Knights' donations, volunteer hours and members keep growing, CEO says
BALTIMORE – In an opening address Aug. 7 at the 136th annual Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention, the organizations' CEO, Carl Anderson, spoke of the charitable works of the Knights, their ongoing pro-life commitment and pledge to support persecuted Christians in Iraq and Syria.
Carmelite nuns in Aleppo live in 'heroic situation', provincial says
BEIRUT – Amid the destruction in war-torn Syria, a community of Discalced Carmelites in Aleppo perseveres in its mission of continuous prayer and help to families in need.
Learn from the past to bring peaceful future to Middle East, pope says
VATICAN CITY -- As war continues to threaten the land of Jesus' birth and to undermine the existence of Christian communities there, the international community must learn from the errors of the past and do more to bring lasting peace to the Middle East, Pope Francis said.
Religions, governments must work for religious 'harmony', speakers say
ROME – Promoting and protecting religious freedom is a shared priority of the United States and the Vatican, said Callista Gingrich, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See.
Bishops, clergy in Middle East must not fall into sin of opulence, Pope says
VATICAN – Although the sin of war committed by nations has caused great suffering to Christians in the Middle East, the Catholic Church must bear in mind its own sins, Pope Francis said.
Editorial: Assault on dignity
They are desperate, poor and usually forgotten until violence erupts and the world takes note of them burying their dead.
Gazans more desperate than ever after border clashes, says CRS official
JERUSALEM – Already in a precarious state, Gaza's health system faces a medical emergency, with more than 1,000 people injured in the recent Gaza border demonstrations that flared up since March 30.
Pope expresses concern about 'spiral of violence' in Holy Land
VATICAN – Warning that violence will never bring peace, Pope Francis urged all sides to do all they can to foster dialogue in the Middle East.
Jerusalem archbishop calls for prayers for peace as violence increases
JERUSALEM – As the world witnesses "another outburst of hatred and violence, which is once again bleeding all over the Holy Land," the head of Jerusalem's Latin Patriarchate called for prayers for peace.
Cries for peace in Syria louder than ever
OTTAWA – Catholic aid agencies that help Syrian and Iraqi refugees say a recent escalation of conflict in Syria has increased despair and heightened the call for peace from Christian leaders.
Pope to host ecumenical prayer for peace in the Middle East
VATICAN – Pope Francis will travel to Bari, the southern Italian Adriatic port city, July 7 to host a day of reflection and ecumenical prayer for peace in the Middle East.
Christianity's holiest site caught in tax protest
JERUSALEM – Christian leaders in the Holy Land reopened the Church of the Holy Sepulcher Feb. 28 after the Israeli government set up a negotiating team to resolve a municipal dispute over property taxes.
Cardinal Collins pleads for aid to Christian refugees
At an ecumenical prayer service for peace in the Middle East, Cardinal Thomas Collins made his most direct appeal yet for the Canadian government to pay special attention to Christian refugees as it distributes aid in the region and accepts refugees for resettlement.
Cardinal hopes church's history of survival in Iraq will help its future
VATICAN CITY – To understand the current situation in Iraq – the evolving and complex conflicts there, and the fear and resilience of its Christians – one has to understand its past, which is often ignored or unknown in the West, said a former papal representative to the country.
Middle East tops list for D&P aid spending
For the first time, Development and Peace spent more than half its international budget for humanitarian aid in the Middle East, according to its annual report.