The Christian population in nine Middle Eastern states is 14,526,000, down from 14,740,000 in 2010, according to a report published by the Vatican newspaper. The total population of Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey is 258 million. The report draws on a recent study by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association on Christians in the Middle East. The study documented sharp recent and historical declines in Christian population:
• in Syria, from 2.2 million (2010) to 1.2 million
• in Egypt, from 19% of the population (1910) to 10%
• in Lebanon, from 53% (1932) to less than 40%
• in Jerusalem, from 20% (1946) to less than 2%
• in Palestine, from 20% (1948) to 1.2%
Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV
The executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) meeting in Madrid this week, issued an official statement regarding the leaks
