“Please be our voice to your policymakers and media!” – appeal from Patriarch Younan III His Beatitude Ignatius Younan III, Patriarch of the Syriac Catholics worldwide, addressed a group of 30 representatives of European NGOs gathered to hear about the situation of Christians in Syria and Iraq after the departure of Daesh. Having closely...
European Parliament holds the first ever Public Hearing on Persecuted Christians Aid to the Church in Need invited to present its recently published report “Persecuted and Forgotten?” and comment on possible solutions As “Red Wednesday” was being observed in many countries around the world commemorating the sacrifice of the martyrs of their faith, the European...
EGYPT Catholic leader says government needs to fight fundamentalism Egypt is struggling to cope with increasing violence and fundamentalism, but the government is taking steps to change the culture, according to Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, the head of the Coptic Catholic Church. The Patriarch said that following Islamic extremist attacks on Christian churches, the Egyptian...
LEBANON Christians have a vital role in the Middle East peace process Maronite Catholic bishop calls on Western governments to recognize the vital role of Christians in bringing peace to the Middle East. Every third person is by now a refugee in Lebanon, the majority of them being Moslems. Absorbing a large number of Sunnis,...
BURUNDI “Christianity is a religion of witnesses” Since April of 2015 and since President Pierre Nkurunziza declared himself willing to run for a third term of office, Burundi has been experiencing a severe political crisis that has claimed the lives of hundreds and caused the exile of thousands of people. The Conference of Catholic...
“Christian-Muslim Relations Vital” – Interview with Bishop Michel Aoun On Oct. 13, 2017, following Pope Francis’ meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Rafic Harir, the Holy See Press Office released a statement, saying the two leaders agreed on “the value of collaboration between Christians and Muslims to promote peace and justice, taking into consideration the...
Pope’s address to government and diplomats APOSTOLIC VISIT OF POPE FRANCIS TO MYANMAR Address of the Holy Father to Government authorities, civil societies and the Diplomatic Corps Myanmar International Convention Centre Nay Pyi Taw, Tuesday 28 November 2017 Madam State Counsellor, Honorable Government and other Authorities, Your Eminence, My Brother...
MYANMAR Highlights of the Apostolic Visit Pope Francis landed in Yangon on 27 Nov for the first phase of his third tour of Asia, to Myanmar and Bangladesh. He visited two cities in Myanmar before moving on to Dhaka in Bangladesh, where he stayed till 2 Dec. Pope Francis said his aim in coming to...
CZECH REPUBLIC A year of national pilgrimages to mark the 100th Fatima anniversary In the Czech Republic, the most atheistic country in Europe, the Catholic Church felt it important to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions with its own special all-year-round nationwide pilgrimages. The pilgrims in Fatima who arrived early on 13 September at...
