Suspended Between Fear and Hope

Suspended Between Fear and Hope

(ANS – Damascus – December 11, 2024) - “The current situation in Syria is one of great uncertainty, although everything is moving too fast,” says Fr. Pedro Garcia, a Salesian missionary from Spain, director of the Salesian house in Damascus. “For now we can only wait and continue to work alongside the people. From the beginning, we Salesians have kept our doors open, even in the most difficult moments of the war. We have always been a point of reference for the population, and we will continue to be so at this time,” he added.

The Salesians are present in Aleppo, Damascus, and Kafroun, with works for non-formal education and youth centers that, in total, involve and give a hint of hope every day to more than 3,000 young people. Even in recent days, after the fall of the Assad regime, they have had to suspend their activities for the safety of minors, but not their commitment to care for and welcome those in need.

The latest events seem to have been welcomed by the population as a liberation, and many took to the streets with contained joy, but “the situation is one of uncertainty throughout the country and everything is moving too fast. Here it is the tradition to celebrate Saint Barbara (December 4) with parties in different costumes and a traditional meal, but this year we decided that, instead of a party, we would hold a vigil in front of the Blessed Sacrament to ask for peace,” Fr. García continued.

“The moment of truth will be when the different factions that make up the coalition sit down to negotiate. Everything will depend on how the checks and balances of the new government are organized,” the Salesian director concluded.

The superior of the Middle East Province, Fr. Simon Zakerian, is in Rome these days for the formation and orientation course for recently appointed provincials.  He confirmed the set of conflicting feelings that now coexist among the population in Syria. “The Syrian people on the one hand rejoice, on the other weep. For so many years, Syrians were used to living with a blockade of freedom: they could not express themselves, speak, criticize…. Let us hope for a positive change. Now the question for many is about the future.”

The Syrian bishops, both Catholic and Orthodox, have already had several meetings with some of the leaders of the rebel groups, and have been reassured that Christians “will not be touched, because they have always been faithful to our country.” This raises cautious hope, but everyone wants to wait for the nation’s new leaders to prove themselves, to be sure that these are not just declarations of intent.

“The young people who attend Salesian centers are the litmus test of the new reality. Indeed, the Salesian provincial concludes, “During this time, our young people have mostly been confined to home. In WhatsApp groups, they write to each other not to go out, to wait and see how the situation develops. So there is still fear, but at the same time, there’s also a bit of hope that this change will genuinely be for the good of the country.”