Shots were fired at the cross erected on the façade of the Syriac Orthodox cathedral in the Syrian city of Homs. The sacrilegious and intimidating act was denounced with a "heart full of sorrow" by the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese of Homs, Hama and Tartus, led since 2021 by Archbishop Timotheos Matta Al-Khoury.

The bullets were fired at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Holy Belt (Umm Al-Zannar), located in the Bustan Al-Diwan neighborhood, in the early hours of last Sunday, fueling the fears and sense of insecurity shared by many in the Christian communities of Syria in the current historical situation experienced by the country, the archdiocese reported in a statement.

"We consider this brutal attack," the statement reads, "as a direct attack on civil peace and coexistence, and we affirm that such acts have nothing to do with the morals of the good people of the city of Homs and of all honest Syrians, but rather aim to sow discord and cause destabilization."

The leaders of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese call on Syria's governing authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for the act of violence and to ensure the protection of sacred sites belonging to all faith communities. They also urged the faithful not to be overcome by fear, emphasizing that such violent acts "will not discourage us from adhering to the message of love and peace invoked by our Lord Jesus Christ. On the contrary, they will only strengthen our determination to build a spirit of brotherhood among all children of our nation and love for the land of Syria, no matter how severe the adversities we face."

The historic Cathedral of St. Mary of the Holy Belt (Um Al-Zunnar), a destination for Marian pilgrimages, is the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Homs, Hama, and Tartus. While the current structure dates back to the 19th century, various sources attest that Christian places of worship existed on the site of the church since the early centuries of Christianity. According to the Greek Melkite Exarch Joseph Nasrallah (1911--1993), the existence of a church dedicated to Mary in Homs is documented as early as 478 A.D.