Christians in the Middle East
The Latest
Middle East patriarchs discuss plight of Christian minorities with Pope Francis
Six Catholic patriarchs from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Friday to discuss the... Read more
Four aid workers missing in Iraq
Four men working in Iraq for the French humanitarian organization SOS Chrétiens d'Orient went missing last week in Baghdad. Read more
Pope Francis and Iraqi president discuss securing a future for Christians
Pope Francis met Saturday with Iraqi President Barham Salih, and discussed the need to secure the future of Iraq’s deep-rooted... Read more
Syrian Christians face new threat from Turkey, human rights group warns
Endangered Christian populations in the Middle East face renewed risks as the United States removes troops from Syria, a leading... Read more
Pompeo meets pope to discuss religious freedom, Middle East Christians
Pope Francis met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the preservation of Christian communities in the Middle East... Read more
Iraqi church formerly defaced by ISIS rededicated on Assumption feast
An Iraqi church damaged and defaced by the Islamic State in 2014 was rededicated Thursday for the parish’s celebration of... Read more
Pope Francis gives thousands of rosaries to Christians in Syria
Pope Francis announced Thursday that he is giving 6,000 blessed rosaries to Catholic communities in Syria as a sign of... Read more
US Congress passes bill to relieve Christians, Yazidis in Iraq and Syria
The US House of Representatives passed Tuesday H.R. 390, a bill titled “Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act,”... Read more
Pope and Assyrian Patriarch: Blood of Middle East martyrs is ‘seed of Christian unity’
Pope Francis and the Assyrian Patriarch Mar Gewargis III have pledged ecumenical unity in support of persecuted Christians in the... Read more
Cardinal O'Brien: Don't let Holy Land become a 'museum'
Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, told journalists Wednesday that the order of... Read more
Controversial Israeli law excludes non-Jews, Latin Patriarchate says
A recently-adopted Israeli law that strongly affirmed the country’s link with the Jewish people and avoided mention of non-Jews wrongly... Read more
Religious structures next step in Iraqi building process
Since 2014 international charity organization Aid to the Church in Need has spent some 40 million euros [$46.6 million] funding... Read more
Christians an 'essential element of balance' in the Middle East
For two cardinals helping to organize Pope Francis' upcoming trip to Bari, the event is a chance to highlight not... Read more
US aid to Iraqi Christians, Yazidis on fast track via Catholic Relief Services
The United States Agency for International Development has announced it is investing $10 million into coalitions led by Catholic Relief... Read more
Papal agency raises funds to help Christians remain in the Middle East
The Catholic Near East Welfare Association in Canada is launching a fundraising campaign to help Christians in the Middle East... Read more
Hartford archdiocese, Knights of Columbus partner to aid Islamic State victims
In a partnership with the Knights of Columbus, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Hartford are fundraising money to aid the... Read more
As Palestinian Christians flee Gaza, priest expresses grave concern
In the past six years the number of Christians in the Gaza Strip has plummeted from 4,500 to just 1,000,... Read more
Knights of Columbus announce Easter pledge to aid persecuted Christians
In light of Holy Week, the Knights of Columbus announced that it will be donating more than $1 million to... Read more
Good Friday collection will aid Christians in Middle East
As the Vatican’s annual Good Friday Collection approaches, the head of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches has encouraged people... Read more
Archbishop of Erbil: Christians in Iraq are ‘scourged, wounded, but still there’
The Chaldean Archbishop spoke of the state of Christianity in Iraq today and what both Muslim and Western leaders can... Read more
![“Today we run the risk that our organizations, so dependent on the welfare state ... could be easily confused with a very bureaucratic NGO [nongovernmental organization],” said Archbishop Luis Argüello, president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference.](https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/storage/image/arguello.april.2025.jpg?w=175&h=100)
