A Catholic Archbishop in Syria who was kidnapped and tortured by the Islamic State but still speaks in favour of inter-faith dialogue and harmony has been awarded the St. John Paul II Award at a special ceremony at the Vatican.

Archbishop Jacques Mourad, Metropolitan of Homs in Syria, was kidnapped by ISIS in 2015 and held by the terrorist group for five months. During his time in captivity, Mourad was tortured and subjected to a mock execution, Vatican News reports.

Despite intense pressure from his captors, Mourad never renounced his faith in Christ. After being released, he spoke tirelessly in favour of reconciliation in a country that has been torn apart by sectarian violence for over a decade.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad late last year, the new government has struggled to keep the peace between the country’s numerous religious and ethnic groups.

In March, hundreds of Alawites were massacred by an armed group. In July, fighting broke out between the Druze and Bedouins in Suwayda, and earlier this month, fighting broke out between government forces and Kurds in Aleppo, following the first parliamentary elections since the takeover of power.

Mourad was presented with the award at the Royal Hall of the Apostolic Palace. He said, “Today, especially in Syria, Christians and Muslims alike are called to recognize and nurture the bonds that unite us.

“All our religious traditions uphold the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person. Together with all people of goodwill, 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.”

Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and chair of the award committee, said during the ceremony: “In the second edition of this award, we honour 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.”

This article was originally published at Christian Today 

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