Amid the ongoing Israeli-Hamas war, a top Catholic leader in the Middle East said he would be willing to trade places with Israeli children who have been among those taken hostage by Hamas terrorists.
Israel
Israeli Families Missing Loved Ones Wait for Proof of Life; Patriarch Appeals for Prayer, Fasting
By Judith Sudilovsky JERUSALEM (OSV News) — Just before the children in her kindergarten class went on vacation for the Jewish Sukkot festival, Romina Shvalb, 42, a kindergarten teacher in the quiet Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz near the Gaza border, had baked challah — the braided sweet bread Jews traditionally eat on the Sabbath […]
Catholic Colleges, Universities Condemn Hamas Attacks on Israel, Pray for Peace
Catholic colleges and universities throughout the U.S. have condemned a devastating attack on Israel, while calling for prayers for peace.
Some Diocesan Schools Go to Remote Learning on Oct. 13
The war in Israel is being felt here at home. Concerned about the possibility of protest demonstrations on Friday, Oct. 13, and the possibility of erupting violence, the Diocese of Brooklyn allowed Catholic academies the chance to decide to conduct classes remotely that day.
U.S. Bishops Call for a ‘Cessation of Violence’ in Middle East as Biden Backs Israel
After an attack on Israel by Hamas and subsequent retaliation by Israel that has left more than more than 1,300 people dead and thousands more injured, the U.S. bishops’ conference has called for a cessation of violence from all sides, and for Catholics in the U.S. to pray for peace.
Gaza Strip Catholic Priest Brings Comfort to Traumatized Community, With Special Focus on Young People
Even before the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad had been called on the evening of May 13 after five days of fighting, Father Gabriel Romanelli of Gaza Holy Family Parish was already tentatively going over travel details for a trip to Egypt with some of the Catholic Scouts youth leaders, which had been long in the making.
Interfaith Leaders March For Peace In Jerusalem As Spiral of Violence In Israel, Gaza Erupts
Faith leaders and activists for coexistence from across Israel gathered in prayer in front of the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem May 10, in a week that once again saw yet another increase in violence between Israel and the Palestinians.
Holy Land Spirals Into Violence Amid Celebrations of Passover, Easter and Ramadan
A British-Israeli mother and her two daughters were killed in a drive-by-shooting terrorist attack in the Jordan valley on April 7, during a week that, instead of seeing the holidays of Passover, Easter and Ramadan celebrated in parallel peacefully, spiraled the region into violence.
Holy Land Patriarchs in Easter Message Place ‘Ultimate Hope Only God’ Amid Increasing Attacks on Christian Sites
Just as early Christians were sustained by the words of St. Peter describing Jesus’ resurrection as offering a “new birth into a living hope,” so too should the Christians of the Holy Land today be encouraged and empowered by this knowledge as they face tumultuous times, when their own faith continues to be tested, said the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in their March 31 Easter message.
Church Leaders in Jerusalem Call for Calm Amid Fresh Wave of Violence
With rising tensions between Israelis and Palestinians reaching new heights over the past week amid a spate of fresh killings, Church leaders in the West Bank have condemned the violence and called for a lasting resolution that respects international law.