Tag: Pope Francis

Pope and Assyrian patriarch ‘share suffering’ of Christians in Middle East

November 12, 2018 Assyrians, Iraq, Middle East, Minorities, Pope Francis, Syria

Pope Francis met with Mar Gewargis III, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, at the Vatican on Friday, 9 November. (Photo: Getty Images)

Pope Francis and the head of the Assyrian Church of the East, Mar Gewargis III, have called for an end to the violence against Christians in the Middle East, following their meeting in Rome on Friday, 9 November, reports Catholic news site Crux. The church leaders said both communities “shared . . . Read More

‘I have witnessed the power of prayer’ – priest held captive for 18 months in Yemen

November 9, 2018 Yemen Aden, Kidnapping, Pope Francis, Tom Uzhunnalil, Yemen

The Indian priest who was held hostage for 18 months in Yemen says his experiences taught him about “the power of prayer”. Fr. Tom Uzhunnalil, who was abducted in March 2016 and freed in September 2017, told Catholic news agency ACI Prensa his ability to persevere during his captivity was . . . Read More

Iraqi Christian boy Noeh under his own roof again

October 15, 2018 Iraq Iraq, Islamic State, Karamles, Middle East, Nineveh Plains, Pope Francis, UN, USA

Around 40,000 Christians who escaped from the 2014 attacks of Islamic State in Iraq’s Nineveh Plains have returned to their homes but are in a “very hard situation”, according to the Pope’s nuncio in Iraq: “There is still much to be done, much to rebuild. The houses were damaged, burned . . . Read More

China-Vatican deal an ‘incredible betrayal’, says cardinal

September 24, 2018 China Catholics, China, Churches, Pope Francis, Sinicisation, Xi Jinping

Critics say the deal is a sell-out of the Catholic Church in China and undermines its credibility. (Phot: World Watch Monitor)

The Vatican and China reached a deal on Saturday, 22 September, in the long-standing dispute over the appointment of bishops, as reported by Reuters. As part of the deal with the state-backed Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which oversees the registered Church, Pope Francis will recognise seven Chinese bishops who were . . . Read More

‘Middle East without Christians would not be the Middle East’ – Pope Francis

July 10, 2018 Eritrea, Ethiopia, Islamic extremism, Italy, Middle East, Pope Francis, Syria

Pope Francis lights a candle inside the cripta of the St. Nicholas Basilica in Bari, southern Italy July 7, 2018. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

Pope Francis says religious fundamentalists in the Middle East, “under the guise of religion, have profaned God’s name, which is peace, and persecuted age-old neighbours”, Reuters reports. The pope was speaking during a summit of Christian leaders in Bari, Italy, on Saturday, 7 July. He spoke of the “terrible suffering” . . . Read More

Church council calls for release of Syrian bishops abducted five years ago

June 29, 2018 Syria Aleppo, Boulos Yazigi, Greek Orthodox, Kidnapping, Middle East, Pope Francis, Syria, Yohanna Ibrahim

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called for the release of two Syrian archbishops kidnapped five years ago. “The Central Committee recalls with heavy hearts the abduction five years ago of the archbishops of Aleppo, Yohanna Ibrahim and Paul Yazigi,” the WCC said in a statement following a six-day . . . Read More

Indian Christians threatened, images of Pope trampled on

May 31, 2018 India Bhopal, BJP, Delhi, Hindu nationalism, India, Madhya Pradesh, Narendra Modi, Pope Francis

Hindu leader Om Swami Maharaj (with microphone) accuses Indian Christians of promoting terrorism and Maoism and demands they leave India. (Photo: still taken from video)

A controversial Hindu leader has called for Christians to leave India in a video that shows a group stomping on images of Pope Francis. The video, posted on 26 May, shows Om Swami Maharaj and a group of around 20 people carrying placards and banners with pictures of Pope Francis, . . . Read More

Myanmar: 7,000 Kachin displaced as violence escalates

May 15, 2018 Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, China, Churches, Human rights, IDPs, Kachin, Myanmar, Myitkyina, Pope Francis, Rakhine, Rohingya, Tatmadaw, UN, Youth

Displaced Kachin residents cross the Malikha river on 26 April to escape the fighting between the Kachin Independence Army and the Myanmar government troops. (Photo: ZAU RING HPARA/AFP/Getty Images)

Almost 7,000 people belonging to the largely Christian minority group in Kachin, northern Myanmar, have fled their houses since fighting between the army and a rebel group flared up in early April, according to recent figures from the Red Cross. “It’s a war where civilians are being systematically targeted by . . . Read More

Persecuted Christians celebrate Easter with mixed emotions

April 3, 2018 Global News -- No Particular Country Aleppo, Bashar Warda, Catholics, Easter, Erbil, Gaza, Hanoi, Hmong, Indonesia, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Israel, Jakarta, Jerusalem, Ludhiana, Maluku, Marawi, Middle East, Mindanao, Minorities, Philippines, Pope Francis, Prince Charles, Southeast Asia, Syria, Vietnam

Flag of Syria is waving as sign of victory over the destroyed heavily damaged city of Aleppo. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Easter this year was a time of mixed emotions for the Christians who live under pressure for their faith. While political and religious leaders called for peace, reconciliation and brotherhood, Christians in countries like Syria and the Philippines continued to face violence and its consequences. Below, World Watch Monitor gives . . . Read More

Bangladesh set to further ‘thwart’ freedom of expression

March 23, 2018 Bangladesh Bangladesh, Blasphemy, Human rights, Islamic extremism, Minorities, Pope Francis, Religious freedom, Terrorism

Traffic in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Bangladesh is considering the introduction of a new law that would further limit freedom of expression and belief in the country, a senior Bangladeshi journalist warns. The Digital Security Act, a draft of which has been approved by the government, will include a section that “criminalizes online content regarded as defamatory . . . Read More

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