The John Paul II Vatican Foundation has awarded the Premio San Giovanni Paolo II to Mons. Jacques MOURAD, Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Hama, and Nabk. The Jury, chaired by Cardinal Kurt Koch, recognized in him „an extraordinary testimony of faith and Christian love, a tireless commitment to inter-religious dialogue and the building of peace”. The award ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 18, at the Vatican.

Born in Aleppo in 1968, educated in Lebanon and ordained a priest in 1993, Father Jacques MOURAD has dedicated his life to serving the Church and promoting Christian-Islamic dialogue, inspired by the spirituality of the Deir Mar Musa Monastery and the work of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio. For years he was responsible for the Monastery of Mar Elian and served as a parish priest in Al-Qaryatayn, centering his mission on prayer, work, and hospitality. In 2015, he was kidnapped by jihadists, imprisoned, and subjected to torture and pressure to renounce his faith. He survived thanks to the courage of Muslim friends who facilitated his release. Even in these extreme conditions, with gentleness and firmness, he was able to inspire hope among the faithful, earning the respect of even his persecutors. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Hama, and Nabk, entrusting him with accompanying small Christian minority communities in a context marked by conflict, supporting dialogue and reconciliation for a peaceful Syria.

With this recognition, the John Paul II Vatican Foundation seeks to honor the witness of a man who, forged by suffering, transformed his experience of persecution into a message of hope and peace. „Only love will prevail over evil” wrote Mons. Jacques MOURAD in his book A Monk in Captivity (2019) — words that today resonate as a summary of his journey of faith.

Premio San Giovanni Paolo II, established to „promote knowledge of the thought and work of John Paul II and his influence on the life of the Church and society,” was first awarded in 2024 to the John Paul II Justice and Peace Center in Kampala, Uganda. The choice of Mons. Jacques MOURAD this year draws attention to the difficult condition of Christians in Syria and the Middle East, reaffirming the relevance of John Paul II’s call in Assisi in 1986: religions can and must contribute to building lasting peace, founded on the moral and spiritual strength of life.