Olive Scout Troop Christmas Carnival in Old Damascus, 2025. / Credit: ACI MENAACI MENA, Dec 24, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).In a scene reflecting Syrians' deep longing for life and joy after long years of suffering, Christmas celebrations continue across various regions of Syria, carrying messages of hope that transcend divisions and wounds. These festive atmospheres coincided with the official repeal of the Caesar Act, U.S.-imposed sanctions on Syria, which propels the country into a time of rebuilding its economy and securing the basic requirements for a dignified life for its citizens.Among the most prominent Christmas events this week was the organization of a Christmas carnival by the Roman Melkite Olive Scout Troop in Old Damascus. A majestic procession toured the ancient streets with the participation of hundreds of people accompanied by handcrafted Christmas figures, decorated vehicles, brass band performances, and the display of both church and national flags. Arch...
Olive Scout Troop Christmas Carnival in Old Damascus, 2025. / Credit: ACI MENA
ACI MENA, Dec 24, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
In a scene reflecting Syrians' deep longing for life and joy after long years of suffering, Christmas celebrations continue across various regions of Syria, carrying messages of hope that transcend divisions and wounds.
These festive atmospheres coincided with the official repeal of the Caesar Act, U.S.-imposed sanctions on Syria, which propels the country into a time of rebuilding its economy and securing the basic requirements for a dignified life for its citizens.
Among the most prominent Christmas events this week was the organization of a Christmas carnival by the Roman Melkite Olive Scout Troop in Old Damascus.
A majestic procession toured the ancient streets with the participation of hundreds of people accompanied by handcrafted Christmas figures, decorated vehicles, brass band performances, and the display of both church and national flags. Archimandrite Michel Deirani told ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, that the aim of these initiatives is to "plant joy in the hearts of children and help them live in peace, overcoming the effects of wars and upheavals that have burdened the world."
Patriarch John X visits Mar Elias Church in Doueilaa, Damascus. Credit: Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East
The celebrations were not limited to the capital. The village of Qinniyeh in the Idlib countryside witnessed the lighting of its Christmas tree and Nativity scene for the first time in 14 years. A Christmas market was also inaugurated in Tartous through a non-ecclesial initiative.
In the same context, the Joy Choir, with its various age groups, continued presenting its customary hymn evenings in Damascus and Yabroud, leaving a positive impression on attendees including the acting head of the European Union delegation to Syria, Michael Ohnmacht, who remarked that the choir is "true to its name" and succeeded in embodying Syria's true image.
Despite widespread praise for the heightened security measures accompanying the celebrations, troubling incidents emerged, including the burning of a Christmas tree in the Al-Adawiya district of Homs and another attempted arson in Al-Qusayr, in addition to the theft of a bronze statue of St. Paul in Bab Kisan.
Controversy also arose over a social media post by Wael Hamza, director general of the Syrian General Organization for Books, who asked via Facebook not to be congratulated on the holidays — an unusual stance for a government official.
In the lead-up to Christmas, the Church did not forget its martyrs. John X Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, visited Mar Elias Church, which had previously been targeted by a bombing, to review the rehabilitation work underway.
Though the Caesar Act has been repealed, Syria remains subject to U.S. oversight related to counterterrorism efforts, the removal of foreign fighters, and the protection of minorities. In this context, 134 Republican members of the U.S. Congress signed a statement affirming their commitment to monitoring the new Syrian administration, stressing that violations against Christians and other minorities must become a thing of the past.
null / Credit: Rawpixel.com/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 24, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).Abortion clinic workers across the country are once again receiving Christmas cards from religious sisters offering prayers, compassion, and an invitation to seek a career outside the abortion industry.And Then There Were None (ATTWN), a pro-life organization dedicated to assisting abortion clinic workers leave their jobs and find life-affirming careers, carries out this ministry each Christmas season with help from convents around the country. The Christmas card project is a part of a larger mission of handwritten cards sent throughout the year.This year, Dominican, Maronite, Benedictine, Carmelite, Capuchin, and Franciscan sisters, as well as Apostolic Sisters of St. John and Trinitarians of Mary, sent at least 1,030 handwritten Christmas cards to abortion clinic workers with loving messages and an image of the Holy Family. Reaching 'quitters'ATTWN has sent nearly 23,000 hand...
U.S. Vice President JD Vance. / Credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsCNA Staff, Dec 23, 2025 / 14:27 pm (CNA).U.S. Vice President JD Vance, America's second Catholic vice president, laid out a distinctly Christian vision for American politics in a speech this week, declaring that "the only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been and, by the grace of God, we always will be a Christian nation."Speaking to more than 30,000 young conservatives at Turning Point USA's AmFest 2025 some three months after the death of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, Vance called for a politics rooted in a Christian faith that honors the family, protects the weak, and rejects what he described as a decades-long "war" on Christianity in public life.The Christian faith has provided a "shared moral language" since the nation's founding, the Yale-trained lawyer argued, which led to "our understanding of natural law and rights, our sense ...
Pope Leo meets with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in November 2025. / Credit: Courtesy of the Office of Gov. JB PritzkerCastel Gandolfo, Italy, Dec 23, 2025 / 14:55 pm (CNA).Pope Leo XIV appealed to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to veto a bill legalizing assisted suicide during a Vatican meeting last month, the pope told reporters Tuesday.The pope, responding to a question from Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News, said he made his opposition to the bill clear in the November conversation with the governor. Leo told Pritzker it was important to defend the value of life and that every life is sacred, the pope told reporters outside the papal villa of Castel Gandolfo before his return to Rome.The Vatican had not earlier provided details of the meeting.Pritzker signed the assisted suicide measure, ardently opposed by Catholic leaders, into law Dec. 12."I spoke very explicitly with Gov. Pritzker about that," the pope said, and he said Cardinal Blase Cupich also expressed his views. "But we were...
Olive Scout Troop Christmas Carnival in Old Damascus, 2025. / Credit: ACI MENA
