A top Syrian archbishop has told Premier Russian intervention in the civil war has given people hope that the violence will be stopped.
Archbishop of Aleppo Jean-Clement Jeanbart said his colleagues, parishioners and friends were afraid the war would never end until Russia intervened.
Russia began air strikes in Syria at the end of September and insists it is only attacking Islamic State at the request of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Syria has been a close ally of Russia for many years and even before the air strikes it’s thought the ex-Soviet state had been giving cash and weapons to Al Assad.
Archbishop Jean-Clement said the situation had “changed” since Russia intervened.
“They [Christians] hope it will be bring peace, it will push all parts to get together on a table and make it finish,” he said.
He added: “It has given some confidence and hope for the people in Syria, Muslims and Christians, all the moderate people.”
The senior clergyman said the departure of Assad would be “very harmful for the country”.
“The country would collapse,” he said, “for this period of transition his presence is instrumental and useful”.
Before the war began Christians lived very freely, the archbishop said.
“We have never had problems with the Assad regime as Christians. All the minorities used to live very well”.
The archbishop’s church has been bombed 20 times since the war began four and a half years ago.
He was speaking at the launch of an Aid to the Church in Need report which showed Christianity was set to disappear in the Middle East by 2020 if Christians continue to leave or be killed at the same rate as they currently are.
