A Franciscan who ministers in Damascus expressed cautious optimism about Syria’s future as the nation held its first parliamentary elections since the fall of the Assad regime in December.
“There is much hope because all Syrians, inside and outside Syria, want the country to move forward, to take a step toward rebirth, development, and reconstruction,” he told Vatican News. “The question is how truly representative the new Parliament is of all Syrians, of all constituencies, of all minorities.”
“There were many Christian candidates, but very few won,” he continued. “The president, however, can now remedy this situation by appointing members of the minorities.” (The nation’s president—an Islamist militant whose labor minister is a Catholic woman—will appoint one-third of the lawmakers.)