Middle East - Africa News
Pope Benedict arrives in Lebanon as 'pilgrim of peace'
Pope Benedict XVI says he is arriving in the Middle East with a message of peace as he begins a... Read more
Pakistani teen released on bail in blasphemy case
A 14-year-old Christian girl with Down's syndrome who has been held on suspicion of burning pages of the Quran was... Read more
Caritas increases aid as refugees flood out of Syria
Caritas Internationalis is ramping up its efforts to help the growing number of Syrian families who have fled the conflict in... Read more
Iraqi archbishop: make Christian survival focus of papal meeting
Iraqi Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk has asked the Catholic patriarchs and bishops of the Middle East to speak with... Read more
Pope calls on lay Africans to evangelize their continent
Pope Benedict XVI has called upon lay Catholics to evangelize Africa, the “continent of hope.” Read more
Exiled Jesuit priest still hopeful for Syria's future
The Italian Jesuit who was exiled from Syria after criticizing President Bashar al-Assad says he is still hopeful for the... Read more
Vandals hit Catholic monastery in Holy Land with fire and graffiti
Vandals set fire to the door of the Latroun Monastery near Jerusalem on the morning of Sept. 4 and spray... Read more
Imam allegedly faked evidence in Pakistan blasphemy case
Several witnesses have charged that a Muslim cleric fabricated evidence against a Down syndrome Christian girl accused of violating Pakistan’s... Read more
Thousands of Christians trapped in Syrian village
Syrian rebel forces have trapped over 12,000 Greek Catholics in a village near the Lebanese border, causing shortages of food,... Read more
Pope to proceed with Lebanon trip despite Syria violence
As fighting in neighboring Syria rages on, Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed that he will proceed with his trip to... Read more
Mentally impaired child arrested under Pakistan's anti-blasphemy law
A young girl who suffers from Down's Syndrome has been arrested in Pakistan for allegedly burning a page from the... Read more
Maronite patriarch warns Syrian conflict could spread to Lebanon
Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai of Antioch, the head of the Maronite Catholic Church, has warned that the armed conflict in... Read more
Catholic vicariate moves from Kuwait to Bahrain
The Catholic Church’s Vicariate of Northern Arabia will move its headquarters from Kuwait to Bahrain, saying the country’s location is... Read more
Church leaders urge Egyptian troops to rescue Sinai hostages
“Dramatic changes” in the Sinai peninsula region offer Egypt's government a chance to rescue trafficking and torture victims, an assembly... Read more
Christian community in Nigeria rocked by new wave of attacks
Nigerian Christians are losing patience after an Aug. 6 attack on a church service in a central region of the... Read more
Syrian Christians begin traditional fast amid continuing violence
The head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church encouraged Syria's Eastern Catholics to offer prayers for peace during their church's... Read more
Islamists attack Christians, Iraqi refugees in Damascus
The Syrian rebels’ attack on Damascus has allowed radical Islamist groups to attack Iraqi refugees, Christians allegedly loyal to the... Read more
Syrian archbishop laments continued violence
Maronite Archbishop Samir Nassar of Damascus spoke out against the violent conflict between government and rebel forces in Syria, drawing... Read more
Gold coins from the Crusades found in Israel
Israeli archeologists have found more than one hundred gold coins from the time of the Crusades, when conflict arose between... Read more
Franciscans in Syria call for dialogue not weapons
The Franciscans in Syria are calling upon foreign powers to stop sending arms to the country after reports that over... Read more
