One month after the terrorist attack at the Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus, which claimed the lives of at least 22 people, the church reopened today on the occasion of the feast day. Hundreds of Syrian Christians gathered at the church, which still bears the visible scars of the suicide bombing that took place inside it a month ago.

The service was led by Patriarch John X of Antioch, who sent a message of unity, resilience, and hope to the faithful. According to sources from protothema.gr, today’s service was held under the pressure of the new bloody clashes raging in the south of the country, which have claimed the lives of hundreds of people. The same sources told Proto Thema that despite official statements and international condemnation, both the Syrian national army under Al Saraa and paramilitary groups still active in Damascus continue to threaten not only the Druze minority but also the hundreds of thousands of Christians across Syria. A member of the community, speaking anonymously to Proto Thema for security reasons, stressed that for more than three months, “threats, persecutions, nighttime abductions, and murders of community members have become a daily occurrence.”

It is noted that last March, forces of the Syrian national army attacked members of the Alawite and Christian minorities in the Latakia region, killing dozens of people.

The Christian community in Syria declares that it will not leave the area and is calling for immediate measures to protect it from the ongoing threat.