Cardinal Zenari: In Syria, the bomb of poverty is killing hope

Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, delivers a homily in which he shares the suffering of the Syrian people.

By Massimiliano Menichetti

Pope Francis often reminds the world of the plight of Syria, a country that today seems forgotten, forgotten. Cardinal Mario Zenari, a faithful witness to the light of Christ in Damascus and a symbol of the dwindling hope for the Syrian people, presided over Sunday Mass at Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci, where he serves as a deacon. In his homily, and in his exchanges with parishioners that followed, he vividly described the immense suffering of a nation exhausted by more than a decade of war.

“The Syrian people are exhausted,” Zenari laments. “They are struggling to see the light of the future.” The numbers speak to a tragic reality: 500,000 lives lost, more than 7 million internally displaced, and more than 5 million people forced to flee to neighboring countries. According to the United Nations, 16.7 million Syrians are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and nearly 13 million face severe food insecurity.

File photo of a Syrian refugee in Lesbos

Drawing parallels between personal suffering and collective hardship, Zenari reflected on the crosses, large and small, that people carry in their lives. Yet in Syria, he noted, the weight of those crosses is almost unimaginable. He recalled haunting memories from years past, particularly the image of more than a million Syrians trudging through rain and snow, fleeing violence with only what they could carry—a “Way of the Cross that stretched for miles.” He then shared another poignant memory: one Good Friday in Homs, when bombs were raining down on the city. A sacristan, amid the destruction, asked Father Michele where to prepare the liturgy, when even the churches were in ruins. “Father Michele asked him to take a long rope, circle the devastated neighborhoods, and put a sign in the center that said ‘Calvary.’” Today,” the cardinal stressed, “this rope extends far beyond Homs, stretching for miles across the entire Middle East.”

Reflecting on the present, Zenari described a new and insidious devastation: poverty. “I witnessed destruction, death, amputated children and overwhelming suffering during the intense years of conflict. But today, another bomb has exploded: the bomb of poverty, which leaves no room for hope.” He noted that international sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime have had a catastrophic effect on the population. “During the war, at least, there was light. Today, power cuts are plunging the country into darkness.” Shortages of medicine, food and basic necessities are compounded by a stagnant economy and a halted education system.

A Syrian family displaced in Lebanon

The situation has forced many Syrians to flee, with poverty becoming unbearable. “Today, a doctor earns only 20 euros a month,” Zenari observes. “People study when they can, but they are determined to leave.” In this dire context, the Church remains on the front lines, offering assistance, comfort and engaging in diplomatic efforts to reverse the country’s downward slide into deeper suffering. The UN estimates that about 500 people leave Syria every day in search of a better life.

Cardinal Zenari’s appeal resonates far beyond the borders of Syria. It is a cry that cannot remain unheard in a world torn apart by conflict. Building a world of peace, solidarity and fraternity, a world where human dignity is at the centre of political efforts, is not only possible but essential. The international community cannot turn its back on Syria. We cannot remain indifferent to the migrants who perish at sea, nor accept the perpetuation of dictatorships and wars. Each of us, in our own sphere of influence, is called to build paths of dialogue, encounter and peace.