A man stands inside a damaged church in the village of Tel Nasri, Syria.
Credits: RODI SAID/REUTERS Pope Francis donates €145,000 to Catholic Church in Syria
Pope Francis has donated approximately €145,000 to the Catholic Church in Syria for its charitable work with the poor. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation of the Eastern Churches, announced that each of the country’s 17 ecclesiastical circumscriptions would receive roughly €8,500.
The 77-year-old Argentine cardinal explained that his congregation was making the donation in the Pope’s name to address the areas of greatest need identified by each bishop.
Syria’s Christians have suffered sustained persecution since the commencement of its civil war, with formerly large Christian communities being decimated, such as the 180,000 residing in Aleppo before the war, which has now eroded to a mere 32,000 as per statistics compiled in 2019.
English bishop encourages pro-life advocates amid struggles
Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury told a pro-life pilgrimage that the enemies of abortion, assisted suicide, and other crimes against human life cannot give up joy and hope in a culture that is becoming increasingly hostile to their beliefs.
“In this century we can expect a protracted struggle and we must be ready for repeated assaults on both the laws and the social environments of care, which have long protected and cherished the lives of our society’s weakest members,” Bishop Davies said. “Yet, this struggle is the opportunity to give witness to the value of every human life and to announce once more the Gospel of Life with joy.”
Bishop stresses value of human life after Sudan coup
Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Andali of El Obeid spoke of how the international community must put pressure on Sudan’s military to show respect and value for human life in the wake of the military’s coup against the country’s transitional government.
“We hear of the death of the people who express their feelings towards the coup against civilian governments,” Bishop Tombe Trille said after multiple protesters were reportedly killed.
He added that he believes the international community should put their pressure on the junta to value the life of their citizens and sent a rallying call to Catholics in the region by saying that [the] “Church in Sudan has never remained silent under the Cross of Christ despite some changes which took place in Sudan; the attitude of the rulers towards the Church never changed”.
Catholic doctor honoured for service during Covid pandemic
A neurologist who responded to the start of the Covid pandemic in New York City in 2020 has been awarded this year’s Catholic Doctor of the Year Award.
Major Daniel O’Connell, MD, MPH, received the award during the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Mass for Catholic Healthcare Professionals. Dr O’Connell explained that he was raised in the Catholic Church, and he said his Catholic faith is integral to his medical career.
“I specifically sought out a Catholic medical school, which I think is somewhat unique in the modern era,” Dr O’Connell said. “I never had that Catholic school experience, and I wanted my grounding as a physician to be of Catholic origin.”