Syria

Syria’s Assad says Pope Francis has ‘incomplete’ picture of the war
- Dec 10, 2019
In a new interview, Syrian President Bashar al Assad responded publicly to a letter he received from Pope Francis over the summer voicing concern about civilian casualties in the country’s ongoing civil war, saying the pope has an incomplete picture of the conflict influenced by the west.

By Crux Staff
Mideast Catholic leaders call for peace, stability in region
- Dec 2, 2019
Amid deadly protests in Iraq, a people’s uprising in Lebanon and continued suffering in Syria, Catholic leaders of the Middle East called upon officials of their homelands to “ensure safety, peace and tranquility and stability for their citizens.”

By Doreen Abi Raad
English bishops welcome return to UK of Islamic State orphans
- Nov 23, 2019
The Catholicsbishops of England and Wales have welcomed the repatriation of British children orphaned in in Syria, after their parents had sought to support the Islamic State Group.

By Charles Collins

Patriarchs press for preservation of Christian presence in Middle East
- Oct 31, 2019
Syrian-born Catholic and Orthodox patriarchs pressed the need to preserve the Christian presence in the Middle East during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

By Catholic News Service
Advocate: Turkish forces doing ‘soft’ ethnic cleansing in northeast Syria
- Oct 28, 2019
Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly assuring U.S. Vice President Mike Pence that his forces would not persecute religious minorities in northeastern Syria, people on the ground say minorities are being targeted.

By Dale Gavlak
Church in Syria and Iraq could ‘vanish’ if Islamic State regroups, new report claims
- Oct 23, 2019
A new report says Christians are faring better in conflict-ravaged regions in the Middle East, but the precarious situation means the Church could vanish in places like Syria and Iraq if Islamist groups mounted another campaign in the region.

By Charles Collins