to serve as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus. In this interview, Father Fadi describes the dramatic situation of Syrian Christians and his pastoral work.
You are Palestinian, but you were born in Jordan...
- I was born in Jordan, but I am Palestinian by origin. My grandparents fled Yajar (Palestine) in the war of '48 and settled in Abud, near Ramallah. My parents live in Amman, Jordan. There I studied at the Franciscan school from the age of 4 to 18. I then cultivated that vocational seed in the United States, where the friars sent me to study Theology at the Catholic University of Washington D.C.
Why did you come to Syria in the middle of the war?
- Franciscan obedience. I was first in Damascus for 5 years and I have been in Latakia for another 5 years. When I arrived, the war had already been going on for 4 years. Today we are still here because we Franciscans and religious of other communities are "a bridge of hope" in this holy land where St. Paul was converted.
Your parish in Latakia is an oasis in the storm. What communities do you serve?
- In addition to Latin Catholics, we welcome Armenian, Syriac and Chaldean Catholics who do not have their own churches. The parish includes a monastery and we recovered a school that the previous government had confiscated.
Syria is experiencing a triple crisis: war, earthquake and change of government. How does this affect it?
- After the fall of Assad in December, we have an Islamic government led by Ahmed al Sharaa. Although the president shows respect for Christians (just today we had a meeting with him and leaders of all Christian denominations in Aleppo), the real danger is uncontrolled armed groups. In March 10 Christians were killed between Banias and Latakia.
What specific persecution do Christians suffer?
- There are radical impositions: Muslims demand that women cover their heads in jobs and young men were beaten for wearing shorts. There are many groups flying the black flag of ISIS to generate terror among the population and occupy quotas of power. They attack Alawites and Christians alike. In March they killed 7,000 people.
Your social work is tireless. What works do you support?
- We have a medical dispensary and a home for disabled adults and another for orphaned children. We distribute food on a monthly basis and help with medicine and home repairs. Although we help some Muslims, we prioritize Christians, as they do not receive help from Muslim NGOs.
How do they subsist with the economy destroyed?
- Help comes from outside: from the Custody of the Holy Land, Franciscan commissaries such as Father Luis Quintana in Madrid and Aid to the Church in Need. Without this, it would be impossible. People lost jobs, there are kidnappings, robberies... Some Christian families ask for humanitarian asylum in other countries. In recent months, several families from my parish left for Barcelona.
His final message to readers...
- We ask all other Christians for their support and prayers. We are a minority who live in fear, but our presence is vital. We have been here for 2,000 years and we do not want to leave, even though the war has been going on for 14 years. May they not forget Syria: land of shrines, ancient churches and the first evangelization."
