Faithful attend the Christmas mass at Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Aleppo, Syria on December 25, 2025. [Kasim Yusuf – Anadolu Agency]

Ishtartv.com - middleeastmonitor.com

January 2, 2026

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X Yazigi, has affirmed that Christians in Syria are partners with their fellow citizens in protecting and rebuilding the country, stressing the principle of shared citizenship.

Speaking during New Year’s Mass at the Mariamite Cathedral in Damascus, Patriarch Yazigi said the occasion marked a turning point for the country and the wider region.

“Today we turn a page in our lives on this earth,” he said. “We turn this page in Damascus and in the East, which Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Easts, intended to be the place where humanity meets its Creator.”

He stressed that Christians in Syria are not seeking protection from others. “We, as Christians in this land, are not asking to be protected,” Yazigi said. “Together with our fellow citizens, we protect and build this land.”

The patriarch added that prayers during the service were offered for peace in Syria and Lebanon, as well as for peace across the Middle East and the wider world. He also prayed for those abducted during the conflict, including the two bishops of Aleppo, Youhanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi, who were kidnapped in 2013.

In a related development, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported on Wednesday that a member of the Internal Security Forces was killed and several others wounded in a suicide bombing that targeted a police patrol in the Bab al-Faraj area in the centre of Aleppo.

The attack underscored continuing security challenges in parts of the country as religious leaders called for unity, peace and shared responsibility in rebuilding Syria.