Syria

The Latest

Pope Francis asks kids to join Syrian children in praying for peace

May 29, 2016

By Elise Harris

Millions of children have either been killed, displaced or orphaned as a result of Syria’s ongoing, bloody civil war.  Read more

Destroyed buildings in Homs, Syria.

The suffering of Syria's Christians taught him how to be a priest

May 17, 2016

Father Rodrigo Miranda is a priest from Chile. But it was in Syria, among the oppressed Christian community, that he... Read more

Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria.

Aleppo archbishop calls for solidarity with Christians in Syria

May 7, 2016

The future of Christianity in the Middle East remains uncertain, and it is critical that the international community remain engaged,... Read more

Pope Francis prays with journalists on the papal flight, August, 2014.

Pope laments recent violence in Syria, renews call for dialogue

May 1, 2016

By Ann Schneible

Pope Francis on Sunday decried the resurgence of violence in Syria in recent days, especially in Aleppo, and renewed the... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims during his general audience Jan. 13, 2016.

Pope to teens: There isn't a phone app for love and happiness

Apr 24, 2016

By Ann Schneible

Freedom does not come from things we possess or from doing whatever we want, Pope Francis said Sunday in his... Read more

A Syrian refugee family prepares to board the papal plane from Lesbos to Rome with Pope Francis April 16, 2016.

As he leaves Greece, Pope Francis takes 12 refugees with him

Apr 16, 2016

By Elise Harris

After traveling to the Greek island of Lesbos, a primary entry point for refugees seeking passage into Europe, Pope Francis... Read more

Syrian Refugees.

Five years into the Syrian Civil War, a look at those who've fled

Mar 15, 2016

March 15 marks five years since civil war broke out in Syria. The conflict has had devastating consequences for the... Read more

Pope Francis speaks to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square on June 15, 2015 before the Angelus.

Pope Francis: It's never too late for conversion

Feb 28, 2016

By Ann Schneible

God's patience towards sinners is without limit, yet the time for conversion is now, Pope Francis said during his Sunday... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during the Wednesday General Audience, May 21, 2014.

Pope appeals for 'martyred country' of Syria

Feb 7, 2016

By Ann Schneible

The plight of Syrian civilians involved in the nation's ongoing conflict was at the heart of Pope Francis' appeal to... Read more

US bishops visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during a 'peace pilgrimage', September 2014.

Keep working for peace, US bishops urge as Middle East crises continue

Jan 26, 2016

The multiple crises in the Middle East show the need for continued peacemaking and humanitarian efforts, the U.S. Catholic bishops... Read more

Watch this video and 'wake up' from indifference to persecuted Christians

Jan 21, 2016

A video that shares the testimonies of people who have personally suffered the persecution of Christians in the Middle East... Read more

Jordanian troops and UNHCR officials help bring Syrian refugees to Jordan's Zaatari refugee camp.

They fled terrorists, too – why Catholics are resettling a refugee family in Indiana

Dec 9, 2015

Efforts to resettle a Syrian refugee family in Indiana are part of a long Catholic tradition that saves lives, the... Read more

Refugee at the Sharia Al Haman Hope Refugee Camp in Duhok, Iraq on March 28, 2015.

Your apathy is hurting ISIS victims – a challenge to US Christians

Dec 8, 2015

By Matt Hadro

Christians in the U.S. must stop their apathy to the bloody persecution of religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, said... Read more

Christian refugees from Iraq and Syria in Jordan.

Resist the urge to scapegoat Syrian refugees after Paris attacks, bishops advise

Nov 18, 2015

Several bishops are saying we must resist the temptation to scapegoat all Middle Eastern refugees, since they themselves are fleeing... Read more

Even a missile strike couldn't stop Sunday Mass at this Syrian church

Nov 7, 2015

When a missile hit the roof of the church of Saint Francis Parish in Aleppo, Syria, the congregation didn’t flee.  Read more

Syrian refugees.

Those who've stayed – what now for Christians in Syria and Iraq?

Nov 5, 2015

By Elise Harris, Kevin J. Jones

War in Iraq and Syria have taken a heavy toll on the Chaldean Christians of the Middle East. Now Chaldean... Read more

Migrants in Europe.

Aid for Syrian refugee crisis falls far short, Congress told

Oct 22, 2015

Although numerous countries and organizations are working together and putting billions of dollars into relief efforts, “the scale of suffering... Read more

Pope Francis gives the Wednesday general audience in St. Peters Square Oct. 2, 2013.

Pope Francis mourns death of 71 migrants who suffocated in abandoned truck

Aug 30, 2015

By Elise Harris

In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis lamented the death of 71 migrants – mostly from war-torn Syria – whose... Read more

Jean-Clement Jeanbart, Melkite Archbishop of Aleppo, speaks at the KoC Conference in Philadelphia, while Bashar Warda, Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil, looks on, Aug. 4, 2015.

If you won't help our people stay, help them leave - Catholic bishops from the Middle East

Aug 5, 2015

By Mary Farrow

Catholic archbishops from Iraq and Syria said Tuesday that while they hope to help their people stay in the Middle... Read more

Franciscan priest abducted in Syria set free by captors

Jul 15, 2015

The organization of Franciscan missionaries serving in the Holy Land announced that Father Dhiya Aziz, who had been kidnapped early... Read more