Middle East - Africa News
Christian village in Palestine holding out under attacks by Israeli settlers
The small, entirely Christian village of Taybeh is suffering severe attacks by Israeli settlers. Read more
New diocese erected in Kenya, pope appoints its first bishop
Pope Leo XIV has erected a new Catholic diocese in Kenya — the Diocese of Kapsabet — and appointed Bishop... Read more
Malawi getting ready for first-ever Eucharistic Congress
Here’s a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed. Read more
Archbishop in Zambia calls for responsible, ethical journalism ahead of 2026 elections
In his homily on Sunday, June 29, the solemnity of Apostles Peter and Paul, Archbishop Benjamin Phiri called for responsible... Read more
Armed robbers attack religious sisters’ home for girls in Mozambique
A report from Aid to the Church in Need describes the experience of an attack on the Mercedarian Sisters of... Read more
UN delegation makes surprise visit to Catholic parish in Gaza
A United Nations delegation made a surprise visit on Tuesday to Holy Family Parish, the only Latin-rite Catholic Church in... Read more
Churches in Syria resume liturgies amid heightened security and unease
Divine Liturgies were celebrated on Sunday, June 30, in Damascus, Syria — albeit with significantly lower attendance due to a... Read more
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
