PHILIPPINES - "Fears are growing in the local Christian communities.""In some areas of Mindanao we are experiencing exactly the same thing as is happening in Iraq.” These startling words are those of Father Sebastiano D’Ambra, an Italian missionary of the PIME congregation who has spent nearly 50 years in the Philippines. [...]

Life under attack in Aleppo - Extract from a letter sent by Fr Ibrahim Two missiles on Ram.8Dear friends,I try to tell you what is happening here in Aleppo, since the army’s offensive to take back the city began. On the night between the 3rd and the 4th of February, [...]

Pope Francis invited all Mexicans to be a church that is the voice and hope for building a different world of opportunity for all.During his visit Pope Francis made several important declarations on topics that were relevant not only to the Mexican people but the entire world.The environmental challenge“We have [...]

Pope uses trendy messaging app “Telegram” to broadcast Lent messages  The Vatican has announced that the Pope and other clergy would be using the controversial messaging app Telegram to broadcast recordings of Gospel readings and commentary during Lent.  Vatican broadcasters have ditched WhatsApp, the platform that was used last year, in [...]

Muslim leaders declare support for religious minorities in Islamic countries  At a recent conference in Marrakech, a large international group of Muslim leaders adopted a Declaration defending the rights of religious minorities in predominantly Muslim countries.The Marrakech Declaration of 2016 is based on the Medina Charter, a constitutional contract between the [...]

Israel's wall in the Cremisan Valley: the hopes of the Christians of Beit Jala have again diminished The hopes of the Christians of Beit Jala, a neighbouring town to Bethlehem, have again diminished. Israel's Supreme Court has now dismissed their lawyers' most recent petitions. The aim was to force the Israeli [...]

SUDAN - Another two Christian pastors have been arrested without charges Rev. Rata and Rev. Taour have been arrested and are being held against their will in an undisclosed location by Sudan's NISS (National Intelligence and Security Service) agents.  As no one has been able to communicate with them since their arrest, [...]

LEBANON - Help to care for Iraqi refugees in the country Lebanon faces huge challenges at the present time. This small country of just 4.5 million people has had to find space for no fewer than 1.1 million refugees. In fact this number includes only those refugees officially registered by the international [...]

CAR - Latest elections offer hope for peace and end to religious strife After several delays, the citizens of the Central African Republic  finished voting last Sunday to elect a new democratic leadership. Two years ago the Central African Republic, which has a long record of instability, was pitched into the worst [...]

“If we hate ISIS, then they have won” Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Franciscan brothers of the Custody of the Holy Land , in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need stated that Europe must help Middle Eastern Christians remain in the region. He believes that the war in [...]