MYANMAR ‘Textbook ethnic cleansing… and the world simply stands idly by”   Pope Francis is due to visit Myanmar in late November this year. Hopefully, his visit will help the country’s political leader Aung San Suu Kyi—who made such sacrifices for the cause of democracy—do more to help Myanmar’s embattled Muslim community. For many Rohingya,...

ALBANIA Consecration of world’s first cathedral dedicated to Mother Teresa   Twenty years after the death of St. Teresa of Calcutta thousands of Christians and Muslims came together to celebrate the consecration of the Roman Catholic Co-cathedral in Pristina. St. Teresa Cathedral is the only one in the world dedicated to the Albanian saint. The...

  IRAQ Church leaders worried about the consequences for Christians after Kurdish referendum   Since the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly in favour of separation from Iraq last week, tension has been increasing in Iraq. The referendum decision will initiate a process of negotiation between Iraq and Kurdistan, which Kurdish leaders say...

NIGERIA Bishops demand compensation and help for Boko Haram victims Bishops in north-west Nigeria are demanding compensation from the government for property destroyed by Islamic militants. Mgr Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna, has accused the Nigerian government of not helping the Christian victims of Boko Haram. He said: “In the past six years, insurgents...

MYANMAR “Healing the Country, Moving Forward  in Peace” – statement by cardinal Bo   Dear Fellow Citizens and International Community,  Greetings.  The recent sad tragic events in our country affecting thousands of  Muslims, Rakhines and Hindus and others have brought the concerned attention of the world.  The trigger to violence and the aggressive response are...

HOLY LAND Church of Saint Stephen desecrated   The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has condemned the desecration of the Church of St. Stephen by unknown perpetrators. The church is located within the convent of Bet Jemal in western Jerusalem.The patriarch said that on September 20, rioters had broken open the doors of the church and...

“Back to the Roots” –  ACN’s Iraq reconstruction project officially launched at Rome conference   “Facilitate the return and guarantee the protection”. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin calls for the respect of the rights of Christians in Iraq. The Cardinal was speaking at a conference organised by the Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church...

Rosary for Peace and Unity   A million children around the world, including Maltese and Gozitan children, will pray the Rosary on Wednesday, 18 October 2017   Once again the international Pontifical charity foundation, Aid to Church in Need (ACN), is inviting all Maltese children to join children from all over the world in this...