The fate of Christians in Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, hangs in the balance as the city falls under the control of an Islamist group dominated by Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate and other factions opposed to the Assad regime. The group, known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which translates to the “Organization for the Liberation of the Levant,” previously held parts of northwestern Syria before advancing into Aleppo. While HTS has moderated its rhetoric on establishing an Islamic caliphate, the New York Times reports that it remains intent on replacing the Damascus government with one based on Islamist ideology.
On November 30, HTS imposed a 24-hour curfew, promising to avoid violence against civilians or their property. However, the uncertainty is palpable. A local Christian priest, speaking anonymously to La Croix, explained that while the armed groups have so far refrained from damaging buildings or harming civilians, “this is only the beginning. We have no idea what can happen after this. Time has stopped for Christians.” The priest expressed doubts about how a city of 4 million people, now lacking functional institutions, could be governed effectively.
A local bishop shared similar concerns with Aleteia, describing the situation as calm but deeply uncertain in the immediate aftermath of HTS’s capture of Aleppo. “The attackers were careful to reassure the citizens, promising security and order. Let’s hope they honor these promises,” the bishop said, adding that many fear military confrontations with the Syrian army could eventually turn the densely populated city into another battlefield. “In a brutal civil war, death spares neither combatants nor innocents,” he warned.
The human toll is already severe. According to Cardinal Mario Zenari, the Vatican’s ambassador to Damascus, over 350 people have been killed, and thousands have been displaced, with more casualties expected. On December 1, a Russian airstrike severely damaged the Franciscan monastery complex in Aleppo, though the monks reported no casualties. “After years of conflict, extreme poverty, international sanctions, an earthquake, and now renewed violence, Syrians simply want to flee their homeland,” Cardinal Zenari said. Since the war began in 2011, Aleppo became a refuge for many Christians fleeing jihadist-controlled Idlib in northwestern Syria. But the latest wave of violence has reignited fears, with even more families now leaving the city.
Aleppo’s Christian population, once around 250,000 in 2011 (representing 12% of the city’s population), has dwindled to roughly 20,000–25,000 today. Father Bahjat Karakach, parish priest of St. Francis Church in Aleppo, lamented that the people are exhausted and lack the strength to endure another round of conflict. He called for urgent international intervention to prevent further suffering.
The Greek Orthodox community in Aleppo, known as Levantine Greeks, has made an emotional appeal to the Greek government for assistance. In a letter to the Greek foreign minister, they urged Athens to take every possible measure to protect the Antiochian Greeks, who live primarily in Aleppo, Banias, Tartus, and Damascus. Their plea recounted the historic struggles and oppression faced by their community, from Ottoman rule to recent years of civil war. “Aleppo, once the Levant’s greatest Christian city and a beacon of Hellenic culture, art, and faith, teeters on the brink. Do not let it fall,” the letter implored. The authors called on Greece to harness its diplomatic influence with the U.S., Turkey, and other nations to secure the safety of Aleppo’s Christians. “The children of Aleppo, whose ancestors supported Greece in its darkest times, are counting on you. Their blood and future are intertwined with yours.”
The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Ephrem Maalouli, urged the faithful to pray, stay calm, and avoid unnecessary risks. He succeeded Metropolitan Paul Yazigi, who was kidnapped by Islamist rebels near Aleppo in 2013 and has been missing ever since. Greek diplomatic sources informed Greek Reporter that the Greek community in Aleppo, now reduced to about 50 families, is safe for the time being.
Syria’s civil war, which erupted in 2011 after the government cracked down on pro-democracy protests, has claimed over half a million lives. The Assad regime is supported militarily by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. Christian communities, once a thriving minority in Syria, have also suffered enormous losses. By 2022, Christians comprised less than 2–2.5% of the country’s population, with the largest denominations being the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (700,000) and the Syro-Jacobite Church. Other Christian groups include Catholics, particularly those affiliated with the Uniate Melkite Church.
In Aleppo, the long-standing Christian presence—already battered
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