Middle East
Archbishop Coakley calls for restraint, diplomacy, and peace as hostilities escalate in Middle East
The USCCB president called for the protection of innocent lives and asked for the intercession of Mary, Queen...
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Middle East
Gulf bishop urges calm and daily rosary as Iran retaliates after U.S., Israeli strikes
Iran’s retaliation to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 quickly spilled beyond Israel, with missiles and dro...
Middle East
Religious freedom commission urges State Department to add Turkey to ‘special watch list’
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom similarly called for the State Department to pressure T...
Middle East
Doors at the entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre removed for restoration
The removal of the doors to the Holy Sepulchre for restoration work provides an opportunity to look into the f...
Middle East
Portiuncula altar stone arrives in Southern Arabia as St. Francis jubilee begins
A stone from Assisi’s Portiuncula has become a sign of communion for Catholics in the Gulf.
Middle East
Christians in Kuwait offer sustenance to Muslims as Lent and Ramadan overlap
“We wanted to say that the Church is an open home,” Father Suleiman Haifawi said, “and that authentic faith be...
Middle East
Historic murals in Iraq emerge from the ruins of ISIS destruction
Restoration work is progressing rapidly on two 13th-century historic mural reliefs at the ancient Mar Behnam a...
Middle East
How urban planning is used to undermine Christian institutions in Turkey
Authorities are using zoning laws and urban planning regulations to prevent construction of Christian institut...
Middle East
Christian communities in Iraq fear resurgence of ISIS-linked violence
Iraq’s Christians are on edge as regional instability raises security concerns.
Middle East
Amid new military moves in northeast Syria, Christians fear ISIS return and call for peace
Syrian Christians in Al-Jazeera await a political solution amid fears of an ISIS comeback.
Middle East
U.S. bishops join international delegation in West Bank, call for 2-state solution
Representatives of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops joined an international delegation to the West Bank...
Middle East
Holy Land Church leaders announce renovations to Grotto of the Nativity
The restoration work for the “hallowed site” follows a decree from the Presidency of the State of Palestine. L...
Middle East
Reports of Christian casualties and arrests are emerging as mass protests continue in Iran
Large numbers of Iranians from diverse social and religious backgrounds are taking part in the ongoing, widesp...
Middle East
Condemnation of Christian Zionism by Heads of Churches in Jerusalem stirs controversy
Catholic observers point out the distinction between Protestant and Catholic understandings of Zionism.
Middle East
2 new miracles reported through intercession of St. Charbel in 2026
Two new miracles have been attributed to St. Charbel already in 2026 — one in the United States and one in Leb...
Middle East
‘Our Lady of Arabia’ in Kuwait elevated to minor basilica in presence of Cardinal Parolin
The elevation of Our Lady of Arabia Church in Kuwait to a minor basilica is a historic first for the Arabian P...
Middle East
Cardinal Pizzaballa visits Holy Family Parish in Gaza days before Christmas
Children greet the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, during his visit to Gaza’s...
Middle East
Church in Jordan reopens as a rare window into pre-Constantinian Christianity
The ancient Aqaba Church witnesses to early Christianity in Jordan. / Credit: Sanad Sahliyeh/ACI MENA ACI MENA...