Pope Leo to Eastern Catholics: the Church needs you.
Published courtesy of Vatican News 14 May 2025. Pope Leo XIV welcomes Eastern Catholics to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Eastern Churches, and highlights the need to preserve their traditions and pray for true peace, “which is reconciliation, forgiveness, and the courage to turn the page and start anew.” By Christopher Wells Pope Leo […]
Annual ROACO meeting in Rome 2024
Focus on war-afflicted countries On June 24 – 27, the 97th assembly of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches takes place in Rome with contributions and reports from the Holy Land and Ukraine. By Vatican News The 97th plenary assembly of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (Roaco) will […]
Pope thanks humanitarian arm of ROACO
Published courtesy of Vatican News 23 June 2023 Pope Francis expresses gratitude for the proactive solidarity and generosity of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches, the Holy See’s humanitarian arm for Eastern Churches, for its work to alleviate the suffering in war-torn Ukraine, Turkey and Syria, Holy Land, and across the world. […]
Pope Francis receives Iraqi Church leaders
Published courtesy of Vatican News 28 February 2022 Meeting a delegation of Iraqi Church religious leaders on Monday, Pope Francis encourages the local Christian communities to continue promoting dialogue so as to build fraternity and counteract extremism and fundamentalism. By Lisa Zengarini Pope Francis on Monday received in audience Representatives of the Christian Churches in […]
Impact of Taliban takeover
Iraqi Archbishop ‘concerned’ over local impact of Taliban’s Afghan takeover The Archbishop of Erbil expresses his concern over the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying the upcoming withdrawal of remaining US troops from Iraq could have a negative impact on Christians and other minorities in Iraq. Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil is concerned that […]
New Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia
Armenian Synod elects new Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia The Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church, meeting this week in Rome, has elected Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian as the 21st Catholicos-Patriarch. A ringing of bells in the patriarchal convent of Bzommar, Lebanon, announced the election of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics: His Beatitude Raphaël François […]
Lebanon church leaders plan ‘summit’ for recovery road map
13 JULY 2021, THE TABLET By Catherine Pepinster. Church leaders in Lebanon are planning to hold a summit with Muslim leaders about the future of the troubled nation, as part of a “road map” given to them by Pope Francis, according to Maronite patriarch Cardinal Béchara Rai. According to Cardinal Rai, the leaders were offered […]
Pope’s prayer for Lebanon: May we sink our roots in the dream of peace
Vatican News 08/07/2021 At the end of a World Day of prayer and reflection for Lebanon, in which Lebanon’s Christian leaders joined Pope Francis in the Vatican, the Pope prays for peace in the strife-ridden nation and asks that the people of Lebanon turn to their roots, as it is from there that flowers bloom. […]
Lebanon’s Christian leaders around the Pope in prayer for the nation
Vatican News 01/07/2021 Christian leaders of Lebanon gathered around Pope Francis in the Vatican on Thursday for a Day of Prayer and Reflection for Lebanon. By Robin Gomes Some 10 senior leaders of the various Christian Churches and communities of Lebanon, along with their delegations, have arrived in the Vatican for a day of prayer […]
Iraq needs ‘secular’ government says cardinal Sako in FACE webinar
27 APRIL 2021, THE TABLET Christians in Iraq will only be able to live safely and securely if religion is separated from the state, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church has warned. According to Cardinal Louis Sako, the Christian community continues to suffer discrimination in a country that does not recognise Christians as citizens […]