Ishtartv.com - syriacpress.com

 14/08/2025

DARAMSUQ — “Better late than never” might well describe the visit of Maher al-Sharaa, Secretary-General of the Syrian Presidency and brother of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, to the Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Patriarchate in Daramsuq (Damascus) on Wednesday, 13 August 2025. According to the official Facebook page of the Patriarchate, the visit aimed to convey the President’s condolences for the “martyrs of the Church of Mar Elias.”

Maher al-Sharaa, heading an official presidential delegation, visited more than a month and a half after the terrorist bombing that targeted the Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Mar Elias Church in the Al-Dweilaa neighborhood of Daramsuq, which left 29 people martyred and dozens seriously injured.

The Syrian government’s recognition of the bombing victims as “martyrs” came only after six weeks, marking an unprecedented shift in tone. Speaking at the Patriarchate, Al-Sharaa expressed the President’s condolences and underscored national unity, saying, “We extend our sympathies for the martyrs of Saint Elias Church in Al-Dweilaa and reaffirm our commitment to building Syria’s future together.”

Al-Sharaa affirmed that the crime was an attack on Syria’s unity of life, conveying President al-Sharaa’s deep appreciation for Patriarch John X and for the Christian community, which sees in the Patriarchal residence in Daramsuq a symbol of its identity and enduring role in the history of the East.

The Patriarch welcomed al-Sharaa and his accompanying delegation, asking that his greetings and appreciation be conveyed to President Ahmad al-Sharaa. He emphasized the historic and continuing role of Christians in Syria and the wider region, affirming that the Patriarchate has always sought, with all its strength, to stand alongside the people of this country — regardless of whether they are in the majority or minority.

During the funeral for the victims of the 25 June 2025 bombing, Patriarch John X sharply criticized the Syrian government and President Ahmad al-Sharaa, declaring:

“Christians are an essential, inseparable part of the Syrian people. We extended our hands to the state, but the state has not extended its hand to us yet.”

The Patriarch’s remarks sent a clear message that the government had failed to deliver justice for the families of the martyrs and the injured.

The Patriarch also referred to a phone call he had received from President al-Sharaa, saying, “We appreciated this gesture, but, Mr. President, a phone call is not enough.”