News

Xmas in Syria: Festive Spirit in Damascus Despite Ongoing War

Egyptian President Al-Sisi Congratulates Christians on Christmas

In a December 22 speech at Al-Azhar University, on the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, Egyptian President Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi addressed an audience of Al-Azhar clerics, calling them to teach respect for others from the mosque pulpits.

President Al-Sisi congratulated the Christians on Christmas, stating: “What divides us destroys us.”

One Muslim country bans Christmas Day celebration and wearing Santa Claus hats

The leaders of Brunei have initiated a rule that could bring lot of damage to those citizens who publicly celebrate the birth of Christ. According to leading media reports, the Sultan of Brunei has officially declared that people seen celebrating Christmas Day or wearing Santa Claus hats in public will be thrown in jail for five years. This rule has been implemented in the oil-rich nation so that the beliefs of the Muslim community will not be offended.

Pope appoints new apostolic nuncio in Serbia

Roman Catholic Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Luciano Suriani, delegate for papal diplomatic representations, as apostolic nuncio in Serbia.

H.E. Archbishop Luciano Suriani, titular Archbishop of Amiternum was born in Atessa (Chieti, Italy) on January 11, 1957. On August 5, 1981 ordained Priest.Doctor of Canon Law. Entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on June 1, 1990. Since then, he served at the Pontifical Representations in Côte d’Ivoire and in Switzerland.  From July 1995 to August 2004 served at the Section for Relations with States of the Vatican Secretariat of State and, at the end, for 4 years at the Apostolic Nunciature in Italy.

Members of the Right Sector have beaten Orthodox believers who protected their church from seizure in west Ukraine

Representatives of the radical Right Sector organization and the self-proclaimed Kiev Patriarchate have beaten Orthodox believers in the village of Ptichya, in the Rovno Region of Ukraine on Friday. They tried to seize the local church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin, which belongs to the community of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, the UOC press service reports.

Remarks at The ‘Christmas Experience’ at The Armenian Catholic Church in Amman to benefit the displaced community

Your Eminences, Esteemed Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Respected Leaders of NGOs in this region, Reverend Fathers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this season of hope as we prepare for the great Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are here on this occasion to bring hope to some of the neediest in our midst. The words of the prophet Isaiah speak loudly to us: