Massive Fire in Pope's Immigrant Camp: Arson Suspected

About 3,000 residents of Moria camp are homeless on Lesbos - situation risks due to precarious conditions and raises the dire mood.

Athens (kath.net/KAP) After a fire in refugee camp Moria in Lesbos,  which Pope Francis has visited in April, more than 3,000 residents have fled the hotspot on Monday night to other parts of the Aegean island. About 60 percent of the facilities were destroyed according to local information, by the fire, while nobody was injured.

The Greek police are convinced this is deliberate arson. 18 refugees and migrants were arrested, according to the Athens daily "Kathimerini" (Tuesday). They are expected to be responsible for the fires and for previous riots.

According to media reports, before the fire, refugees of different ethnicities had gotten into an argument. The mood was particularly fueled by rumors of an impending mass deportation of people back to Turkey. The precarious conditions in the overcrowded reception center played a role: On Lesbos, there are currently held around 5,650 refugees, while the accommodation there offers only room for 3,500.

Because of the fire camp residents were left homeless, and now according to estimates by the Mayor of Lesbos, Spyros Galinos, further escalation is threatened. He asked Athens for help; it must not ultimately be that only 15 municipalities throughout Greece should shoulder the entire refugee problem, Galinos criticized on Tuesday in a radio interview.

Moria reached the public's attention in the spring, as Pope Francis traveled to the camp and met refugees there. He spoke to them in solidarity with his visit, of courage and called on them to mutual affection and solidarity; surprisingly, he then took twelve Muslims from Syria on his return to Rome  from Syria, including six children; in June he took nine other residents of Moria; two of them were Christians.

Kathpress...
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

The Trevi Fountain in Rome is Colored Red "For the Blood of Christian Martyrs"

(Rome) This coming April 29, the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome will turn red as "the blood of Christian martyrs". This action seeks to raise awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians in different states.

The initiative for action comes from the Catholic aid charity Kirche in Not. Meanwhile, numerous Catholic organizations have joined the effort.

ACN published a short video to announce the action.The pictures show the horrors of the persecution of Christians. Pope Francis can  be heard in the original sound with the words:

"Our brothers shed their blood just because they are Christians."

The Trevi Fountain is the largest fountain in Rome and one of the most famous in the world. It is regarded as one of the main attractions of the Eternal City.

In 1640 the contract was issued by Pope Urban VII. for drilling the well  to Gian Lorenzo Bernini, but it was only begun in 1732.

After an extensive and thorough restoration,  the fountain was reopened five months ago.

Among visitors to Rome, it is customary to throw a coin into the fountain, which guarantees a return to the city. The coins are fished out once every year by the City Council, most recently since the restoration work began in 2013. From this point forward, this money goes to Caritas. In 2013 there were 1.2 million euros.

Link to Katholisches...

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The Vatican and Orthodox Churches Work Together to Rebuild Damaged Churches in Syria

(Rome) The Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church and the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church will jointly rebuild the churches destroyed in Syrian war.

A joint working group of the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church have travelled to Syria and Lebanon to gain an impression of the extent of the devastation. Consultations were also held on site. This was recently announced by the Moscow Patriarchate with a press release.

The reconstruction is primarily concerned with the sanctuaries and monasteries which were destroyed by Islamic jihadists and in the course of fighting. Soon will they will start generating an accurate list of Christian shrines. Using this list, we'll establish priorities together, so Moscow.

The Catholic-Orthodox delegation that traveled to the Middle East includes the Catholic Archbishop of Moscow, Msgr. Paolo Pezzi, and the Orthodox priest and theologian Stephan Igumnov, the Secretary for Interfaith Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. The two church officials were accompanied by representatives of the Pontifical relief organization Church in Need.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi Picture: Youtube (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMDG

Stop the Persecution of Christians: Statue of Our Lady of Fatima Comes to Syria

(Fatima / Damascus) with the aim to overcome the fanaticism, the statue of the Blessed Lady of Fatima will be brought to Syria, where a merciless struggle for power and the brutal persecution of Christians rages. The number of Christians in the Middle Eastern country has declined since the outbreak of the fighting in 2011 by 30 percent.

The statue of the virgin and the Mary the Mother of God were located in the famous Portuguese pilgrimage site, where in 1917 she appeared to three shepherd children. This coming September 7 it will be brought into Syria with the aim to hal the suffering by Christians in the  and stop the "fanaticism and intolerance."

"This is necessary because of the great indifference of the international institutions" toward the suffering of the Eastern Christians. With these words, Bishop Antonio Marto of Leiria-Fatima founded the initiative.

Response to call of the Bishops of the Middle East

"We are responding to a call of the bishops of the Middle East, who have witnessed the destruction of the Christian communities," said Bishop Marto and recalled  Pope Francis' plea about the persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq.

