Elie Younan

Riad Sargi, a Melkite (Greek Catholic) engineer in Damascus took part in the World Meeting of Families in September. He spoke about Christmas and the Year of mercy in his war-torn country. Reconciliation and mercy are not only words but also an actual “way of life”. He is grateful to the pope for his prayers and closeness to Syria.

The rebel factions have begun pulling back from the country’s third largest city. For the first time in a year aid delivered to a disputed area. Riyadh hosts meeting of "Islamic front" in the struggle against Assad. Kurds and other groups excluded, who instead hold another meeting in north-eastern Syria. Diplomatic sources tell AsiaNews: positive steps, but the situation remains "critical".

Mgr Zenari told AsiaNews that the situation is tense, that shelling continues. One mortar round hit a school bus carrying children from a school run by the Greek Melkite Patriarchate. The nuncio visited the wounded in hospital this morning. Diplomatic activity picks up in Vienna to discuss the crisis. Reports suggest that Jihadi John was killed in a US drone strike.

Hailing from Damascus, Riad Sargi has not left his country despite the war. At the World Meeting of Families, he received a copy of the Gospel from the pope. He calls his homeland "the cradle of Christianity" and views his task as helping the poor, the old and the abandoned. For him, living with Muslims is possible.