Vatican Radio reported the news. The Nuncio to Damascus, Mario Zenari, says “the civil conflict needs to be resolved but at the same time the advance of this Caliphate needs to be halted”
Even during the Lenten Spiritual Exercises which he is participating in along with the Roman Curia in Ariccia, Italy, Pope Francis is following developments in Syria with deep concern and is praying for civilians and the Christian minority, Vatican Radio reports. A number of villages inhabited by Christians have been devastated by the advance of ISIS’s jihadist militants in the northeast: the number of Christians captured by militia has risen to approximately 220.
“The Pope’s thoughts are clearly with us constantly, he is thinking of the situation Christians are facing and all those who are suffering. He is constantly kept up to speed and his prayers are with these people’s suffering - Christians in particular,” the Apostolic Nuncio to Damascus, Mgr. Mario Zenari told Vatican Radio.
“Naturally, these events create fear, particularly among minority groups which are exposed the most and have always been the weakest link in the chain. These incidents do nothing to inspire faith in the future,” the Nuncio continued. “The Christian community has lived in this climate of tension for a long time and it is understandable. But I would say everyone, not just Christians are scared of these events, particularly those which take place in these areas which are controlled by the jihadists. Everyone is afraid, not only Christians; and people escape if they can.”
Zenari said Christians feel abandoned by the international community: “This is the perception I get here from people in general and Christians in particular,” he explained. “Unfortunately they can’t see any tangible results. And this is understandable in a way.”
Asked about what can be done to halt the advance of the jihadists, the Nuncio underlined that “here the international community is already trying to take action. We need to continue along this path, helped by the efforts and measures of the international community. Some measures have already been adopted, for example cutting off these people’s supplies, including oil supplies, blocking bank accounts or stopping those who have got caught up in this ideology and may have come from Europe. So various measures have been taken. We need to try and put an end to this situation.”
According to Zenari, the situation the international community and the United Nations have been describing for some time now, is one of the most serious humanitarian catastrophes since World War II. And it is happening right under out very noses! The civil war needs to be stopped and resolved but at the same time the advance of this Caliphate needs to be halted.”
“There are two fronts and one is more serious than the other,” the Apostolic Nuncio said. “There is the civil war front, a conflict that had been going on for four years now and in three weeks’ time, the war in Syria will enter its fifth year: a war which has claimed the lives of 200,000 people, leaving more that a million wounded, more than 7 million displaced within Syria and 4 million refugees. Then there is the damage and death caused on a daily basis, the displaced and the refugees the civil war generates every day. And there are these atrocious and terrible events taking place in the areas controlled by the Caliphate. We must not forget these two fronts. Unfortunately one is worse than the other!”
