“In 2016, 12 days after the liberation of Aleppo, we decided to celebrate Christmas in the cathedral in its bad condition at the time,” said Maronite Catholic Bishop Joseph Tobji. “We decided to send a message of hope that the Son of God was incarnate and He is still with us, accompanying us in our sorrows and pains—and carrying them with us, so that they transform into a life of hope, faith, love, a life of holiness.”