MIDDLE EAST – Pope’s envoy says peace stifled by lack of ‘political will’   Archbishop Alberto Ortega, the Pope’s Apostolic Nuncio in Iraq and Jordan, stated that in order for current conflicts destroying much of the Middle East to come to an end, “there is first of all the political will …. If the international...

IRAQ – Could Turkey hinder the return of displaced Christians?   When ISIS invaded Mosul in summer 2014, up to 200,000 Iraqi Christians fled the city and nearby towns in the Plains of Nineveh. Now that Mosul is about to be recaptured from IS,  Christians who lost everything in 2014 fear they may not be  able to return...

Pope’s Sweden visit strengthens ties with Lutherans   Before his visit to Sweden, Pope Francis had urged Lutherans to set aside doctrinal differences and work with Catholics to care for the poor, the sick and refugees as he laid out his vision for greater communion. Francis was addressing 1,000 Lutherans from Germany who were visiting...

MALAWI – Year of Mercy – Politicians unite to help orphanage   The Mother Teresa Children’s House, an orphanage based in Kawale near the capital city of Lilongwe, has  benefitted from the effects of the Year of Mercy. Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity who run the orphanage were given food donations by Malawi’s Catholic members...

ETHIOPIA – Religious leaders call for peace after recent violence     After witnessing the violence which occurred as a result of on-going protests, religious leaders in Ethiopia have joined together to plead for peace. A joint statement issued by the Inter-religious Council of Ethiopia said: “We the religious leaders of Ethiopia firmly believe that peace...

ALBANIA – 38 martyrs murdered during the communist dictatorship beatified   Bishop Massafra of Shkodër: “They were tortured to death. They always remained loyal to Christ and the church” During the 40 years of communist dictatorship in Albania, praying, making the sign of the cross, wearing a cross around the neck or just believing were punishable...

SYRIA – United Nations: Violations constitute war crimes   Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, declared that the siege and bombardment of eastern Aleppo in Syria constitute crimes of historic proportions. He said the relentless bombardment of the ancient city of Aleppo has turned it into a slaughterhouse. Over 300,000 Syrians have been...

ISRAEL – Basilica of the Transfiguration vandalised in latest attack on Christians   The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has condemned the recent acts of vandalism against the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor in the Holy Land. Vandals entered the church and stole a chalice “after removing all the hosts that were dropped on the...

SWEDEN – Highlights of Pope’s visit to promote Christian unity   Although the formal occasion for the Pope’s visit to largely Lutheran Sweden was to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the theme and underlying reason for the trip was to promote ecumenism and unity among Christians. Before setting off, the Pope tweeted on...

IRAQ – “The Virgin saved us” – Christian students hid from IS under the bed   Christian students who  fled from Kirkuk (Iraq) when it was recently attacked by Islamic State militants relate the moving  details of their escape. One said “Every night during the past year I had nightmares about the possibility that Islamic State...