Churches across Syria held somber funeral services for the 25 victims of a suicide bombing that devastated St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus
Newsroom, June 25, 2024, Gaudium Press – In a scene marked by profound grief and righteous indignation, churches across Syria held funeral services on June 24, 2025, for the 25 victims of a suicide bombing that targeted St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus’s Dweila neighborhood during Sunday Mass on June 22. The attack, which also injured 63 others, has reignited fears among Syria’s Christian community.
The main funeral service, held at noon at the Church of the Holy Cross in Damascus’s Qassaa district, was presided over by Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi, joined by Melkite Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi and Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan, alongside numerous bishops, priests, and a diverse crowd of mourners from various Christian denominations. In his homily, Patriarch Yazigi condemned the attack as a “heinous massacre,” declaring, “The prayer we lift today is not an ordinary funeral prayer but the special resurrection prayer we usually offer on Easter — because today is a day of resurrection.” He emphasized Syrian Christians’ commitment to national unity, stating, “This crime is the first of its kind in Damascus since 1860. We will not allow anyone to sow sectarian strife.” Yazigi also expressed disappointment that no government officials, except Christian Minister Hind Kabawat, visited the attack site.
Following the liturgy, nine white coffins were carried to St. Elias Church for a special prayer before burial in a Christian cemetery.
The attack, which left the church’s altar shattered, pews splintered, and floors bloodied, was claimed on June 24 by Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, a little-known Sunni extremist group, via Telegram. The group, which described the bombing as a “martyrdom operation” by Mohammad Zayn al-Abidin Abou Othman, cited unspecified “provocations by the Nazarenes (Christians)” as justification, referencing a March incident where residents clashed over Islamic chants broadcast near the church. However, Syrian authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa of the former al-Qaeda-affiliated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), attributed the attack to the Islamic State (IS), announcing arrests of alleged IS-affiliated suspects on June 23.
Analyst Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi suggested Saraya Ansar al-Sunna may be a pro-IS splinter group led by a disillusioned former HTS commander, possibly including ex-members of Hurras al-Din, an al-Qaeda affiliate that dissolved in January 2025. The Syrian Interior Ministry claimed the attacker, a non-Syrian from the al-Hol camp, was linked to IS, dismissing Saraya’s claim as a front.
The attack on St. Elias Church has struck at the heart of Syria’s Christian community, already dwindled from 1.5 million to 400,000 since the civil war began in 2011.
Pope Leo XIV, in a Vatican statement, expressed deep sorrow, offering prayers for the deceased, healing for the wounded, and peace for their families. Christian communities held Masses and prayer vigils, with chants of “Christians do not fear death, for after death comes resurrection.” However, frustration mounted over the government’s failure to declare national mourning, lower flags, or refer to victims as “martyrs.” Metropolitan Ephrem Maalouli and Bishop Elias Dabbagh criticized the silence, with the latter insisting, “Those who died in this criminal bombing are martyrs — whether people like it or not.”
President al-Sharaa’s condolence call to Bishop Romanos al-Hanata was deemed “insufficient” by Patriarch Yazigi, who, alongside other Christian leaders, urged the government to honor the victims equally and ensure justice. The attack, the first suicide bombing in Damascus since the Assad regime’s fall in December 2024, underscores the challenges facing Syria’s new Islamist-led government in controlling extremist factions and protecting minorities amid ongoing sectarian tensions.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA and UCAN and X
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