The Greek Catholic Church of St George, a crucifix is pictured outside the Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on December 16, 2024, nearly one week since a lightning offensive spearheaded by rebels overthrew former president Bashar al-Assad, with the country's new rulers reassuring Syrias religious minorities. Assad, a member of Syrias Alawite minority, sought to present his government as a protector of secularism and the country's many confessions though government intolerance for dissent extended to all groups.//DEJAVU_SIPA.77161/Credit:Mohammad Haffar/Deja Vu/SIPA/2412171453