Middle East - Africa News

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin arrives prior to a Mass for the consecration of the church at the site of Jesus’ baptism on Jan. 10, 2025, in Al-Maghtas, Jordan. Pope Francis appointed Parolin as papal legate to consecrate the Church of the Baptism of Jesus at Al-Maghtas, also known as “Bethany Beyond the Jordan.” Parolin met with 14 Middle East pontifical representatives in Jordan on Jan. 13, 2025, to discuss challenges in the region including ongoing hostilities there.

Cardinal Parolin: Christians essential for peace, ‘fraternal coexistence’ in the Middle East

Jan 14, 2025

By Kristina Millare

Parolin met with the papal representatives of Bahrain, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine,... Read more

Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of the Archdiocese of Saurimo in Angola.

Angola archbishop: ‘I was on a list of people to be eliminated’

Jan 13, 2025

By João Vissesse

Angolan Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba has revealed that he was once on a list of people targeted for assassination for... Read more

Father Ibrahim Faltas, vice custodian of the Holy Land, meets with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the head of Syria’s new administration, in Damascus.

Syria’s Christians voice relief, seek further security guarantees after political shift

Jan 13, 2025

By Souheil Lawand

Christians in Syria continue to seek more concrete guarantees, although opinions differ on what form these guarantees should take. Read more

A depiction of the Baptism of the Lord is prominently placed in the new Church of the Baptism in Jordan during the church’s inauguration on Jan. 10, 2025.

New church in Jordan reflects national desire for closer ties with Christendom

Jan 10, 2025

By Solène Tadié

The church’s inauguration also reflected the Hashemite kingdom’s determination to establish itself as an essential stop-off point for pilgrims to... Read more

An African nun prays the rosary. On Jan. 7, 2025, two religious sisters were kidnapped in the Archdiocese of Onitsha in Nigeria.

Appeal for ‘fervent prayers’ issued for religious sisters kidnapped in southeastern Nigeria

Jan 10, 2025

By Jude Atemanke

IHM Secretary General in Nigeria Sister Maria Sobenna Ikeotuonye announced the abduction of Sisters Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette... Read more

Lebanon’s Parliament has elected Gen. Joseph Aoun to be president of the Republic of Lebanon.

Lebanon elects Gen. Joseph Aoun as president amid divided Christian bloc

Jan 9, 2025

By ACI MENA

Lebanon’s Parliament on Thursday elected Gen. Joseph Aoun as the 14th president of the country after a two-year vacancy of... Read more

The papal ambassador to Jordan, Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, and Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab speak at a press conference in Amman, Jordan, about the new exhibit “Jordan: Dawn of Christianity,” which will open at the Vatican on Jan. 31, 2025.

Vatican to host historic Jordan exhibition on Christianity’s origins

Jan 9, 2025

By Sanad Sahelia

The “Jordan: Dawn of Christianity” exhibit will open at the Vatican on Jan. 31 showcasing 90 artifacts. Read more

In a statement published Jan. 3, 2025, Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of South Africa’s Mthatha Diocese weighed in on the situation of the illegal miners who have been trapped in a mine in South Africa’s North West Province since November.

Illegal workers stuck in South African mine should be handled ‘with dignity,’ bishop says

Jan 7, 2025

By Silas Isenjia

The illegal miners stuck in a mine in South Africa’s North West Province are human beings whose dignity should be... Read more

The heads of Churches and their representatives in Syria meet the de facto leader.

Hopes rise for Christians as Church leaders meet new Syria leader

Jan 4, 2025

By Souheil Lawand

As Syria navigates a transitional phase, questions abound regarding the Church’s role in shaping the new Syrian nation. Has the... Read more

Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo was manager of the respective schools of nursing, midwifery, and medical laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala in Nigeria. The priest, who was ordained in 2015, was reportedly murdered on Dec. 26, 2024.

Catholic priest in Nigeria murdered by ‘unidentified assailants’

Jan 2, 2025

By Jude Atemanke

After the death of Nigerian priest Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo the day after Christmas, the diocese appealed for prayers “for... Read more

The Syrian town of Maaloula.

Safety concerns escalate for Christians in historic Syrian town

Dec 31, 2024

By Souhail Lawand

Christians in Maaloula in western Syria have been living with an intensifying fear for their safety, exacerbated by a recent... Read more

The entry of the cross into the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth on Dec. 29, 2024, marks the opening of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope in the Holy Land. The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, crossed the threshold of the basilica carrying the jubilee cross accompanied by Archbishop Moussa Hage, Maronite archbishop of Haifa and the Holy Land (on his right), and Archbishop Youssef Matta, Greek Catholic (Melkite) archbishop of Acre, Haifa, Nazareth, and Galilee (on his left).

PHOTOS: Cardinal Pizzaballa opens 2025 Jubilee Year in Holy Land

Dec 30, 2024

By Marinella Bandini

The entry of the jubilee cross into the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth on Dec. 29 marked the opening... Read more

Recently arrived seminarians in Burkina Faso with new cassocks.

