Syria, the return of Christians to Ghassanieh

On Saturday, the 8th November 2025, a huge crowd gathered in the Syrian village of Ghassanieh, in western Syria, in the Orontes Valley. To the sound of car horns and drums, they welcomed the Latin Bishop of Syria, Monsignor Hanna Jallouf OFM, the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Latakia, Monsignor Athanasius Fahed, and the President of the Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, Pastor Ibrahim Nuseir. Together with them, a dozen friars from the Custody of the Holy Land [the entity responsible for the presence in Syria] arrived from neighbouring villages and from Aleppo Latakia and Damascus, including Brother Firas Lutfi, the last friar remaining in the village, who remembers very well the murder of Father François Mourad (23 June 2013) by jihadists, the flight of Christians and therefore also of the friars and Sisters  of the Rosary, and the subsequent bombings that devastated the entire village.

This helps us to understand the jubilation that envelops the crowd on this anniversary of their return to the village. Amongst the ruins, the ecumenical procession moved from church to church to bless the places and the faithful, as if to exorcise the evil and the many desecrations committed here. The Our Father is proclaimed with fervour: "There are no longer Greeks, Latins or Protestants; we are one people, we have suffered the same pain," says Gisèle, with her youngest daughter in her arms.

The rhythm of the drums becomes more insistent as we approach the Latin church, dedicated to St Anthony of Padua, and the Franciscan friary Tony, in his early twenties, is full of praise for the Franciscans: "It is thanks to them that we can return home today." Indeed, Br. Louai Bsharat and Br. Khukaz Mesrob, priests of the neighbouring villages of Yacoubieh and Knayeh respectively, have spared no effort since the liberation of Syria on the 8th December. Supported by Latin Bishop Jallouf, they have pleaded the cause of all Christians in the region with local and national authorities. Here, Christians have been expropriated of their property, both houses and agricultural land. Those who remained endured humiliation, deprivation of their rights and, for some, imprisonment and torture. As the situation worsened, the Custody of the Holy Land chose to remain present in the villages of Yacoubieh and Knayeh: the friars were the only religious to have endured all these difficulties alongside their Christian brothers, who serve as priests, nurses, teachers, lawyers and more. Amidst cries of joy, the faithful do not hesitate to carry them on their shoulders as a sign of gratitude.

In the Franciscan church, where crosses, stained glass windows, statues and the altar have disappeared, the Latin bishop leads the prayer. After the Our Father and the Hail Mary, the friars sing "Salve, Sancte Pater" in Gregorian chant – a 14th-century A Franciscan hymn – invoking the protection and help of St Francis of Assisi, prophet of dialogue and reconciliation. The task is immense, but the new generation of friars intends to take up the challenge.

Br. Elias Giorgios, a Syrian friar in formation in Rome, watches the numerous videos flooding his phone. “Ghassanieh is my home village. It's like I'm in a dream, I can't believe it. I'm speechless, I'm crying... My mother and brothers are here. I am filled with deep joy and, at the same time, I am aware of the extent of the destruction... But I have faith in the future; people have developed a very strong sense of belonging to our land during these years of exile. They are waiting for their brothers to return so that they can go back; they trust us."

While celebrations are still in full swing on the steps of the Church of St Anthony of Padua, many families have laid out carpets and the laughter of children rises from the ruins. Coffee or mate is being prepared and, as crazy as it may seem, today everyone has returned home.

This is a “historic event for the Custody of the Holy Land, an event of extraordinary human and ecclesial significance,” writes Br. Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, in a letter addressed to all his confreres in Jerusalem.