ICC Note: The Syrian Civil war has plagued the nation since March 2011, killing at least 270 thousand and displacing millions more. Now, after days of intense fighting, the leaders of the Catholic communities in Aleppo are appealing to the faithful around the world to offer mass on their behalf this Sunday, May 8. These Christian neighborhoods of Aleppo have been under serious fire in the last few weeks, as fighting between government forces, rebel forces and Islamic State militants has ravaged what’s left of the city.

05/04/2016 Syria (Asia News): The leaders of the Catholic communities of Aleppo have launched an appeal to the bishops, priests and faithful from around the world, asking them to “offer Masses next Sunday, May 8, for peace in Syria and especially to Aleppo “. This is what tells AsiaNews p.Alsabagh Ibrahim, 44 year old Franciscan, guardian and parish priest of the Latin parish of Aleppo, the “Northern Capital” of Syria by days of heavy fighting theater.”We ask for prayers from around the world – said the priest – because the situation is dramatic; many innocent people have been subjected to violence, need compassion and mercy. ”

“In our area [Christian neighborhoods west of Aleppo, under government control] this morning there is a silence, a few people on the street and did not hear any noise,” said Father. Ibrahim, “but in other areas will continue to fight.” Yesterday, meanwhile, the city recorded his “worst day” by the escalation of the fighting, “which are then continued through the night, with violence and attacks that did not stop even for a minute.”

“Yesterday we experienced the worst day of the week, with heavy bombardment” continued the pastor of Aleppo. Missiles and rockets fired from the area under rebel control have affected the hospital in Dabbi’t ( pictured, before and after ), centering the department of obstetrics and killing 17 children as well as women and men. They had previously launched missiles on universities, in particular the state “universities forcing thousands of students to take shelter for hours in the basements to escape the violence. Hence the decision of the Ministry of Education to close for three days all the schools in the city. “

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Since March 2011, Syria is torn by a conflict that has claimed at least 270 thousand people dead and millions displaced, giving rise to unprecedented humanitarian emergency. Among the most affected areas the city of Aleppo, where jihadists of the Islamic State militants and al Nusra Front (affiliated with al Qaeda) are fighting against rebel groups and government troops; in less than two weeks there are already more than 270 civilian deaths. A new round of peace talks on Syria under the auspices of the United Nations should begin next May 10, also in Geneva, but so far international diplomacy proved powerless or uninterested in stopping the conflict.

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