Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over a suicide bombing that struck a Greek Orthodox church in Syria over the weekend.
A little-known Sunni extremist faction has taken responsibility for the Sunday attack, which claimed 25 lives and left more than 60 injured. Initially, officials had suspected the Islamic State group was behind the deadly shooting and bombing at Saint Elias Church in Damascus.
“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV is profoundly grieved by the tragic loss of life and devastation caused by the assault on the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus,” said Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s second-highest-ranking official, added, “He offers his heartfelt support and solidarity to all those affected by this horrific event.”
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the incident marks the first suicide bombing inside a church in Syria since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.
