Middle East - Africa News
Interview with Jerusalem Patriarch Pizzaballa: Christians face coexistence problems, not persecution
“The overwhelming majority of the Israeli population, more than 90%, has nothing to do with [the attacks on Christians],” Pizzaballa... Read more
Seminarian in Nigeria narrowly escapes shooting by Islamist Fulani attackers
David Igba was traveling with two others when their car was sprayed with bullets by a group of gun-wielding Fulani... Read more
‘Fear is driven out by perfect love,’ Vatican secretary of state tells South Sudanese
“Jesus Christ dispelled every lingering doubt and distress,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on the last day of his four-day visit... Read more
Vatican secretary of state pledges solidarity with refugees, returnees from Sudan
“We feel very sorry for … what happened to you in Sudan,” the cardinal said, adding: “We can do something... Read more
Vatican official urges South Sudanese to remain committed to peace and reconciliation
“Embrace the spirit of peace and reconciliation in order to build a harmonious society in the country,” said Cardinal Pietro... Read more
Vatican secretary of state to meet refugees from Sudan in four-day visit to South Sudan
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived in South Sudan on Monday, Aug. 14, to meet people fleeing violence... Read more
Israeli president condemns violence against Christians
Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the Stella Maris Monastery in Haifa following attacks by Jewish extremists against the site. Read more
Church prays for release of kidnapped priest and seminarian in Nigeria
Father Paul Sanogo and seminarian Melkiori Dominick Mahinini were kidnapped early in the morning of Aug. 3 in Niger state. Read more
Nigerian bishops discourage military intervention in Niger after coup
The Economic Community of West African States threatened military intervention if Niger’s military refused to restore democracy within one week. Read more
Remembering the night the ‘city of Christians’ fell to ISIS in Iraq
Aug. 6 marks the ninth anniversary of the fall of Qaraqosh, a city that was almost entirely Catholic and where... Read more
Israeli extremists attempt to storm Catholic church and monastery
In an effort by the church to deter any future attacks, work began today to install an iron fence around... Read more
The Lebanese saint who unites Christians and Muslims
St. Charbel Makhlouf is known in Lebanon for the miraculous healings of those who visit his tomb to seek his... Read more
Iraq’s president revokes recognition of Catholic leader
Cardinal Louis Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, announced Saturday that he is withdrawing from his seat in Baghdad. Read more
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem condemns Israeli military action
Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa condemned the military operation and bemoaned the damage to the Roman Catholic parish in Jenin. Read more
Suspended priest takes charge of Nigeria’s strife-torn Benue State
Hyacinth Iormen Alia ignored the admonitions of his bishop by successfully running for governor of Benue State. Read more
‘Spiritually transformative’: Nun recalls Mali captivity in new religious freedom report
The Colombian nun narrated her experience in the foreword of the 2023 edition of the Religious Freedom in the World... Read more
Violence, emergence of new militia among Democratic Republic of Congo bishops’ concerns
“We are witnessing the persistence and worsening of insecurity, especially in the eastern part of our country,” the bishops stated... Read more
Ugandan diocese observes five-day prayer for victims of secondary school attack
On June 16, suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces reportedly attacked the school, killing some 41 people, including 38... Read more
‘There is sometimes a terrifying silence’ regarding abortions in Africa, priest says
Father Apollinaire Cibaka Cikongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo expressed concern about the “general silence” on abortion in Africa. Read more
Nigerian priest freed after torture, hospitalized with ‘deep wounds on his head’
Father Marcellus Nwaohuocha, OMI, who was kidnapped on June 17 from Nigeria’s Jos Archdiocese, has been freed. Read more
