In a message on social networks, Monsignor Jallouf denies the “news” re-released on the Internet that Hts had entrusted him with the direction of the city. The prelate speaks of “lies” and “shame”, reiterating that “getting involved in politics is not the mission of the Church.” To , the parish priest speaks of a “disoriented and confused” community that must be “encouraged.” Rebels at the gates of Homs.
Aleppo () – Some social pages, particularly on Facebook, “circulate the news of my appointment as governor of Aleppo: it is a lie, it is not true and it is a shame for the good” of the Church itself and society. With a message relaunched on his own page, Monsignor Hanna Jallouf, Franciscan, apostolic vicar of Aleppo since July 2023, categorically denies the rumors that have circulated in recent hours about his appointment as governor of the city. “Us [como responsables eclesiásticos y hombres de fe] “We do not interfere in politics,” continues the message of the prelate, who, having lived in Idlib, boasts of having relations and contacts with movements that seek to overthrow President Bashar al Assad, “because that is not our mission.”
Since yesterday afternoon, in fact, some rumors – which, however, lack any confirmation, but which have found, as often happens, space and dissemination on the Internet – spoke of an appointment of the prelate as governor of Aleppo by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Hts) and other opposition groups. Fake news whose origin remains uncertain, but which could go back to the rebel movements’ attempt to show a tone of dialogue and openness towards minorities, different from the massacres perpetrated by the Islamic State (IS, former Isis) or by Al Qaeda in the past between Syria and Iraq, to give some examples.
The vicar of Aleppo continued his message urging the population not to use social networks to spread false news or that could fuel confusion, discontent or exacerbate an already warlike and violent situation. Rumors, the prelate concludes, that could also be cleverly spread to attack him: «Lying – he says – is the key to burning a person. But we, I repeat, do not get involved in politics.
These rumors certainly do not contribute to calming the climate of a Christian community in Aleppo that seems “disoriented and confused” by the sudden and unexpected climate of war that it has encountered, as Father Bahjat Karakach tells in a message. The parish priest of the church of San Francisco de Asís emphasizes the need to “calm down and cheer up” that worries not only Christians, but a large part of the population. However, he adds that “the answers to the questions that torment you will not come from staying at home, but from going out into the countryside to do good.” A warning issued at a meeting with the young people of the community, attended by more than 400 boys and girls, a number that “surprised” even the priest but which reveals their need to be “encouraged and supported.”
Instilling confidence, looking to the future even in a time of deep uncertainty is the “most important message” that the Church aims to convey, especially “to young people, who ask themselves a thousand questions,” explains the priest born and resident in Aleppo. During the meeting, Father Bahjat concludes, “we insisted that we must not let ourselves be overcome by the fear that paralyzes us, but rather roll up our sleeves and do something for our city, promoting initiatives on the street for the benefit of all” without distinction of creed or ethnicity. .
Finally, on the front of the conflict, after having conquered Aleppo and Hama, the rebels are now targeting Homs, a city located north of Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based NGO with a network of informants on the ground, reports that they are 5 km from the city and advancing rapidly. At the same time, Syrian warplanes are reportedly targeting the al Rastan Bridge, which connects the city of Hama with Homs, in a (vain) attempt to protect it from the advance of the anti-Assad front. The Turkish Anadolu agency, in fact, reports that the insurgents have already taken the district of Rastan, in the province of Homs, where there are apparently thousands of civilians fleeing, but the final objective remains Damascus and “the overthrow of the regime of Assad.
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