The Pope’s ambassador to Syria made an urgent appeal to the international community to lift the sanctions against the country in order to facilitate reconstruction.

In an interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Mario Zenari said that “a problem that has caused so much suffering has been solved. The decisive factor is that it happened without bloodshed”.

“In the first few hours, the rebels sought dialogue with the bishops in Aleppo and promised respect for religious diversity,” said the Apostolic Nuncio, who has been working in Syria since 2008.

“We hope that these promises will be honoured and that the international community will support the peaceful transition.”

According to estimates by religious experts, the proportion of Christians in Syria has recently fallen to less than 2% Before the start of the civil war in 2011, it was still 6%. Many Christians have left the country as a result of the ongoing violence.