Syriac Maronite Patriarch al-Rai visits Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi to offer condolences for Mar Elias Church attack

BALAMAND, Lebanon — In a display of inter-Church solidarity, Syriac Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rai paid a condolence visit to Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi at the Balamand Patriarchal Monastery in northern Lebanon following the devastating terrorist attack on the Church of Mar Elias in the Douileh district of Daramsuq (Damascus). 

The visit, held Thursday at the patriarchal residence, served as a formal expression of the Maronite Church’s grief and condemnation of the massacre, which claimed the lives of 29 worshippers and injured dozens more during a Sunday service on 21 June. The victims, all civilians, had gathered in prayer when an attacker with an automatic rifle and a suicide vest targeted the historic Greek (Rûm) Orthodox sanctuary. 

Patriarch John X, who has been receiving delegations offering condolences in the wake of the attack, welcomed the Patriarch al-Rai and his accompanying delegation, which included Patriarchal Vicar for Pastoral and Administrative Affairs Bishop Elias Nassar and Abbot of the Balamand Monastery Archimandrite George Yaacoub. 

During the meeting, Patriarch al-Rai conveyed the Syriac Maronite Church’s deep sorrow for the victims, offering prayers for the souls of the martyrs and forcefully condemning the violence. The discussion also addressed broader regional developments and their impact on Christian communities and societal cohesion across the Levant. 

The two patriarchs expressed concern over the increasingly precarious position of Christians in the region and emphasized the need for renewed commitment to coexistence and civil peace. 

In the aftermath of the bombing, the Syriac Maronite Patriarchate’s media office in Beth Kerke (Bkerke) issued a formal statement condemning the attack. Patriarch al-Rai himself denounced all assaults on places of worship and prayer, decrying acts of violence against peaceful citizens and religious sanctuaries.