Middle East Christians

A Chaldean Catholic archbishop denies claims by an Iraqi-American businesswoman that he "aided and abetted" acts of "international terrorism," including her alleged kidnapping and torture, amid political infighting and turmoil in Iraq in 2014.

Churches in Jerusalem are in dire financial straits and Church-run institutions such as schools and hospitals are in danger of closing as they struggle with a renewed barrage of demands by the city to pay a tax called “Arnona.”

The election of Joseph Aoun, a Maronite (Eastern-rite Catholic), as the 14th president of Lebanon and a fragile ceasefire have raised hopes that the war-ravaged and crisis-ridden country will finally reverse its steep descent into chaos.

Amid the turmoil of war, the custos of the Holy Land, has a unique perspective on the plight of Christians in the region.

Christmas marked by uncertainty as war leaves shop empty

After Pope Francis prayed on Christmas Day for Syrian Christians facing uncertainty amid the country's regime change, the leader of the Catholic Church in neighboring Iraq said the toppling of the regime left Christians in the region feeling "tense."

A Christmas tree was reportedly set ablaze in a Christian-majority town in Syria, prompting protests in the war-torn nation just two weeks after the ouster of former President Bashar Assad and his regime.

Gunfire and shouts of jubilation echoed through the streets of Damascus, Syria’s capital, as rebel forces opposed to Bashar Assad’s government took control of the city on Dec. 7. But Christians in Syria are not ready to join the victory dance.

Knights and Dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem were urged at their annual Toronto gala to dig deep and keep moving forward in helping the afflicted of the Holy Land.

Pope Francis received assurances from Jordan's King Abdullah II that Christian and Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem will be protected amid the Israel-Hamas war.