Priestly vocations are up in Burkina Faso despite Islamic terrorism

Dec 27, 2024

By Andrés Henríquez

Despite constant terrorist attacks suffered by Catholics in Burkina Faso from Islamic fundamentalists, vocations to the priesthood have increased in... Read more

Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa of the Diocese of Katsina in Nigeria.

We’re ‘finding creative methods to reach people,’ says bishop of 1-year-old Nigerian diocese

Dec 26, 2024

By Abah Anthony John

Bishop Gerald Mamman Musa said the innovative approaches to evangelization are bearing fruit in various sectors of his diocese. Read more

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, leans on his pastoral staff while listening to the proclamation of the Gospel during the Christmas Eve Mass at the Church of St. Catherine, the Latin section of the Basilica of the Nativity, on Dec. 24, 2024.

Patriarch of Jerusalem: Let us look to the future with hope, without hatred or violence

Dec 26, 2024

By Marinella Bandini

“Our commitment this Christmas is to rebuild our trust and renew our hope for life here in Bethlehem and throughout... Read more

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, lights a candle in the Orthodox Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza during his visit there on Dec. 22, 2024.

PHOTOS: Cardinal Pizzaballa shares Christmas message after Gaza visit

Dec 23, 2024

By Marinella Bandini

The press conference was not only a chance for the Latin patriarch to share an annual Christmas message but also... Read more

Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie visits Emelyne, a little girl he has sponsored since 2023, in Rwanda.

‘So powerful’: Jonathan Roumie on sponsoring African children through Catholic charity

Dec 23, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

In 2023, Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie partnered with Unbound, a Catholic child-sponsorship charity, to support the organization’s 1 millionth child. Read more

A young girl hangs an ornament on the Christmas tree inside the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza.

PHOTOS: Gaza Catholic parish prepares for second Christmas under war

Dec 22, 2024

By Marinella Bandini

As Christmas approaches, the Latin Church of the Holy Family in Gaza is alive with activity as the people at... Read more

Bassem Giacaman in his shop in Bethlehem in December 2024. The artisans in Bethlehem are almost all Christians. They primarily work with olive wood. Most of the businesses in Bethlehem are family businesses.

War, economic struggles threaten Bethlehem’s century-old crafts tradition

Dec 21, 2024

By Marinella Bandini

The tradition of being an artisan in Bethlehem is being threatened by the flight of young people from the area... Read more

Nigerian Christian mother of five Rhoda Jatau was acquitted of blasphemy charges after a two-and-a-half-year legal battle.

Major religious freedom win for Nigeria: Christian mother acquitted of blasphemy charges 

Dec 20, 2024

By Madalaine Elhabbal

Rhoda Jatau was arrested by Nigerian authorities on May 20, 2022, after forwarding a video of a Muslim denouncing the... Read more

Latest news

The British Parliament building in London.

British politician criticizes priest for refusing communion over assisted dying vote

The Via della Conciliazione, the grand avenue leading to St. Peter’s Square in Rome, was transformed this Sunday into a vibrant tapestry of color laid over the asphalt, June 29, 2025.

PHOTOS: Rome celebrates its patron saints with a burst of colorful flowers  

Pope Leo XIV spoke about unity on Sunday, June 29, after bestowing the pallium on 54 new metropolitan archbishops on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the city of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV warns new archbishops against pastoral plans that repeat without renewing 

Pope Leo XIV spoke about unity on Sunday, June 29, after bestowing the pallium on 54 new metropolitan archbishops on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, patrons of the city of Rome.

Pope Leo XIV says the unity of the Church 'is nourished by forgiveness and mutual trust'

Catholic speaker and author Kim Zember (left) and Zember on the set of her new podcast on EWTN, “Here I AM Stories,” with guest Angel Colon.

Catholic speaker Kim Zember in new EWTN podcast highlights LGBT conversion stories

One unique feature of the monastery at Subiaco is that it was built into the mountain. In any room, at least one wall is bare rock. During construction, the connection with the mountain was always preserved. Even above the main altar of the upper church, the rock juts out and looms overhead, enveloping the worship space like a vast cloak.

The cave in Subiaco where the Rule of St. Benedict was born

Pro-life demonstrators take part in a rally calling for Planned Parenthood to be defunded in Denton, Texas, Saturday, June 28, 2025

Thousands rally across the U.S. urging Congress to defund Planned Parenthood

null

Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV recommend this book, which warns of a world without God

A monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament is displayed on the altar during Eucharistic adoration at a Loretto Community Pentecost event accompanied by live music.

How the Loretto Community became a vibrant Catholic youth movement in Europe

Chase Crouse, founder of Hypuro Fit.

Catholic trainer merges faith and fitness in theology of the body-inspired program

Liturgical Calendar Show this year
Jun 29
Sts. Peter and Paul
Today's readings

TRENDING