Pope Benedict has repeatedly urged the universal Church to encourage and support Christians in the Holy Land. One way to do this is financially through the collection traditionally taken up on Good Friday. A letter from the prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches Cardinal Leonardo Sandri was released Monday calling on the faithful to ...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

While the world is distracted by events in the middle East, first in Tunisia, then Egypt, followed by riots in Jordan, in Yemen, back to Egypt – let’s not forget the persecution of Christians in Iraq – and back to Egypt… not all is bad news in that part of the world. Well… sort of that part of the world. ...read more

Today is January 6th, and I am thinking of the three wise men. And the three wise men make me think of distances. I was always intrigued about distances in Israel. When I read that Mary and Joseph walked from Nazareth to Bethlehem, or that Mary rode on a donkey, it’s hard to appreciate how ...read more

Prayer Vigil to commemorate Iraqi Christians Victims St. Michael’s Cathedral Archdiocese of Toronto November 11, 2010 Address by Msgr. Yousif Habash, Syrian Catholic Bishop of the United States and Canada - [translation from Arabic vy Rita Sawaya] Msgr. Yousif Habash bishop of the Syro-Catholic communities of the United States and Canada issued a spontaneous emotional speech in Arabic, addressing the Iraqi people in Iraq and throughout the world. The vigil was organized and presided by Mgr. Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto. Over 500 people including 20 Christians religious leaders attended the prayer vigil for peace, held last November 11 at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto on the day of commemoration of victims of Iraqi Syro-Catholic terrorist attack of October 31st in the Cathedral of Sayyidat an-Najat of Baghdad. The vigil was rebroadcast Saturday November 20th, 2010 on 20H30 on Salt and Light. Here is Mgr. Yousif Habash's moving speech in Arabic translated to English by Rita Sawaya. ...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

A Synod convoked to Restore Order in the Tower of Babel The Synod of Bishops for the Middle East was convoked to give hope not only to the Catholic Churches of the Middle East, but to all the peoples of the Middle East: Christians, Muslims and Jews. It is a unique historic opportunity to restore order in today's Tower of Babel. ...read more

The Synod of Bishops for the Middle East came to a conclusion last Sunday. Catholic News Service’s, Cindy Wooden and John Thavis offer a wrap-up on some of the issues that were discussed. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

On Sunday Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the closing Mass of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. During his homily he announced the theme of the next Synod of Bishops, in 2012. That Synod will be focused on new Evangelization. The Holy Father said: I have decided to dedicate the next Ordinary General Assembly, ...read more