US ambassador to the Holy See talks about Pope Francis’ upcomng visit to the US

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/13/2015 - 00:25

In this exclusive interview, Ambassador Ken Hackett speaks about the Pope’s visit to the US Congress and the White House, his talks to the United Nations and the World Meeting of Families, and the question of security.

Following is the text of the interview:

What is the relationship between President Barack Obama and Pope Francis? Which are the areas of agreement and difference between them? Apart from the fact that Francis will make history by addressing Congress, what are the other high points of this much anticipated visit that is sparking such enthusiasm and interest?

“The school curricula and their role in respecting the religion of others”

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 08/11/2015 - 17:43

The Catholic Center for Studies and Media has issued a report which recommends that the school curricula of the Jordanian Ministry of Education be updated. The study states that these curricula contain historical mistakes and fail to mention Christian presence in this homeland.

By Fr. Rif'at Bader

Asia Bibi: "I cannot wait to see the light of the sun again"

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/09/2015 - 00:52

he woman sentenced to death for blasphemy, while her trial is before the Supreme Court, sends a message from prison and calls for continued prayer.

“I cannot wait to feel the sun and the cold again, to see the open sky, the stars and the moon. Please continue to pray for my release from this darkness, so I can be with you in the sunlight.” Dreamy, mournful but full of hope, this is the latest message from Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman sentenced to death and jailed for six years on false charges of blasphemy towards the Prophet Muhammad.

One year on from ISIS capture, there are no Christians left in Qaraqosh

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/08/2015 - 18:11

One year ago, Islamic State militants captured the town of Qaraqosh in Iraq, forcing thousands, many of them Christian,to flee. Kurdish troops withdrew on August 6, 2014, leaving ISIS free to move in overnight and take four Christian-majority towns, less than a month after the group overran nearby Mosul.

Aid for Middle East Christians from the Knights of Columbus

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 08/06/2015 - 16:27

The Knights of Columbus has launched an awareness campaign to raise funds for humanitarian aid to Christians in the Middle East, because Christians are more persecuted today than "ever in their history," announced Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson, opening the international convention which takes place from yesterday through Thursday in Philadelphia, in the United States.

Fr. Rif'at Bader: "We neither want diaphanous relations nor supercilious looks"

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/01/2015 - 19:59

The director of the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan advises against religious conversion for commonplace reasons such as marriage, without such a decision arising out of personal conviction. He also stresses that there are more factors that unite Jordan's Christians and Muslims than those which divide them. He suggests focusing efforts on key activities such as changing school curricula -- rather than heralding Jordanian society as the most positive and influential in the region.