Anti-Christian persecution is on the rise, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report.
Middle East
Iraqi Priest Doubles Down on Christianity’s Survival in the Middle East
Ever since the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS), there’s been rising alarm regarding the future for Christians in the Middle East. A Catholic priest who recently returned to his village in northern Iraq after six years in Rome described what he found as “shocking,” but doubled down on the need for Christians to survive.
Analysis: Explaining the Vatican’s Silence on the ‘Abraham Accords’
From the “dog that didn’t bark” files, it seems highly curious at first blush that a major peace accord for the Middle East was signed at the White House – with an explicitly religious reference in the title, no less – and, so far, the Vatican has had absolutely nothing to say about it.
Israel Signs Diplomatic Pacts With Two Arab States at White House
On Sept. 15 at the White House, Israel signed diplomatic pacts to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While specific details of the pacts are not yet public, the three countries will open embassies and establish economic ties including tourism, technology, and energy.
Model of Humanitarian Aid for Persecuted Christians Must Change, Experts Say
Advocates for Christians in the Middle East are calling for an overhaul of the way humanitarian aid is distributed by western governments and international agencies to those on the frontlines of persecution.
Bari Trip Gives Pope a Chance to Help Save Christianity in the Middle East
During the Roman Empire, the entire Mediterranean region was known as Mare Nostrum,“Our Sea.” It was an imperial assertion of dominance, of course, but it also reflected the idea that the peoples of the Mediterranean are linked by geography and destiny, sharing a common fate.
‘Peace Light’ From Bethlehem Arrives at JFK
Called the Peace Light, the candle traveled thousands of miles from Bethlehem via Austria for an arrival ceremony at Our Lady of the Skies Chapel in Terminal 4.
Young Melkite Catholics Find Hope at Gathering
Full of zeal for their faith, 920 Melkite Catholic young adults from the Middle East gathered in Lebanon for the first conference especially for them.
Despite New Law, Some Churches in Egypt Forced to Close
More than 1,100 Christian churches in Egypt that had been built without approval before have been made legal during the past three years, but at least 22 churches have been shut down because of security reasons.
Iraq Could be Francis’s Shot at ‘Most Important Papal Trip of All Time’
Within just the last few days, two senior Catholic prelates from Iraq have referred to plans for Pope Francis to visit the country next year as, essentially, a done deal.