The Bloodbath Against Christians and Other Civilians in Syria Continues Unabated

President Recep Erdogan’s objective is to “clean” the Afrin region in Syria of Kurdish elements considered by Ankara to be terrorists, and he defends himself from any accusation that his real intention is to invade.

The Catholic Synod of Aleppo refuses to believe this. Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, laments, “Every year we see a new chapter open in the Syrian conflict,” adding, “We cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The humanitarian situation in Syria is dramatic, and the Holy See has been trying to contain it for several years. During their historic meeting in Havana in 2016, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called for “urgent action” from the international community to prevent “the eviction of Christians from the Middle East.”

Cardinal Zenari deplores an erroneous idea that has spread in Europe; people believe that the collapse of the Islamic State put an end to the war, but the bloodbath continues.