“Interreligious and intercultural dialogue are not optional but a vital necessity of our times, especially for our war-torn country, Syria,” said Syriac Catholic Archbishop Jacques Mourad of Homs, as he received the St. John Paul II Award in the Royal Hall of the Apostolic Palace.
Kidnapped in 2015 by Islamic State terrorists and tortured in a bid to make him renounce his faith, even subjected to a staged execution, then-Father Mourad endured five months of captivity without denying Christ.
Following his release, he was named archbishop of Homs and became a tireless advocate for reconciliation.
On 18 October, he received the St. John Paul II Award, presented by Fr. Pawel Ptasznik, president of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation. The award was established to promote understanding of St. John Paul II’s thought and legacy and his influence on the life of the church.
“In the second edition of this award, we honor Archbishop Jacques Mourad in recognition of his lifetime of service, his witness of faith, Christian love, interreligious dialogue, and his dedication to peace and reconciliation,” said Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and chair of the award committee, during the official ceremony.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Cardinal Mario Zenari, apostolic nuncio to Syria; Cardinal James Harvey, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls; former Polish Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka; and several ambassadors, clergy, and distinguished guests.
Cardinal Koch thanked Archbishop Mourad for his faithful witness and recalled the words of St. John Paul II, who encouraged ecumenical dialogue and urged the church to “breathe with two lungs” — Eastern and Western — an ideal that continues to guide the work of the award’s laureate.
Professor Andrea Riccardi also highlighted this aspect of Archbishop Mourad’s life in his speech, which presented the laureate’s achievements. He concluded that Archbishop Mourad’s desire to “live together among diversity as brothers” should serve as a universal message.
The archbishop reinforced this message in his acceptance speech.
“This award is an acknowledgment by the Catholic Church of the spiritual, social and intellectual work carried out by the church in Syria across all its structures. It is a church that has waged a noble struggle throughout these difficult years,” he said.
Archbishop Mourad expressed gratitude to the youth and religious sisters supporting the church’s mission in Syria, emphasizing that the award is, in essence, a recognition of the church in Syria. He stressed its importance for ecumenical relations and interreligious dialogue.
“Today, especially in Syria, Christians and Muslims alike are called to recognize and nurture the bonds that unite us,” he said. “All our religious traditions uphold the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person. Together with all people of good will, we seek peace. Therefore, I say with emphasis: theological research, interreligious and intercultural dialogue are not optional — they are a vital necessity of our times, particularly for our country, Syria, torn by war.”
He noted that Syria, after years of suffering, is moving toward genuine change, yet it still needs solidarity and support to advance powerfully toward reconciliation and democracy.
“We are a people of faith, and therefore a people of hope — this is our testimony to the world. We hope that our perseverance in hope will become a call for renewed international commitment to finding ways to build true peace,” he emphasized.
Archbishop Mourad thanked the Catholic Church, in the person of Pope Leo XIV, and the John Paul II Foundation for their engagement and encouragement of initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue and building lasting peace.
“I dedicate this award first and foremost to Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, a pioneer of the path and mission of renewed dialogue in Syria, based on the teachings of the Catholic Church — the message of Christ’s love toward Muslims,” he added.
“I also offer it to my monastic community at Mar Musa, which, since its foundation in 1982, has remained committed to ‘holy hospitality,’ welcoming all, and especially Muslims, in the name of Christ,” he said. “The community regularly organizes meetings and symposia on theological, humanitarian and cultural dialogue, aimed at building bridges of understanding and reigniting the flame of faith among believers.”