UN highlight decade of conflict in Syria
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS. The United Nations release a report warning that no single Syrian family has been left unscathed in the decade long war in the country. A UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria has said in its latest report that no Syrian family had been left ‘unscathed’ by the conflict in the […]
Chaldean Patriarch: It is wrong to expect Pope to solve Iraq’s problems
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS. The Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Baghdad urges those writing on social media about Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq to be “more positive and supportive of everything” in order to make it a success. Pope Francis “does not come to Iraq to solve all the problems” of the country. It is […]
Cardinal Sandri invokes intercession of St Maron for Lebanon
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS. The Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches asks for the intercession of St Maron for crisis-hit Lebanon. By Lisa Zengarini On the occasion of the Feast of Saint Maron, patron of the Maronite Church, on February 9, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, […]
Pope Francis’ programme for Apostolic Visit to Iraq announced.
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS . The Holy See’s Press Office announces Pope Francis’ schedule for his upcoming Apostolic Visit to Iraq from March 5 – 8. The Holy See’s Press Office announces Pope Francis’ schedule for his upcoming Apostolic Visit to Iraq from 5 – 8 March 2021. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to Iraq begins on […]
Pope Francis on Human Fraternity: We are all born of the same Father.
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS . Pope Francis highlights the theme of fraternity in a video message for the first International Day of Human Fraternity celebrated on Thursday. He calls for a world of mutual respect, stressing that we can either choose to be brothers and sisters or we lose everything. LINK TO VIDEO MESSAGE: Human Fraternity […]
This is why His Holiness Pope Francis will go to Iraq
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS Father Rif’at Bader, Director of The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM), provides historical and contextual background to Pope Francis’ scheduled Apostolic Journey to Iraq in March 2021. By Fr. Rif’at Bader Iraq is a sacred country. It was inhabited by prophets, the oldest of whom was Abraham, who […]
Bishop Yaldo: Pope’s visit to Iraq an immense joy for Christians
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS If plans go ahead, Pope Francis will become the first pontiff to visit Iraq, when he visits the Muslim majority nation in March. According to Auxiliary Bishop, Basel Yaldo of Baghdad, the visit will be the “confirmation of the country’s greater stability” and will help heal the wounds of the […]
Cardinal Sako: the Pope comes to encourage Christians to remain in the Middle East
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS Pope Francis will visit Iraq from 5 to 8 March 2021, his first Apostolic Journey since November 2019. Cardinal Louis Sako speaks of the emotion and joy of a nation. By Vatican News staff writer “His Holiness will come to visit us in Iraq to bring us his support and […]
Syrian refugees hit hard by COVID-19 economic downturn
PUBLISHED COURTESY OF VATICAN NEWS he United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) notes that the economic downturn has pushed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees in the Middle East into an ever more desperate situation and has increased their humanitarian needs. By Robin Gomes The number of vulnerable Syrian refugees who lack the basic resources to […]