The Way of the Cross

For most Syrian families, the nightmare of constant bombing and gunfire has ceased. The government has retaken control of much of the country, except for a last opposition stronghold around Idlib. Those who have somehow survived the shelling and snipers, must now survive an uncertain peace.

While handing out food packages to families, Fr Ibrahim sums up the current material and spiritual crisis: “We feel today, not only as Christians but as Syrians, that we are not in heaven, nor on earth – but on the Cross. We don’t yet see a future for ourselves and our families.”

Aleppo is a ruined wasteland that will take a generation to rebuild. This city that had at its heart one of the Silk Road’s most fabled bazaars is now drained of colour, reduced to mile after mile of grey concrete rubble.

With unexploded ordinance still littering the city, only the main streets are safe, especially in the eastern areas that bore the brunt of the bombing. The UN considers the situation too risky for refugees to return home. Across Syria, three out of ten schools and half of all health centres are closed. Nevertheless, Caritas is witnessing an upsurge in returnees to Aleppo, and inside its gutted buildings, 2.25 million people need humanitarian aid.