While Pope Benedict frequently invites Catholics to pray for particular causes, he has made a unique, official appeal for the Church in China. Speaking at the General Audience last Wednesday, he said that “all Catholics throughout the world have a duty to pray for the Church in China: those members of the faithful have a ...read more

Last week we told you about the plight of Sayed Musa, a Christian convert sentenced to die in Afghanistan. Apostasy remains a capital offense in that country. Writing on behalf of the Canadian bishops, as the chair of their Human Rights Committee, Archbishop Brendan O’Brien of Kingston asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to intervene ...read more

On New Year’s Day, Pope Benedict dedicated his message for the World Day of Peace to the cause of religious freedom. In his message, the Holy Father made headlines with his assertion that “Christians are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith.” That statement may have surprised some, but ...read more

The persecution of Christians has been on our minds and hearts over the last couple of weeks. Just this past week in Toronto there was an ecumenical prayer service; praying particularly for the 58 victims of the October 31st attack on a Syriac Catholic Cathedral in Baghdad.  The vigil was an event to remember those ...read more

This blog comes from Rita Sawaya, who was in Rome covering the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East last month. Fight or Flight Forced migration of Christians from the Middle East has now become the norm. It is now impossible for a growing number of Christians – who are now an even smaller minority ...read more