Iraqi Catholic Leader Calls Pope Francis’ Trip a ‘Miracle’

Although the impact of papal trips is often hard to assess in the immediate aftermath, such cautions mean little to the leader of Iraq’s local Catholic church, who quickly proclaimed Pope Francis’s March 5-8 visit to his nation a “miracle” on Sunday.

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.

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.