‎ Syrian Christians have reaffirmed their commitment to national unity and shared citizenship, with church leaders emphasizing the need to rebuild the country together after years of conflict.

Speaking at a New Year’s Mass in Damascus, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, John X Yazigi, said Christians were full partners in protecting and rebuilding Syria, not a community seeking special protection.

Addressing worshippers at the Mariamite Cathedral, Patriarch Yazigi said “today we turn a page in our lives”, before adding that Christians were rooted in the land where Jesus Christ “intended to be the place where humanity meets its Creator”.

He said Christians were not asking others to defend them. “Together with our fellow citizens, we protect and build this land," Yazigi said.

The patriarch offered prayers for peace in Syria and Lebanon, as well as across the Middle East and the wider world. He also prayed for those abducted during the conflict, including the two bishops of Aleppo, Youhanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi, who were kidnapped in 2013.

The comments came as Christians marked the New Year amid continuing security concerns. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that a member of the Internal Security Forces was killed and several others wounded in a suicide bombing targeting a police patrol in the Bab al-Faraj area of central Aleppo.

The attack underlined ongoing instability in parts of the country, while more hopeful images from Aleppo showed worshippers attending Christmas Mass at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi.