EGYPT - Copts flee Sinai after deadly IS attacks Several hundred Coptic Christians have fled their homes in North Sinai province where they have lived for generations following a series of murders in recent weeks by suspected Islamist militants. Since the end of January at least seven Christians have been attacked and [...]
Pope speaks out about the tragedy of child soldiers in Africa Pope Frances was moved by the plight of thousands of young children who are still being taken from their homes in many parts of Africa and forced to fight. “Unfortunately, news continues to reach us of violent and brutal clashes [...]
SUDAN - Czech missionary freed following international petition Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has just ordered the pardon and release of Petr Jašek, a Czech missionary who had been detained in a Sudanese prison since December 2015.Jašek's release was announced last Sunday at a joint press conference in Khartoum between Sudanese foreign [...]
PAKISTAN - Christians shocked and worried after latest terrorist bombings Terrorist attacks have resumed with a vengeance after two years of reduced violence following a military operation initiated in June 2014. Islamic State and groups allied to it claimed responsibility for six horrific suicide bomb attacks last week which killed nearly 100 [...]
SUDAN – Missionary sentenced to 20 years in prison A court in Khartoum, capital of Sudan has sentenced Petr Jasek, a Czech humanitarian worker and missionary, to 20 years in prison. The court found him guilty of crimes including espionage and inciting hatred.Jasek was originally facing the death penalty but his [...]
INDIA - Christian convert killed for refusing to renounce Christ Pope Francis himself recently declared that there are now more martyrs than in the first centuries. One of them is the Indian Christian Bartu Urawan, who preferred to endure torture that led to his death rather than renounce his faith. This is [...]
UN to set up new unit for prosecutions of war crimes in Syria UN officials have announced that a new unit is being set up by the United Nations in Geneva to prepare prosecutions of war crimes committed in Syria. This is the first major policy announcement under UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who [...]
MIDDLE EAST - Christians divided over ‘safe zones’ for refugees Christian humanitarian and aid groups are divided over whether the policy of creating Safe Zones for refugees in the Middle East will work. “Safe Zones” would be areas set up in the war-torn countries for civilians displaced by the conflict to [...]
Pope Francis speaks out for rights of indigenous people Pope Francis met with representatives of indigenous peoples who were in Rome for the Third Indigenous Peoples’ Forum. The Forum was organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, which is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its foundation this year. The aim [...]
SOUTH SUDAN Famine declared - Pope and UN appeal for emergency aid Years of civil war, a refugee crisis and a collapsing economy have taken their toll on South Sudan, which only gained its independence in 2011. Since early 2017, parts of South Sudan have been experiencing a famine following several years [...]