Middle East - Africa News
Father Konteh’s mission: Healing Sierra Leone’s wounds through faith and Caritas
Despite a brutal civil war from 1991 to 2002 in Sierra Leone, the African country with the help of the... Read more
Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem welcomes Gaza agreement as step toward ending war
In a statement released Oct. 9, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa welcomed the news “with joy” and called for the full and... Read more
Christians warn of marginalization in Lebanon’s expat voting debate
Lebanon’s diaspora has long been celebrated as the country’s greatest strength, yet when it comes to voting rights their role... Read more
Irish Loreto sister receives honorary doctorate for work with girls in South Sudan crisis
St. Patrick’s Pontifical University has conferred an honorary doctorate to Sister Orla Treacy, whose work in South Sudan has transformed... Read more
Jerusalem churches face mounting tax pressures under Israel’s ‘Arnona’ property levy
The Vatican-Israel dispute over Church taxes in Jerusalem remains unresolved after 30 years. Read more
Ceasefire deal, hostage release a ‘first step’ for peace, Latin patriarch says
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, called the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal brokered by the U.S. a “first step”... Read more
Thousands join procession in Lebanon in honor of humble priest up for sainthood
Lebanese Catholics gathered for the “Walking Towards You” procession Oct. 4 in honor of Father Bechara Abou Mrad, a Melkite... Read more
Catholic University in Erbil celebrates fifth graduating class
This week, Catholic University in Erbil, Iraq, graduated 114 students amid a strong church and diplomatic presence. Read more
Nigeria rights groups seek release of 850 Christians held in notorious jihadist village
Testimonies of Nigerians kidnapped by jihadist Fulani herdsmen have revealed that hundreds of Christians are still being held by the... Read more
Cardinal to catechists: If your faith isn’t meaningful to you, it won’t be to your students
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told catechism teachers that if faith is not meaningful in their lives, then it will not be... Read more
Top U.S. political satirist draws attention to plight of Christians in Nigeria
Political satirist Bill Maher, who has often been a vocal critic of Christianity, recently called attention to the persecution of... Read more
There is a strategy to annihilate all Christians and Islamize Nigeria, expert says
Criminologist and researcher Emeka Umeagbalasi has spent 30 years denouncing human rights violations in his country and is clear that... Read more
Christian leaders in Zimbabwe urge debt cancellation to alleviate economic burden
Zimbabwe is struggling with an $8.3 billion debt (in U.S. dollars), which blocks access to affordable international financing and slows... Read more
From Ohio to Erbil: Student missionaries help revive Catholic education in Iraq
Franciscan University’s St. Thomas Mission blends teaching, faith, and service in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Read more
Christian persecution in Nigeria: 1,200 churches destroyed annually, hundreds killed
Violence against Catholic priests and members of other Christian groups in Nigeria continues to increase, especially in the eastern part... Read more
Gaza’s only Catholic priest: ‘For mercy’s sake stop this war and stop killing people’
The only parish priest in Gaza, Father Gabriel Romanelli, pleaded in a video posted Sept. 23 for an end to... Read more
Catholic priest killed in ‘senseless act of violence’ in Nigeria
Father Matthew Eya was shot on Sept. 19 while returning to his parish after a pastoral assignment, according to Diocese... Read more
Angola’s Catholic men urged to ‘strengthen families, be examples of integrity’
Archbishop Zeferino Zeca Martins has urged members of the Catholic Men Organization in Angola to be involved in the fight... Read more
Gaza churches provide shelter and hope amid escalating conflict
Amid military esclation, Holy Family Catholic Church in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood of southern Gaza has become both a spiritual center... Read more
Gunmen on motorbikes kill 22 at baptism ceremony in Niger amid rising violence
Multiple media reports indicate that the Sept. 15 attack happened in a region near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist... Read more
