Skip to main content

Patriarch meets Syrian leader following Saint Elias church bombing

1 min Edward Finkelstein

Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa met on Saturday in Damascus with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X Yazigi, according to a statement posted by the presidency on Telegram.

Ahmad al-Sharaa and John X Yazigi © X

Ahmad al-Sharaa and John X Yazigi © X

Syrian interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa met on Saturday in Damascus with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X Yazigi, according to a statement posted by the presidency on Telegram.

The two discussed the role of the Church in strengthening national unity and preserving civil peace in Syria, the statement said.

The meeting comes nearly two months after a deadly bombing targeted the Greek Orthodox Saint Elias Church in Damascus on June 22, killing 25 people and injuring 63. 

The attack was later claimed by a little-known Syrian jihadist group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna (“Brigade of the Supporters of the Sunnis”).

Syrian authorities, however, blamed the Islamic State for the bombing.

Edward Finkelstein

Edward Finkelstein

From Athens, Edward Finkelstein covers current events in Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Sudan. He has over 15 years of experience reporting on these countries

 

Related

United Arab Emirates

Confident and balanced: UAE’s 2026 budget targets growth without deficit

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approved its federal budget for the fiscal year 2026, with both revenues and expenditures estimated at 92.4 billion dirhams ($25.2 billion), signaling the country’s commitment to fiscal stability and economic resilience. 

Lebanon

US envoy Ortagus expected in Lebanon as tensions with Israel spike

U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus is expected in Beirut on Monday for talks with Lebanese officials on disarming militant group Hezbollah, sources familiar with her visit said, amid fears in Lebanon that Israel could launch a renewed air war on the group.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.