During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV remembered the “vile terrorist attack” on the Mar Elias church in Damascus, Syria on June 22. He entrusted the victims to God’s mercy and offered his continued prayers for those who were wounded and their families.

Turning to all Christians in the Middle East, the Pope expressed his solidarity with them. “I am close to you, and the whole Church stands with you.” He argued this recent attack highlights “the deep fragility” that Syria continues to live through after years of instability and violence.

Pope Leo called on the international community to “not turn its gaze away from this country.” Rather, he continued, it must offer support “through acts of solidarity and a renewed commitment to peace and reconciliation.”