‘Rebuild a community bloodied by war and earthquake’

Br. Jallouf, a Franciscan until now parish priest of Knayeh in Idlib, was appointed on July 1 by Pope Francis. In 2014 he lived through the drama of the kidnapping at the hands of al-Nusra and more recently the devastation of the earthquake. The area is still in an “emergency” phase, there is “much to do.” Regarding relations with the factions, the prelate affirms that now “the rebels have changed their strategy, they seem to accept the Christians.” The hope that “the Church will be a light for all of Syria”.

Aleppo () – First the devastation of the war, then the tragedy of the earthquake that “destroyed many houses” and caused “numerous displacements”, so much so as to make Aleppo a “bloody community: the situation is not good and there is much to do”. This counted Franciscan Father Hanna Jallouf, until now the parish priest of Knayeh, in the Syrian province of Idlib, who was appointed Vicar Apostolic for Latinos in Aleppo by Pope Francis. Formerly the economic and commercial capital of the country, and for a long time the epicenter of the conflict, today the city also bears the marks of the earthquake of February 6, in addition to critical issues linked to Western sanctions, which have brought Syria to its knees. “It was an unexpected appointment”, stressed the religious, “who came while working in most of the parishes affected by the earthquake. And now the new mission, which I live with as much joy as dedication and spirit of sacrifice”.

On July 1, Pope Francis appointed Franciscan Fr. Hanna Jallouf, of the Custody of the Holy Land, replacing Msgr. Georges Abou Khazen, who resigned in recent months for having reached the age limit. The vicariate extends its jurisdiction to the Catholic faithful of the Latin rite throughout Syria, for whom it is the point of reference in matters of pastoral care and other activities, especially in this phase of slow revival after the devastation of the war and the earthquake. In December, the cleric was received by Pope Francis (in the photo, from Vatican Media), who presented him with the Mother Teresa Award sponsored by the Vatican Department for the Service of Charity, 25 years after the death of its founder.

The new Apostolic Vicar for Latinos was born on July 16, 1952 in Knayeh, in the town of Jisser El Chougur, in the province of Idlib, which -even today- remains the last bastion in the hands of the anti-Assad rebels and of the jihadist militias. The p. Hanna made his first vows into the Order in 1975, then made a solemn promise to him in 1979 and he was ordained a priest on July 29 of the same year. He obtained a Licentiate in Youth Ministry and Catechetics at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, and held, among his numerous positions for the Custody of the Holy Land, those of: Vice-rector in Amman until 1982, rector of the minor seminary of Aleppo from 1982 to 1987, parochial vicar in Casalotti (Rome) from 1987 to 1990, superior and parish priest in Ghassanieh and Jisser el Chougur (1990-1992), director of Terra Sancta College in Amman (1992-2001), parish priest in Knayeh (2001-2013); superior and parish priest in Knayeh and in charge of Jisser El Chougur until today.

Regarding the earthquake emergency, the new vicar stressed that “we are still in a phase of assessing needs and priorities” in a climate that continues to be of “primary urgency, not only in Aleppo but throughout Syria”. And in the villages of the Idlib province it is even worse”, since there are peaks of destruction of up to 80%. “Then there are the refugees in Latakia. There is so much to do.” The priest has lived and worked for the last few years in the rebel-controlled area as a parish priest in Knayeh, in the Orontes river valley, where there are two other Christian villages (Yacubieh and Jdayde) located almost close to the Turkish border, closer to Antioch than to Aleppo. “Right now I am in the Idlib area – he explained – and the situation is relatively calm, the echoes of the war are no longer heard. The rebels have changed their strategy, now they seem to accept the Christians, considering them as flowers in their garden. Even so, there is still a lot of work to be done” in a perspective of true coexistence.

After all, Father Hanna Jallouf knows well the difficulties and dangers of jihadist fundamentalism, since he lived through the drama of being kidnapped in October 2014, after the militiamen of the al-Nusra front captured him precisely in the town of Knayeh. A kidnapping that ended quickly and positively, unlike others such as in the case of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio. “We need peace, we need security, without which nothing can be done. We hope that this bloodied land can be raised through mercy and forgiveness between the warring factions,” he added. “On the other hand, the United States and the West must cancel the sanctions, because they do not affect the government, only the poor people.” Finally, the new Vicar of Aleppo outlined the priorities for Aleppo and all of Syria. “At the pastoral level, it is important to coordinate and unify the efforts” among the different “religious” groups present and active in the territory, so that “the Church is a light for all of Syria. Finally, we want to renew not only the work , but also the spiritual guide among our collaborators”.

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