Pope calls for investigation of possible genocide in Gaza November 18, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis said the international community should investigate whether Israel’s military actions in Gaza constitute genocide.
Destruction grows daily as Israel-Hamas war enters second year, say Catholic relief agency leaders November 15, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News As the Israel-Hamas war enters its second year, expanding to a wider region of the Middle East, two Catholic agency leaders based in Jerusalem and Beirut are warning the conflict is decimating the populations they serve.
Pope meets Israeli citizens freed from captivity in Gaza November 14, 2024By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis met with a group of Israelis and their family members who were freed after being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas and other Palestinian militants.
‘I can feel the tension in a way that I haven’t before,’ says Beirut archbishop October 23, 2024By Leo Morawiecki OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News Having returned the previous day from a religious summit in Bkerke, north of Beirut, Archbishop Bacouni struck a tone of cautious optimism regarding the end of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
Pope meets former Israeli and Palestinian officials promoting peace October 17, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis met a former prime minister of Israel and a former Palestinian foreign minister who believe they have a workable peace plan for the Holy Land.
Wester: Nobel Peace Prize for Japanese atomic bomb survivors ‘fitting’ amid global tensions October 17, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, War in Ukraine, World News The naming of a Japanese atomic bomb survivors group as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient is “fitting … during this time of heightened geopolitical tension,” said Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, N.M., who has traveled to Japan on several peace pilgrimages and also released a 2022 pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament.
As Israel’s Lebanon campaign escalates, displaced Christians wait for ‘miracle to end this misery’ October 15, 2024By Leo Morawiecki OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News As Israel has escalated its campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon across a United Nations-drawn boundary between the two countries, more than a million people have fled their homes.
Pope calls for Mideast cease-fire; prays for peace in Ukraine, Haiti October 14, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News Pope Francis called again for “an immediate cease-fire on all fronts” in the Middle East, urging leaders to “pursue the paths of diplomacy and dialogue to achieve peace.”
Faith of children, power of prayer combine in million-strong rosary October 13, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, War in Ukraine, World News, Youth Ministry On Oct. 18, Aid to the Church in Need will host its annual “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” campaign, inviting children — as well as families, parishes, catechists and teachers — to join in reciting the rosary that day, pledging their intention to do so at ACN’s dedicated website for the initiative, millionchildrenpraying.org.
Archbishop calls for ‘fervent prayer’ for peace in Holy Land, says ‘compassion is not zero-sum game’ October 10, 2024By Gina Christian OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, Conflict in the Middle East, News, World News The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has called for “fervent prayer” to end the violence in the Holy Land, as the Israel-Hamas war reached its first year while threatening to expand into a wider regional conflict.
‘The situation is catastrophic,’ Lebanese Catholic charity workers say October 10, 2024By Dale Gavlak OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News As Lebanon plunged into the worst humanitarian crisis in decades, Catholics and other Christians continue their humanitarian outreach to help struggling Lebanese, Syrian refugees and migrant workers displaced by severe Israeli bombardments across the country, ongoing since late September, some of which have also injured Christians.
Saints hold lessons for bringing peace to world, bishop tells synod October 9, 2024By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, Saints, Synodality, World News With war and violence plaguing so many parts of the world, Christians can look to the saints to discover from their example the true meaning of peace, Maronite Auxiliary Bishop Paul Rouhana of Beirut told participants at the Synod of Bishops.
