Pope Calls for “Friendship and Mutual Respect” Between Religions in Syria

Pope Francis today called on the various religions practiced in Syria to strive for "friendship and mutual respect", following his general audience in St. Peter's Square.

Francis expressed the hope that "the Syrian people can live in peace and security in their beloved land and that the various religions can walk together in friendship and mutual respect".

The Pope also called for the search for "a political solution that can responsibly promote the stability and unity of the country, without further conflict and division".

The Prime Minister responsible for the transition in Syria, Mohammad al-Bashir, promised tranquility and stability to the Syrians on Tuesday, two days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad from power in a blinding offensive by a coalition of rebels.

In a similar vein, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which heads the rebel coalition, told Sky News from Damascus that "people are exhausted by the war.

"The country is not prepared for another one and will not find itself in another [war]," he said.

On 8 December, Syrian rebels declared Damascus 'free' of President Bashar al-Assad, after a 12-day armed offensive by a coalition led by HTS, together with other factions supported by Turkey, to topple the Syrian regime.

In the face of the rebel offensive, Al-Assad, who had been in power for 24 years, fled the country and went into exile in Russia.

In power for more than half a century in Syria, the Baath party was, for many Syrians, a symbol of repression, which began in 1970 with its rise to power in a coup d'état. of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar's father, who led the country until his death in 2000.