In the run-up to Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to Iraq, he asks the faithful to accompany his journey with prayers so it may bear fruit for the Middle Eastern nation. The journey is scheduled to take place from 5 to 8 March.

HOLY LAND - On Tuesday, March 2, 2021, the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land will preside over an intercessory prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in time of Coronavirus, at the Shrine of Our Lady (Stella Maris) at 6:00 pm. The prayer will be animated by the parish choirs (Melkite, Latin and Maronite) and recorded by the Christian Media Center, which will broadcast on Thursday, March 4.

This morning, the Divine Liturgy was held in the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, at the end of which, Patriarch John X shared the following message:

“Saint Paul the Apostle addresses us all, saying: “All things are lawful to me, but all things are not profitable: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Our Orthodox unity is our daily prayer

My dear Brothers, fellow Primates and Concelebrants in the Lord Jesus Christ,

One year ago this week, we gathered in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to build our common fellowship in the pursuit of a dialogue of love for the sake of the unity of the Local Orthodox Churches.

In a letter addressed to Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Pope Francis remembers doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel who have died in the performance of their duties during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fasting is a biblical tradition that appeared in the two covenants, but it is also a practice that developed and varied according to time and place. I will not dwell in detail on fasting from a biblical point of view, its spirituality and its meanings, because the aim of this presentation is to provide a comprehensive and short panoramic view of the "methods of fasting and their development throughout history" since Judaism to early Christianity and even the Latin Church in our contemporary times. If we turn to the Bible, it is only to clarify this aspect.

International partners working to achieve equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines appealed on Wednesday for the UN Security Council to ensure people caught in conflict have access to these lifesaving treatments.

Vatican News continues with its series on the history, mission, objectives and operating costs of the Vatican offices assisting the Pope in his pastoral ministry. We feature here the Congregation for Oriental Churches with an interview of the Prefect, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri.

The Vatican City State Governorate releases a statement explaining a recent decree on the need to vaccinate employees who work in public-facing jobs, saying the directive seeks to strike a balance between protecting the community and an individual’s freedom of choice.

The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments issues a note to bishops and episcopal conferences on the celebration of Holy Week 2021 with worship and health safety in mind.

The social distancing measures also planned in Egypt to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic did not prevent celebrating, even if in a sober and limited way, the 6th anniversary of the massacre of 20 Copts in Libya in the company of their Ghanaian workmates from jihadist terrorists linked to the so-called "Islamic State" in February 2015.

ROME – With less than three weeks to go until Pope Francis’ first international trip in 18 months, rockets were fired Monday at the airport and civilian areas of Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan and a city he’s scheduled to visit during his March 5-8 outing to Iraq.

The attacks represent the latest challenge to what was already an outing fraught with complexities.

Pope Francis celebrates Mass on Ash Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica, and urges Christians to experience Lent as a return journey toward the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

and addresses by The Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Koch, Fiona Bruce MP, The Bishop of Truro, and a panel of distinguished guests

‘Contemporary Martyrs Day’ is marked annually by The Coptic Orthodox Church to commemorate the anniversary of the 21 Libya Martyrs who were murdered by Isis on 15 February 2015 in Libya. It has also been established to commemorate members of the Coptic Orthodox Church who have lost their lives in contemporary history as a result of religious persecution.

When will justice, peace, and respect for common living prevail so that all people can join hands in the process of the development of their societies as well as in creating a better future for the generations to come?

The vaccination campaign against Covid-19 in the Vatican which began on Wednesday continues with both Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI receiving their first doses of the vaccine.

In his message for Lent 2021, Pope Francis calls on the faithful to “renew our faith, draw from the living waters of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God.”

For the Auxiliary Bishop of Baghdad, the visit to Najaf will be “one of the highlights” of the apostolic journey to Iraq. The Shi‘a leader “is not a politician, but a man of faith” who works for human fraternity. The new coronavirus pandemic will prevent the usual crowds, but Christians and others are waiting for the pontiff “with joy and hope”.

TAYBEH, Palestine - On Sunday, January 31, 2021, the Governor of Ramallah and al-Bireh Dr. Laila Ghannam announced a one-week lockdown in Taybeh after the discovery of cases of the new UK strain of COVID-19 in the village. Among those affected are the workers and residents of Beit Afram Elderly Home, a centre administered by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Statement of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East on COVID-19 Vaccines

Considering the spread of Covid-19 pandemic which afflicts the world and its people today, and subsequent to the production of its vaccines, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, after consultation between His Beatitude and the Antiochian Hierarchs, would like to clarify the following to her faithful:
1. In the Pastoral Letter issued in 2019, the Church reaffirmed “the sanctity of life and the necessity of respecting it alongside her openness to scientific advancement.”