RIP Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart - Death of Catholic Archbishop who Refused to Abandon his Flock in Syria Even During War

It was with sadness that Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) learned of the death of its long-time project partner Archbishop Jean-Clément Jeanbart, aged 83, last weekend.

The archbishop, died suddenly during a trip to France.

Jean-Clément Jeanbart was born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1943, the sixth of 12 children of a devout Melkite Catholic family. He first entered the seminary as a young boy of only 11, but left to continue his studies in Aleppo before returning definitively at aged 19. He was ordained in 1968.

From a very early age, he felt a special calling to work with youth, a commitment he maintained until his final years.

Archbishop Jeanbart led the Melkite Archeparchy of Aleppo from 1995 until his retirement in 2021. He actively worked to improve the spiritual and material life of his flock, believing this was key to helping Christians remain in their homeland. He also invested heavily in ecumenical relations, having partnered with the Greek Orthodox Church in Syria to build the Church of Unity, shared by Melkites and Orthodox Christians.

Archbishop Jeanbart never ceased speaking publicly about the suffering of Syria’s Christians. During the Syrian civil war, Archbishop Jeanbart became one of the strongest advocates for the survival of Christianity in Syria, repeatedly warning against the disappearance of ancient Christian communities from the Middle East.

When the war in Syria began, he refused to leave Aleppo, despite the constant danger. When a church building was struck by a missile in 2016, he wrote to ACN, expressing his gratitude for the fact that none of the youth or priests had been hurt. “The next day, when a great crowd had gathered for Sunday Mass, I was at a loss for words, but I called on the faithful to join me in a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord, who, once again, had seen fit to protect us. It was a good occasion to remind Christians that they are not alone and that our Good Shepherd is always there, very close to us, and that He never leaves us orphaned or without help.”

“Looking back on the course of events of the past five years of this merciless war, we cannot fail to see His saving actions among us. This terrible, hellish war would have completely destroyed us or driven us to despair and madness, had it not been for His tender care. Without His providential protection, the incessant bombings we have endured would have annihilated us a long time ago,” the archbishop concluded.

“Unfortunately, Archbishop Jeanbart did not live to see the full return of peace and stability to his country. We can only hope that he may now intercede so that the peace of Christ may bless Syria and the entire Middle East,” Regina Lynch said.

Edited from https://acn-canada.org/acn-mourns-syrian-archbishop-who-never-abandoned-his-flock/