News
Byzcath.org News provides news focusing on the Christian East from varous sources and offers links to other sites dedicated to providing the news about the Church.
Churches and organizations that provide news about the Eastern Churches are invited to submit their news stories to us for publication here (use the contact page for submission)..
Materials from the Vatican Information Service, Zenit, CWNews.com and other sources are published here with permission of their owners but may not be republished further without the permission of their original publishers. Please visit these sites to obtain additional general news about the Church. In addition to these sources EWTN News also provides a good general news summary.
Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
- Details
ugcc.ua - On Sunday, another terrible attack was perpetrated against the Coptic community in Egypt. The Day of Christ’s entry in Jerusalem became the day of passion for the faithful in Alexandria and Tanta. At this time of sorrow, I assure you of solidarity in prayer of our Church,” says the Head of the UGCC in a letter to the Head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, Theodore II, the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Apostle Mark’s capital.
“Our hearts embrace the wounded, the bereaved families, priests and laity of the Coptic Church in Egypt and abroad. Let the blood of innocently killed become the seed of faith in this week, leading us to the Resurrection. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “who rose from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life,” illuminate with the everlasting light the victims, give peace to the Church, shelter Your Holiness, your brothers in the episcopate, the priests, consecrated persons and all the faithful and enlighten our hearts with his hope and charity,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav said. It was reported by Information Department of the UGCС.
- Details
CWN - In a joint Easter message, the Christian leaders of Jerusalem have proclaimed that “pain, suffering, and death do not have the final word, it is God—who has the first word and the last.”
The patriarchs and other leaders of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant groups in Jerusalem said: “The Resurrection inspires the resolute steadfastness in the living stones (local Christians) as living witnesses in the Holy Land.”
In their statement the Christian leaders recalled the ecumenical ceremony that marked the re-opening of the Edicule—the shrine at the site of Christ’s tomb, inside the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre—after extensive renovations. “The completion of this challenging work,” they said, was a testimony to ecumenical cooperation as well as to the support received from all around the world. Huge amount of porn rips ready to download - 1600+ siterips of porn sites.
The Easter message was signed by:
- Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theopilos II
- Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarch Nourhan Manougian
- Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzabella, apostolic administrator of the Latin-rite Catholic Patriarchate of Jerusalem
- Father Francesco Patton, the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land
- Archbishop Anba Antonious of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem
- Archbishop Swerios Malki Murad of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate
- Archbishop Aba Embakob of the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate
- Archbishop Joseph-Jules Zerey of the Melkite Catholic Patriarchate
- Archbishop Mosa el Hage of the Maronite Catholic Exarchate
- Archbishop Subeil Dawani of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East
- Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
- Bishop Pierre Malki of the Syrian Catholic Exarchate
- Msgr. George Dankaye of the Armenian Catholic Exarchate
References:
- Details
CWN - The Palm Sunday bombings of Coptic Orthodox churches were “a test for the faith of Egypt’s Christians,” the head of the country’s Catholic Copts told the Fides news service.
Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, the Coptic Catholic leader, reported that he was celebrating Mass in the Catholic cathedral in Alexandria at the time when a suicide bomber struck at the Coptic Orthodox cathedral nearby. “We clearly heard the loud explosion,” he said.
The Catholic patriarch said that his Orthodox counterpart, Coptic Pope Tawadros II was “deeply saddened” by the bombings, to the point that “it is not easy to speak with him.” Pope Tawadros was apparently the target of the bomber in Alexandria, but escaped unharmed.
The Catholic patriarch said that he was happy to hear that Pope Francis will not alter his plan to visit Egypt later this month. He remarked that “cancellation of the program could have given the impression that bloodshed and terror can prevail.”
References:
- Details
CWN - Hank Hanegraaff, a noted Evangelical leader and talk-show host, has been received into the Greek Orthodox Church, along with his wife and two of their twelve children.
Hanegraaff, who is known as the “Bible Answer Man,” has been known for his outspoken criticism of cults and his defense of controversial Christian teachings on moral issues. He was chrismated at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Palm Sunday.
References:
- Details
CWN - At least 44 Coptic Christians were killed on Palm Sunday, April 9, in two separate bombings.
More than 30 people were killed, and 75 others injured, when a suicide bomber approached the altar of a historic Coptic church in Tanta, north of Cairo, and set up off device at the front of the church. Soon thereafter, another suicide bomber struck at St. Mark’s cathedral in Alexandria, where the Coptic Pope Tawadros was presiding at Palm Sunday services. At least a dozen people were killed, and another 65 injured, in the latter attack.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombings. Egyptian authorities say that the Muslim Brotherhood was also involved.
The two Coptic churches appear to have been chosen for their symbolic value. The Mar Girgis Church in Tanta is one of the oldes Christian churches in Egypt, dating back to the year 316. The cathedral in Alexandria was likely targeted because of the presence of Pope Tawadros.
- Details
aleteia.org John Burger | Apr 10, 2017 - Eastern Hospitality' showcases recipes from a monastery kitchen and food for thought from spiritual masters.
At a time when Christians are supposed to be “giving up stuff,” what are a monk and a nun doing in the kitchen cooking tasty meals?
All Lent long, the two religious have been producing weekly cooking programs, tempting viewers to think about food rather than encouraging them to practice self-denial.
But there’s more to their web-based program, Eastern Hospitality, than meets the palate.
Reminiscent of other religious-themed cookbooks and TV programs — such as Brother Victor Antoine’s monastery recipes or Father Leo Patalinghug’s Grace Before Meals — Eastern Hospitality blends simple recipes with food for thought. Each web-based program, running between 15 and 30 minutes, brings in a guest speaker to offer a spiritual reflection. Both the cooking and the reflection are tied to the current religious season or upcoming commemoration.
But it all takes on an Eastern flavor, since it’s produced by Eastern Catholic religious—hence the name. The hosts, Mother Gabriela and Abouna Moses, follow religious practices with roots in the Orthodox Church.
- Six thousand families of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine to get potatoes and seeds from the Pope
- Turkish President Erdogan to pray at Hagia Sophia, raising questions about secular status
- Syrian bishop sees US strikes as hasty, dangerous
- Syria: Catholic agencies provided $200M in assistance to 4.6 million in 2016