AMSTERDAM — Seven years ago, Rony, 24, felt a bit scared when he attended his first church service by Dutch Jesuit priest Frans van der Lugt in Homs. As a young gay man who struggled to come to terms with his sexuality, he didn’t feel accepted by Syrian society. But after the service, Father Frans assured Rony that he was always welcome.

“'You don’t have to be ashamed,' he said, 'because God accepts all people.' A few years later, he even met my boyfriend," Rony, who doesn’t want his last name to be published, told Al-Monitor.

Over the years, the Dutch priest became like a real father to him, Rony explained. Father Frans even negotiated with the government of President Bashar al-Assad when his boyfriend was captured by regime forces. In July 2012, Rony and his partner fled to the Netherlands, but they always kept in contact with Father Frans. In March 2014, Rony called him for the last time. Talking about it, he burst into tears.

“There was no food, no aid, no medicine in Homs. Father Frans sounded sad and angry — angry because people were suffering, and angry because he saw people getting desperate," said Rony.