Middle East - Africa News
Priest warns: Christian town in Holy Land no longer safe amid settler attacks
The Palestinian Christian town of Taybeh, the last remaining town in the West Bank inhabited entirely by Christians, faces ongoing... Read more
Pope Leo XIV approves new custos of the Holy Land amid regional crisis
Father Francesco Ielpo, a member of the Order of Friars Minor, has been named the new custos of the Holy... Read more
Solemn farewell for victims of Damascus church bombing amid anger at government silence
Churches across Syria held funeral services for the victims of the suicide bombing that targeted St. Elias Church in the... Read more
Cardinal Pizzaballa in the Holy Land: ‘The Church must be a point of connection for everyone’
In the midst of ongoing war and an escalation of violence in the Middle East, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem,... Read more
Church leaders react to deadly attack on Mar Elias church in Damascus
In Syria, church leaders condemned Sunday’s terrorist act against worshippers in Damascus that resulted in 22 dead and almost 60... Read more
‘The church comes first’: A Yazidi family’s promise to protect a Christian sacred site
Thanks to the devotion of a local Yazidi family, the doors of Mar Odisho Church remain open in the northern... Read more
Nigeria bishops call for prayer, fasting for Benue attack victims
In a statement issued June 18, the Nigerian bishops denounced the “almost daily bloodshed” in the West African nation, including... Read more
A Catholic pilgrim’s harrowing escape from the Holy Land as Iranian missiles lit up the sky
Cameron Mumford went to pray at Calvary in Jerusalem. Hours later, Iranian missiles lit up the sky. Read more
Kenya hosts landmark summit on religious freedom in Africa
Regional and global experts as well as proponents of religious freedom gathered June 17 for the first International Religious Freedom... Read more
Over 450 children celebrate first holy Communion this month in Qaraqosh, Iraq
Archbishop Benedictus Hanno stressed that the celebrations are “a great joy for our Church and a living testimony to the... Read more
Lebanese cardinal urges Christians not to leave Middle East
Cardinal Bechara Boutros Raï, patriarch of the Maronite Church in Lebanon, lamented the decline of the Christian population in the... Read more
Up to 200 displaced Nigerian Christians killed in ‘worst’ attack yet
Islamist militants killed up to 200 Nigerian Christians on Friday in what international aid organizations are calling the “worst killing... Read more
Monks close doors of St. Catherine’s Monastery as battle with Egypt government continues
The future of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula remains a source of controversy with tensions rising after a... Read more
Nigerian priest who served in Alaska captured by Boko Haram, bishop says
Fairbanks Bishop Steven Maekawa said in a statement this week that Father Alphonsus Afina was captured by Boko Haram in... Read more
Red Cross: Conditions in Gaza ‘worse than hell on earth’
The aid group said Tuesday’s influx of patients was the highest the hospital has seen in one day since its... Read more
Popemobile converted into ambulance blocked from entering Gaza
Ongoing border restrictions have prevented Pope Francis’ former popemobile, which was refurbished with essential medical equipment, from reaching its destination. Read more
Egyptian court ruling on St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai sparks outcry
A court ruling in Egypt about St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai has sparked grave concern within the Greek Orthodox Church... Read more
Ghana bishops urge action against illegal mining and environmental destruction
The president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on the government in Ghana to take strong measures against... Read more
An Augustinian pope: Upholding Africa’s legacy and embracing Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christian communities erupted in celebration at the election of the new pontiff on May 8, but many wondered about... Read more
U.S. lifts sanctions on Syria, renewing hope for Christians and boosting national economy
This week’s announcement by President Donald Trump that the U.S. would fully lift its sanctions on Syria triggered hope in... Read more
