Father Werenfried van Straaten, 1996 Dear friend! No sooner had Jesus outshone the world with the splendor of his deity on Christmas night, does the merry-go-round of the church year set in motion again. On January 1, the church celebrates the feast of the Blessed Mother. And then comes the [...]
Despite her 88 years, Sister Halina does not just sit around twiddling her thumbs. She has surely earned the right to do so, after a long life of daily service on behalf of the poor. And yet she continues to this day, tirelessly visiting the sick and sewing quilts and [...]
What a sharp contrast! In the last few days, we celebrated the joyous birth of the Saviour of the world. Today, we stand by as witnesses to the blood of the Holy Innocents who were slaughtered at the orders of King Herod, in the hope that by killing every born in [...]
NIGERIA – Attacks by Fulani tribesman are a forgotten and overlooked tragedy Christians in northern Nigeria, in addition to suffering attacks by the terrorist Boko Haram group, are also facing a terrible situation as a result of the bloody attacks by Fulani herders against Christian villages in Nigeria’s so-called Middle [...]
AFTER 11 YEARS OF EFFORT: new local priest ordained in the Solomon Islands On Dec. 8, 2018, the Diocese of Gizo—located at the furthest corner of the world in the center of the South Pacific—celebrated with great joy the ordination of Deacon Thomas Patavolomo in his home community of Voru [...]
Iraq: Christian leaders call for more support for the Christians of Nineveh “Please do not be a silent bystander to our drama. We call on you to support the Christians of Iraq… while there is still time.” This was the urgent appeal underlying the joint Call for Action signed by [...]
PEACE IS ON EVERYONE'S WISH LIST How Christians in need celebrate Christmas “Christmas is the celebration of the longing for our better self, for the heaven we search for in vain here on Earth, and for the carefree life that exists only in heaven,” Father Werenfried van Straaten [...]
PAKISTAN: THE CHURCH IS LEADING IN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE The President of the Pakistani Bishops’ Conference insists that interfaith dialogue is vital for peace in his country Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Islamabad-Rawalpindi is the President of the Episcopal Conference of Pakistan. But his extensive responsibilities do not prevent him from being [...]
PARIS CONFERENCE: A VOICE FOR MIDDLE EASTERN CHRISTIANS "(This day) is an important moment, a turning point in the solidarity manifested between the religions and the determination to fight the extremists” These were the opening words of Patrick Karam, President of the Coordination of Eastern Christians in Danger (CREDO) when [...]
HOW IS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATED AROUND THE WORLD? The world they say is a global village and it's important not to get locked up in our own little corner and forget that we belong to a larger human family. From time to time, we need to think about other members of [...]
