Netherlands – Syriac Press, Sept. 16, 2026
More than 13 years after their kidnapping, the case of Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Mor Gregorios Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Archbishop Mar Boulos Yazigi, both serving Holeb (Aleppo) archdiocese, has returned to the highest levels of the Church in Rome, following a meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi. The fate of the two archbishops remains unknown, while authorities have yet to provide a definitive answer to one of the most mysterious kidnapping cases of the Syrian war.
Pope Leo XIV met Patriarch John X at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on 14 September. The two discussed the situation of Christians in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Lebanon, as well as political and social developments in the region and ways to support peace and stability.
The case of the two archbishops was also raised during the meeting. Yazigi and Ibrahim were kidnapped in Syria in April 2013, and their fate has never been conclusively established despite years of appeals and diplomatic, security, and Church efforts.
On the 13th anniversary of their kidnapping, the Greek (Rûm) Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch said the case had been raised through multiple diplomatic, security, political, and social channels without producing any tangible result. It also criticized the kidnappers’ continued silence and the failure of security efforts to uncover the fate of the two bishops.
The renewed discussion in the Vatican highlights questions that have remained unanswered for more than a decade: Who kidnapped the two archbishops, and why? Who has information about their fate, and why has that information not been disclosed?
The continued absence of an official account of the archbishops’ fate, more than 13 years later, has also placed pressure on local and international actors that have pledged to combat impunity and protect civilians and religious figures during wartime.
