Sebastian Gomes, Salt + Light writer/producer/director of The Francis Effect, gives us a glimpse into filming the documentary: There’s no way to sugarcoat it: the current situation in the Middle East is catastrophic, and there’s no end in sight. It’s a volatile mix of religious, political, historical, ethnic, social and economic elements all firing at the ...read more

It was not too long ago that we heard about the Syrian civil war every night on the news.  As the original struggle of the Syrian people for greater liberty morphed into a violent tit-for-tat with Bashar al-Assad’s government, the eyes of the international community were fixed on the country, appalled daily by the skyrocketing ...read more

  If the war in Syria continues another year there will be no Christians left in the country, according to one bishop in the region. Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo made the comment during a meeting of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches, which is known by its Italian acronym ROACO. ...read more

When Pope Francis announced a day of Prayer for Peace in Syria, Bishop Douglas Crosby of Hamilton was in Italy, close to Grossetto. He and his travel companions decided to take part in this unique event. Bishop Crosby wrote about the experience in his weekly letter to the clergy of the diocese. Read about Bishop ...read more

God of Compassion,Hear the cries of the people of Syria,Bring healing to those suffering from the violence, Bring comfort to those mourning the dead, Strengthen Syria?s neighbors in their care and welcome for refugees, Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms, And protect those committed to peace.God of Hope,Inspire leaders to choose ...read more

The Meera’s look like any other family at the ethnically diverse parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Brampton, Ontario. They warmly greet fellow parishioners as they arrive for Mass, as if they have been here a lifetime. But just a few weeks prior, they were stuck in one of the most dangerous countries on ...read more

Tonight on perspectives pope Benedict announces that the Vatican delegation to Syria will not be sent, and the Holy Father congratulates Barack Obama for his re-election. ...read more

The Holy See will send a delegation of cardinals to Syria in the next few days to witness the suffering of Syrians in Damascus. The announcement was made October 16 during the afternoon session of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization for the transmission of the faith. At the beginning of the session ...read more

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a despot whose shooting and shelling of his own people cannot be defended,” wrote the Catholic Register in an editorial earlier this year, “yet he may be the last line of defence for Syria’s Catholics.” The editorial captures the paradox of a country where, despite an escalating civilian death toll, ...read more

The civil war in Syria has raged for over 16 months. Rebels have clashed with the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad resulting in the displacement of much of the country’s population. One man who has been left homeless by the conflict is Fr. Paolo Dall’Oglio, an Italian Jesuit who spent the last three decades ...read more