The service was held amid tight security due to concerns of violence against Christian sites, with several pickup cars belonging to the now ruling Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) parked around the church.
Hours before the service, hundreds of protesters in Damascus had gathered to denounce an incident in which a Christmas tree was burned in the northern countryside of Hama governorate in western-central Syria.
Protester Laila Farkouh said: “We are protesting to demand our rights and denounce... The burning of the Christmas tree, and attacks on churches.. We do not accept this.”
Although himself a former leader of the Sunni Muslim Islamist group, which sees Christians as infidels, Sharaa has quickly shed his jihadist uniform and switched to business suits in recent appearances.
But many Christians have yet to be convinced.
On Dec. 18 unidentified gunmen opened fire at a Greek Orthodox church in the city of Hama, entering the compound and attempting to destroy a cross, and smashing headstones in a cemetery, the church said in a statement.
In a separate incident, Reuters reporters saw several SUVs driving through Bab Touma, a predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Damascus, blasting out jihadist songs from their speakers.
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