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Pope vows action on abuse, decries divisions in Church, in address to Roman Curia

Pope Francis renewed his promise to root out sexual abuse, and at the same time warned against divisions in the Church, in a December 21 address to leaders of the Roman Curia. “Let us be clear that before these abominations the Church will spare no effort to do all that is necessary to bring to […]

Iran: Crackdown on Christians continues with reports of Beatings

Christian leaders in Iran have said that pressure on Christians increases every year around Christmas but that this year it is particularly severe. At least seven Iranian Christian converts have been arrested in Iran, including two sisters who allegedly have been beaten. Shima Zanganeh, 27, and her sister, Shokoufeh, 30, were arrested by Intelligence Service […]

Pakistani Christians face an uneasy Christmas in the wake of Asia Bibi’s release

For the first time in nine years, Asia Bibi will be with her husband on Christmas. But many of her fellow Christians in Pakistan are afraid of a backlash this holiday season in the wake of Bibi’s on October exoneration by the nation’s Supreme Court on blasphemy charges. Recent cases of abductions, allegations of blasphemy […]

State bans Christmas in parts of China, Santa included

As Christmas approaches, officials in China have requested strict controls on festive celebrations as the country continues its crackdown on religions at the end of a year that has seen stepped -up persecution of Christians. Shops and street vendors alike are reportedly being banned from selling wares considered “controversial” by the state in various parts […]

Two Christian brothers sentenced to death for blasphemy in Punjab

Two Christian brothers have been sentenced to death in Pakistan on blasphemy charges, the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) announced on December 14. Qaisar and Amoon Ayub, from Lahore, were arrested in 2015 after one of the two was accused of posting offensive material against Islam on their website. Qaisar and his wife Amina […]

Dubai church cuts down celebrations to help Kerala

A church in Dubai has cut down on its golden jubilee celebrations and donated 10 million rupees (Dh 542,643) to the flood-ravaged south Indian State of Kerala, church officials said. Announcing the details of the valedictory function of the 50th anniversary celebrations of St Thomas Orthodox Cathedral scheduled on Dec. 28, church officials said many […]

A Dubai wall with 25,000 images of Jesus

While many would search online for wallpapers and images of Jesus Christ on special occasions like Christ-mas, this Indian expat has one of the largest collections of Christ’s images on the wall of his Dubai accommodation. Lorence Maman Neriam-parampil, 45, proudly owns a collection of over 25,000 unique pictures of Jesus. He has displayed all […]

A message of peace from the Catholic community in Abu Dhabi

The St Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi has a message of peace to deliver Pope Francis during his visit to the capital from February 3 to 5. According to the official itinerary of Pope Francis released by The Vatican, he will make a stop at the St Joseph’s Cathedral on February 5 Tuesday before heading to […]