ASIA/LEBANON - Patriarchs and Bishops discuss topics for the upcoming summit in the Vatican AFGHANISTAN 2021-05-24 2021-04-16 2020-12-22
Bkerké (Agenzia Fides) – The Patriarchs and Bishops of the Churches present in Lebanon met in the early afternoon of yesterday, Tuesday, June 8th, in Bkerké, at the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate, to discuss the issues and problems to be placed at the center of the meeting convened in Rome on July 1st by Pope Francis in order to reflect together with the main leaders of the Lebanese Christian communities on the worrying situation in the country. The short inter-ecclesial summit, which took place at the invitation of Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, was attended, among others, by Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignace Youssif III Younan, the Catholicos of Cilicia of the Apostolic Armenians Aram I, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi and the Greek Orthodox Patriarch o
ASIA/SYRIA - Patriarchs and Bishops gathered in Aleppo: unsustainable geopolitical pressures on the peoples of the Middle East SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC 2021-05-19 2021-03-04 2021-02-12 2021-01-22
Aleppo (Agenzia Fides) - Syria and the entire Middle East continue to experience a time of pain and suffering, in which the appalling economic conditions and the dramatic exodus of the younger generations are intertwined with unsustainable geopolitical pressures that are exerted on the daily lives of all the peoples of the region. This is the scenario faced by the Patriarchs and Bishops gathered in Aleppo, at the headquarters of the Apostolic Vicariate for Catholics of the Latin Rite, to participate in the Council of Heads of Catholic Churches present in Syria. The Assembly began on Tuesday, May 18, and its various sessions will last until Thursday, May 20.
Churches in Middle East urge US President Biden to lift sanctions on Syria
Church leaders in the Middle East renew their appeal to the United States to lift economic sanctions imposed on Syria, anticipating an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in the war-torn nation, which is grappling with a worsening economic crisis amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Lisa Zengarini
In June last year, the US government imposed new tough economic sanctions aimed at deterring foreign business activity with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad s government.
As with previous sanctions, the measures seek to compel the regime to halt its attacks on civilians and accept a peaceful political transition. However, a recent UN report points out the negative impact of the sanctions on ordinary Syrian citizens, making their plight even more desperate.
Friday, 15 January, 2021 - 09:15
Lebanon’s Prime Minister-designate Saad Al-Hariri walks with caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab walks towards the government palace in Beirut. (Reuters) Beirut - Mohammed Shukair Sources close to the former prime ministers welcomed religious and political leaders’ endeavor to spare Lebanon sectarian and confessional tension, as a result of the organized campaign led by former Minister Gebran Bassil to hamper the formation of a new government.
The sources affirmed that the former premiers have imposed a “political siege” against the former minister, who was “betting on his ability to evoke sectarian alignment to regain his role on the political arena.”