Following suicide attacks at Christian churches in Pakistan Sunday, March 15, Pope Francis begged God to bring an end to persecution of Christians around the world. The pontiff also indirectly criticized the world's lack of attention to the issue

Pope Francis on Sunday poignantly begged God to bring an end to persecution of Christians around the world, as he expressed "much pain" over two fatal suicide attacks at churches in Pakistan earlier in the day.

His Majesty's King Abdullah 11’s speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week had a resounding impact among world leaders and peoples since he affirmed that Jordan will not allow the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to hijack our religion, distort its image and defame our noble values . Arabs and Moslems should be the ones defeating and uprooting that Satanic plant committing hideous murders using the name of our God and religion.

n a surprise announcement, Francis has declared an Extraordinary Holy Year which will begin on 8 December 2015 and conclude on 20 November 2016, the Feast of Christ the King. The Holy Door will be opened to mark the occasion

Fr. Rafiq Khoury, one of the priests of the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, has issued his second book of the new series which can be added to more than 15 books he had authored. He is also the responsible editor of the magazine "Al-Liqa'' published in Bethlehem by "Al-Liqa Center" which he himself founded alongside Dr. Jiryes Khoury for more than a quarter of a century.

This magazine is still being published despite the political storms that undermine a lot of intellectual and cultural projects.

Pope Francis on Sunday, March 8, again stressed mercy as a key church teaching, saying Jesus always cleans out hearts with kindness. The pontiff also thanked women for building "a more human and welcoming society."

Calling on Christians to ask themselves if they live lives that make Jesus feel at home with them, Pope Francis on Sunday again stressed mercy as a key teaching of the church.

Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year B) March 15 (2 Chronicles 36:14-17a, 19-23; Psalm 137; Ephesians 2:4-10; John 3:14-21)

People have always struggled to make sense out of the clash of armies and swirl of global events. The author of Chronicles wrote some time after the exile in the sixth century B.C. Drawing on the books of Samuel, Kings and even some extra-biblical works that we no longer possess, he interpreted Israel’s royal history through a theological lens. In his view, God was the motivating force behind international affairs.

In the audience with the Neocatechumenal Way founded by Kiki Arguello, on Saturday March 7,the Pope confirmed their call and blessed their charism. "I’m doing that not because I’ve been paid to: No! I’m doing it because I want to,” the Pope joked

At today’s General Audienc,March 4, the Pope continued his series of catecheses on the family, focusing on grandparents: the elderly are not deadweights and they are not aliens, a society without gratuity is a perverse society.

It really is the stuff of hellish nightmares. While 19 of the Assyrian Christians kidnapped by ISIS in north-eastern Syrian have been released, around 200 are still being held hostage.

The kidnapped Christians must surely be enduring hell on earth. The Christian adults must dread the time when they’ll be chosen to die by decapitation. There are conflicting reports that 15 of them have already been killed.

Lambasting what he called "intolerable brutality" against Christians in Syria and Iraq, Pope Francis on Sunday, March 1, called for the faithful to practise love that "transforms all." Said the pontiff: "In reality, love has the capacity to transfigure all. Love transforms all."

Pope Francis on Sunday again lambasted what he called the "intolerable brutality" being perpetrated against Christians in Syria and Iraq, leading pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in a moment of silence for those being persecuted because of the faith.