Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi on Monday said the peace mission to Syria will will take place “as soon as possible” but may be delayed by recent events. Several prelates, including New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, were set to leave for Syria later this week, but Lombardi said recent fighting in Damascu and unrest in Beirut Read more
Pope Benedict XVI is sending a delegation of bishops, including Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, to Syria in late October to show solidarity with victims of violence and encourage peace negotiations. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, made the announcement on Oct. 16, the Catholic News Service reported. “In the certainty that Read more
Spokesman of the National Syrian Council (SNC) George Sabra welcomed the statements made by Pope Benedict XVI who is on a 3 -day visit to Lebanon . Sabra told Voice of Lebanon radio station (VOL) : The Pope’s statement on Syria was a pleasant surprise and we the Syrian Christians are a part of the Read more
On the eve of his visit to Lebanaon, many Shiite and Sunni clerics are putting out the welcome mat to Pope Benedict. The clerics are hoping Benedict’s visit will strengthen coexistence and help allay Christian fears over their fate in a region in tumult. Noting that Muslims and Christians alike have concerns about the rapid Read more
Caritas Internationalis is ramping up its efforts to help the growing number of Syrian families who have fled the conflict in their homeland. “Within Syria, Caritas is distributing food,” Laura Sheahan of Caritas told CNA. “It’s been a little hard in terms of cooked food because it’s difficult to even get fuel in Syria, but Read more
An Italian priest who was expelled from Syria in June insists that the country’s people have the right to fight against an unjust regime. But Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, who calls himself “chaplain of the revolution”, warns that the emergence of an Islamic regime could bring disaster for the Christian minority and the end to centuries Read more
A Carmelite nun says the armed insurrection in Syria is “producing a totalitarianism that is worse” than that of President Bashar Assad’s regime. Mother Agnes Mariam of the Cross, a religious superior in Syria, also appealed to the international community to stop supporting violent militias linked to al-Qaida and other extremist groups guilty of atrocities Read more
Despite the conflict raging across the border in Syria, which has also raised tensions within Lebanon, excitement is building as Beirut prepares to welcome Pope Benedict in September. The Pope will visit the Lebanese capital from September 14 to 16 to set out his vision for the future of the Eastern Catholic churches of the Read more
Bombs, shootings, violence, screaming, deaths rage in the city of Damascus in these hours. People “suffer, hope, escape, pray and, in these tragic hours, turn their gaze to the Blessed Martyrs of Damascus, of whom on July 10 we celebrated the memory,” says Monsignor Samir Nassar, Maronite Archbishop of Damascus. “On the streets of Damascus Read more
Media reports present the Syrian conflict as a battle waged by President Bashar al-Assad against his people struggling for human rights, but Christian observers warn the situation is much more complicated, with foreign interests — including al-Qaeda — playing key roles. “The situation is much more complex and difficult to assess than the media in Read more