Maronite Bishop Gregory J. Mansour called on the bishops of the United States to bring wider attention to the persecution of Christians in the Middle East to their parishes and political leaders.
Middle East
Lebanese Cardinal: Peace Needs Justice, Repatriation
A permanent solution to the refugee crises in the Middle East requires lasting peace and the repatriation of refugees, not resettlement to third countries, said Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, on a pastoral visit to the U.S.
Patriarch Says World Has Lost Conscience
Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic patriarch, visiting war-torn Syria, condemned “the death of the world’s conscience” in its response to the violence in the Middle East.
Pope Says He Hopes to Travel to Middle East
By Francis X. Rocca VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis deplored the “abuses and inhuman acts” of Islamic State militants, and called on all religious leaders to condemn them “unanimously and unambiguously.” He also said he hoped to travel to the Middle East to comfort persecuted Christians there. The pope’s words appeared in a Christmas […]
Voice from Middle East Cries Out in Brooklyn
On the front page of last week’s edition, we reported about the mass religious persecution that is taking place in Iraq, especially in the city of Mosul, where Christians were told they would have to convert to Islam or pay a tax or get out of the country.
Books Offer Middle East Reality Check
by George Weigel The humanitarian and strategic disaster of Syria should focus Catholic minds on the hard fact that there is no easy or quick path to peace in the Middle East, a very dangerous part of the world where Christians of all persuasions are at daily risk of their lives. Two recently published books […]
A Step Toward Peace
The situation is still volatile. No one knows what unpredictable twists and turns events may take in the Middle East. For the moment, tensions have eased somewhat as the threat of an American-led military strike targeted at the Syrian regime is delayed. Political realities may be sinking in as the administration sees the case for […]
Day of Fast for Syria
U.S. Catholics are being encouraged to join a Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace in Syria, the Middle East and the World Sept. 7 as the U.S. government considers its role in the ongoing struggle in Syria. Pope Francis called the world’s Catholics to the day of fasting and prayer for peace. The statement […]
Syrian Christians Are Endangered Population
by Mary Sayad Syria was known as Antioch. Peter, the apostle, evangelized in Antioch. Christ’s believers and followers were first called Christians in Antioch or Syria. Currently Syria is under attack by rebellious citizens as well as mercenaries sent from countries in the Middle East. Some of the various opposition political groups are Hezbollah, Hamas, […]