Born in Syria and now leading the Archdiocese of Homs, Archbishop Julian Yacoub Mourad is the 2025 recipient of the John Paul II Award. His life has been marked by profound courage, enduring suffering, and steadfast faith. After being held captive by ISIS, his survival has become a powerful testimony to hope and resilience. Following the award ceremony at the Vatican, Archbishop Mourad spoke with EWTN about his intense experience, the complex challenges facing Christians in the Middle East today, and what the John Paul II Award means to him and for his community.
He began by saying,
“On a personal level, it encourages me deeply. It helps me realize how significant the work we are doing is, and that we must continue in it, in the path of dialogue, initiative, and taking responsibility in society during this time. And also, regarding relations with Muslims and the importance of dialogue, this is something essential and urgent. I feel that this award encourages Syrians, and especially Syrian Christians, to recognize the importance of the Church’s mission in proclaiming Christ’s love to Muslims and in respecting others as others, regardless of personal attitudes.”
What is the greatest challenge, Your Excellency, that you are currently facing regarding Christian–Muslim dialogue in Syria and the broader Middle East?
“There is a serious challenge, not an easy one, because there is a clear position from some official Muslim authorities, and I’m referring here to the muftis, the sheikhs, and the official religious institutions, who are not opening the door for meeting and dialogue with other components of society, including Christians and others.
“They consider, as the message we received conveys, that the Sunnis are the true and only religion, the religion of the state, and that everyone else are merely guests.
“I believe that this challenge is also a school for us, a test, because it helps us, first of all, to hold firmly to our position and to continue taking initiatives.
“We must not stop, because we must understand that the love of Christ must reach everyone.”
You were held captive for five months by ISIS. Could you share with us a moment or a specific incident from that experience that deeply affected your spiritual outlook and your future mission after that ordeal?
“I especially like to speak about the encounter that took place on the eighth day, when the governor of Raqqa came to see me in the bathroom where I was being held.
“When he entered, he was accompanied by four men, and one of them was masked, dressed completely in black, with only his eyes visible. As soon as I saw him, I thought to myself, this is the man who has come to cut off my head. It was just before sunset. But the surprise was that as soon as he entered, he said, ‘Peace be upon you.’
“We then spent some time in conversation, exchanging thoughts and questions.
“I asked him, ‘Sheikh, why am I here as a prisoner? What wrong have I done to deserve this fate?” His first answer was, “In war, there are always victims.’
“That answer stunned me. I felt crushed, a wave of despair, as though my end had come, that there was no more hope of returning to life. But then he was silent for a few seconds, and afterward he said: ‘Consider this time, these months, as a khalwa, a spiritual retreat.’
“And as he said those words, I suddenly felt a profound inner peace unlike anything I had ever known.
“From that day on, that prison, that small bathroom, became like a hermitage for me.”
Your Excellency Archbishop Jacques Mourad, Archbishop of Homs for the Syriac Catholics, thank you for being with us.
“Thank you for the opportunity that allows us to share our message through the media. May God bless you.”
Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Alexey Gotovsky; Camera by Alberto Basile, Fabio Gonnella; Video Edited by Andrea Manna
