Pope and Russian Orthodox Head issue global appeal for protection of Middle East Christians Nearly 1,000 years after the split between Eastern and Western branches of Christianity in 1054, Pope Francis met Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill last Friday at an airport terminal in Cuba. This historic meeting was the first ever [...]
IRAQRetreat days for 1200 young Church volunteers Every year the Archdiocese of Erbil organises a series of retreat days for young people. They are aimed in particular at those young adults who for the whole year are profoundly engaged in the life of the parishes, for example in catechetical work, in [...]
Another 18 church crosses removed in Zhejiang province by state authorities last month Towards the end of 2013 Chinese authorities started a campaign to remove or demolish crosses from churches, ostensibly because they violated regulations against illegal structures. However, human rights groups declared that removal of crosses from churches is in [...]
The Vatican has released Pope Francis's Lent message on the theme of Mercy for 2016 “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13)The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee1.Mary, the image of a Church which evangelises because she is evangelisedIn the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee [...]
‘Teenagers can be radicalised by ISIS within a month,’ Cardinal Nichols warns teachers’ conference The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, warned delegates at the Secondary Leaders’ Conference of the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges about the dangers ISIS recruiters pose to vulnerable secondary school students. He stated that [...]
CUBA – Historic meetingRussia Orthodox head to join Pope in asking for end to Christian persecution The Vatican and the Moscow Patriarchate have both announced that Pope Francis will stop in Cuba on 12 Feb on his way to Mexico to meet with Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox church. [...]
International community urged to protect historic Christian sites from ISIS – priests speak out Last week The Associated Press confirmed that exclusive satellite images published early on January 20 showed that the ancient monastery of St Elijah on the outskirts of Mosul had been totally destroyed. ISIS militants had turned Iraq's [...]
More help needed from Europe to sustain Middle East Christians By Clare Creegan and John NewtonTHE head of the Middle East’s Franciscans said more help is needed to keep Christians in the region – as an international conference on Syria’s refugee crisis got underway in London.Speaking to Catholic charity Aid to [...]
Pope asks Protestants and Catholics to forgive each other for past persecution At a prayer service concluding the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis asked for God’s mercy upon divided Christians “We ask most of all for forgiveness for the sin of our divisions, which are an open [...]
UPDATE - voting decisionMEPs call for urgent action to protect religious minorities against ISIS MEPs urge the international community to take urgent action to counter the systematic mass murder of religious minorities by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Daesh, in a resolution voted on Thursday. The [...]
