Jacques Murad, Prior of the Monastery of Mar Elian was abducted by two armed kidnappers, Fides news agency reports. The news was confirmed by the Syrian Catholic archdiocese of Homs.

“Priest Jacques Murad, Prior of the Monastery of Mar Elian, was abducted by two kidnappers at the Monastery under the threat of arms. According to some local sources, contacted by Fides news agency, the seizure most probably took place on Monday, May 18, while other sources claim that the priest was kidnapped on Thursday May, 21.”

The eyes and hearts of millions are focused on Rome, the Italian capital, specifically at St. Peter's Square, for the canonization of two Arab nuns from Palestine. They are namely Sultana Ghattas, known as Mother Marie-Alphonsine who was born in Jerusalem in 1843 and passed away in Ain Karim in 1927. She is the founder of the Sisters of the Rosary congregation that are located in Jordan, Palestine as well a number of Arab and foreign countries. The second one is Sister Mariam Baouardy, who took the name of Mary of Jesus Crucified.

Their meeting in the Vatican lasted twenty minutes and “great satisfaction” was expressed regarding the bilateral agreement. Tomorrow, Sunday May 17, the Palestinian leader will be attending the ceremony for the canonization of the first two modern-day Palestinian saints.

The Christian communities of Syria and Iraq have survived 2,000 years of tumult and war. In some of them, prayers are still said in Aramaic, the language that Lord Jesus Christ used in daily life. These communities now tremble on the brink of destruction.

Europe’s Episcopal Conferences are meeting in Switzerland to discuss how Muslims in Europe are changing. Cardinal Tauran said there is a strong risk of a community retreat. Cardinal Ricard, meanwhile, says international crises have led to an increase in Islamophobia in Europe but dialogue is still the only way forward.

The Latin Patriarchate inaugurated a few days ago a new site for religious pilgrimage to be added to several other sites frequented by tourists from Jordan and abroad. The new shrine, which Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal has visited and which Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan Archbishop Maroun Lahham had earlier inaugurated in the presence of large masses of people, is located in Naour township by the Latin Convent. What is striking is that this shrine does not stand for an event listed in the Holy Bible as is the case with several holy sites in our beloved country.

The Church is getting ready to celebrate in the coming days the canonization of Mother Marie-Alphonsine Ghattas and Sister Marie of Jesus Crucified (Mariam Bawardi). The Church acknowledges thereby the genuineness of their spiritual experiences, introducing them as examples and intercessors for faithful. How does Church recognize the sainthood of her faithful?

Francis met 7,000 children from the “Peace Factory” on May 11. Prison is not the solution for young people who get it wrong. “I get irate too but after an argument you need peace”.

At this morning’s Mass, May 11, in St. Martha’s House, Francis again decried the fact “today we are seeing those who kill Christians in the name of God” but the Holy Spirit gives people the strength to testify the faith until martyrdom.

Today Francis once again drew attention to the fact that Christians are being killed in the name of God. But at this morning’s mass in St. Martha’s House, he also underlined that the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to testify until martyrdom.

D.H. Lawrence once wrote a poem on love he called, History. It reads like this:

The listless beauty of the hour
When snow first fell on the apple trees
And the wood-ash gathered in the fire
And we faced our first miseries.

Then the sweeping sunshine of noon
When the mountains like chariot cars
Were ranked to blue battle-and you, and I
Counted our scars.