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.
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican has issued a new document, which stated the question raised by several people nowadays, namely "Is there a chance for dialogue between Muslims and Christians?"
In the year 2014, the world recalls the events that took place during World War I. Whether being the year 2014 or a century earlier, the bloodshed on daily bases has been the dominant norm of a whole century.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said at the Vatican Tuesday that he is awaiting the "moral support" of Pope Francis' voice on climate change. Cardinal Peter Turkson also gave a wide-ranging talk on the need for what he called a “fundamental change of course” regarding how humans treat the earth.
The head of the United Nations has praised Pope Francis’ efforts to address environmental issues like climate change, and has said he is counting on the pontiff to put moral backing behind global political initiatives to tackle the issue head-on.
