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Middle East

Cardinal leaves Baghdad after decree recognising Church’s authority revoked

Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic Cardinal Louis Sako has left his residence in Baghdad, relocating to a monastery in the northern Kurdistan region after the president of Iraq revoked a decree that formally recognised him as Chaldean patriarch. Source: NCR Online.

Middle East

Iraq’s Christians launch TV channel to help save dying language

Iraq’s shrunken and conflict-scarred Christian community is launching a new television channel as part of efforts to save their dying language, spoken for more than 2000 years. Source: UCA News.

Middle East Pope Francis

Pope Francis prays for cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians

Pope Francis has prayed that the recently signed cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians will be maintained and that “the weapons will be silenced”. Source: CNA.

Middle East

Daylight savings row leaves Lebanon with two time zones

Lebanon woke up in two time zones on Sunday amid an escalating dispute between political and religious authorities over a decision to delay the clock change by a month. Source: SBS News.

Anniversary Middle East

Church ‘never abandoned its people’ during Iraq war

On the 20th anniversary of the outbreak of war in Iraq, the then-apostolic nuncio to the nation recalls his time in Baghdad, where St John Paul II had sent him as a messenger of peace. Source: Vatican News.

Disaster Middle East

Pope grieves for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria

Pope Francis has expressed his “spiritual closeness” and “solidarity” with those affected by a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria yesterday. Source: CNS.

Middle East Papal Trip

Pope appeals to Bahrain to strengthen human rights

Pope Francis began a four-day visit to Bahrain yesterday by appealing to the country to strengthen its commitment to human rights through the abolition of the death penalty and ending religious discrimination. Source: NCR Online.

Middle East

Papal trip to highlight importance of dialogue

Pope Francis is set to make a four-day visit to Bahrain this week – a journey that will make him the first pope to visit the Arab kingdom in the Persian Gulf. Source: Crux.