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Photo: Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I embrace.
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CWN - The head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations has called upon the Russian government to end mandatory abortion coverage in health insurance.
“Abortions should stop being a part of mandatory health insurance, a norm of life for doctors, women and men, acceptable practice for society,” said Vladimir Legoyda, according to the Interfax news agency. “Pregnancy is not an illness, and abortion is not a normal medical operation.”
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CWN - The Moscow Synodal Choir joined the Sistine Chapel Choir in a December 11 concert at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs in Rome.
The concert included the joint singing of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s Tu Es Petrus (Thou Art Peter).
Following the concert, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, discussed “the significance of cultural cooperation for the development of the Catholic-Orthodox relations,” according to the Moscow Patriarchate.
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Christmas Letter 2016
Gregorios, by the grace of God,
Patriarch of Antioch and of All the East, of Alexandria and of Jerusalem:
May divine grace and apostolic blessing rest on and embrace
my brother bishops, members of the Holy Synod
and all the faithful clergy and laity of our Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Christ was born in Palestine: Christianity was born in Syria
These two phrases sum up the most sublime meanings of the glorious Feast of the Nativity. The existence of Jesus is linked to the existence of Christianity, and Christianity’s existence is linked to its relationship with Jesus. There can be no Christianity without Jesus and no Jesus without Christianity and Christians, their presence, role and witness in the world, especially in the Middle East, where Jesus was born.
Today in the Middle East, cradle of Christianity, Christian presence is threatened: threatened by wars that have given rise to this terrifying exodus, especially of Christians. That is what we see particularly in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt – countries that represent the core of Christian presence in the Arab world, in our beloved Middle East.
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risu.org.ua - In Odessa we still pray in a private house, which serves as the Cathedral. Perhaps the most discriminated religious community in Ukraine”, said the Patriarch of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) during the Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Odessa on December 11, 2016, during his second pastoral visit to Odessa exarchate, informs the Information Department of the UGCC.
"Maybe, said the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics, Odesa Greek Catholics is the most discriminated religious community in Ukraine. But again I would to tell you, do not worry, because God is merciful. Be true Christians, be first to come to people, no matter what language they speak, what nationality they are or what religion profess. And we will go out of the Odessa underground".
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CWN - At least 25 people were killed on December 11 when a bomb exploded in a church adjacent to the Coptic Orthodox cathedral in Cairo.
Egypt’s president and grand mufti condemned the attack, for which no one has claimed responsibility.
Referring to the attack in Cairo, as well as terrorist attacks in Turkey and Somalia, Pope Francis said following his December 11 Angelus address that “we also pray for the victims of some horrible terrorist attacks which have hit various countries in the last few hours.”
“I would like to express a special closeness to my dear brother Pope Tawadros II [the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church] and to his community, and I am praying for the dead and the wounded,” Pope Francis added.
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CWN - Following the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on December 11, Pope Francis lamented the plight of war-torn Aleppo, Syria.
“Every day I am close, especially in prayer, to the people of Aleppo,” he said. “We must not forget that Aleppo is a city in which there are people: families, children, the elderly, sick people. Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to war, to destruction; but we must not forget Syria is a country full of history, culture, and faith.”
“We cannot accept that this is negated by war, which is a pile of abuses and falsehoods,” he continued. “I make an appeal for the commitment of everyone, because we face a choice of civilization: no to destruction, yes to peace, yes to the people of Aleppo and Syria.”
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