According to the Catholic Church in Syria the cruel war has decreased  the number of Christians in the country by 30 percent since the war began in 2011. The Christians are persecuted, expelled and killed by the Islamic state (IS) and other jihadists.

"Intolerance and fanaticism" of the jihadists is especially directed at the persecuted Christians, said the bishop, referring to the rise of the Islamic State (IS).

Bishop Marto addressed tens of thousands of Catholics in his sermon who gathered for one of the three traditional pilgrimages to Fatima, to give special attention to the persecuted Christians and pray for the end to the persecution.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: InfoVaticana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Christian Syria: Love in the Ruins

Marriage in Ruined Church in Homs

(Damascus) destruction and new beginnings are close together for the Christians in the Syrian city of Homs, as the images of a Christian wedding in the ruined Church of St. George show.

The attempt to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad and his Alawites has laid Homs  in ruins. The third largest city in Syria to the west of the country, near the border with Lebanon, it is located in the fertile valley of the Orontes, as the river was called in ancient times. Today it is called the Nahr al-Asi.

In 2011 the Sunni made Homs a stronghold of anti-Assad protest. In 2012, however, it became apparent that hiding under the blanket of allegedly "pro-Western" and "democratic" rebels, were Islamist groups. In April 2012 it was announced that the Farouq Brigade of the Christians of Homs had to exact the Muslim jizya poll tax. In May 2014. Homs was recaptured by government troops.

Christian community alive even after almost 2000 years

Homs wedding in the ruined Church of St. George

The images of a Christian wedding in the ruins of the Church of St. George show the horrifying extent of the destruction. It is at the same time also an expression of a new beginning and to show that the Christian community of the city is alive even after almost 2000 years.

The ancient Emesa, this is the name Homs had in the time of Jesus, was one of the first Christian communities and was a bishop's seat after the second century seat. From the Diocletian persecution 303-305, the first bishop is also known by name. In 609 the Persians conquered Homs and destroyed the churches. In 628  the Christian reconstruction started. Weakened by the Persians, Byzantine Syria fell prey to the Muslims in 637. In 1785 Muslims and Greek, Syrian and Armenian Christians were still balanced in Homs. In 1907  a third of the population was Christian. Before the outbreak of war, Homs counted,  with its suburbs, around one million inhabitants. Of these, 60 percent  were Sunni, 20 percent Alawite and 15 percent Christian. In some districts like Fairouzeh and Zaidal  Christians represented a majority with  60 percent and more. Not far from Homs, several Christian villages are among Maalula, where almost all the inhabitants are Christians and where even Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is spoken. 

See the slide show...

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
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Iraqi Franciscan Freed in Syria

Orontem region especially dangerous for Christians. Aleppo / Jerusalem (kath.net/ KNA) A week ago in the Syrian province of Idlib, a kidnapped Iraqi religious is free again. As the Franciscan Administration of the Holy Land in Jerusalem announced on Friday night, apparently police investigations led to the release of 41-year-old Iraqi.

The Franciscan Dhiya Aziz, a minister in Jacoubieh, was arrested last Saturday by an unknown armed group of fighters southwest of Aleppo and brought for questioning to the local emir. Since then, there has been no contact with him. According to information of the Order it was initially suspected that Jabhat al-Nusra, an al-Qaeda affiliated rebel group, had participated in the kidnapping.

Born in Mosul, Aziz had first worked in Egypt and Jordan, from which he volunteered to go to Syriac Lattakieh and was then assigned to Jacoubieh. The region on the Orontes is considered particularly dangerous, since it has fallen under the control of al-Nusra Jabhat.

In June, a Catholic priest was also killed in an attack on a Franciscan monastery by rebels in the province of Idlib. The monastery was robbed. A friar also living at the place and sisters were unhurt. (C) 2015 Catholic News Agency KNA GmbH. All rights reserved. Link to kath.net... Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMDG

In the Syrian Crusader City of Tartarus is the First Alawite Marian Mosque in the World

Marian Mosque of Tartarus

(Damascus) is a mosque dedicated Mary  in Syria  not an anachronism? Syria has become the epitome of war and flight. The Christians in the country are being brutally persecuted. Not by the government, but of Islamist combat forces who want to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. Syria is a majority Muslim country. Only ten percent of the population are Christians.  In1920 they were still 30 percent. However, the Muslims are divided into two groups. 70 percent are Sunni, 20 percent are Alawites. From the latter comes the first mosque named after Mary in the world.

The Alawis of Syria

Alawites in the coastal strip of the Crusader states

Little is known about the Alawites in the West. Within Islam they are considered related parties to the Shiites.  However, there is also the theory that it is the Alawites, if they are not then at least the offspring of Islamized Christians, at least have significant Christian influence in their religious expression. In fact, since their early years in the 10th century, they have  concentrated in Syria and Turkey, two areas which in contrast to other parts of the Islamic world today, which were once heartlands of Christianity.

The Alawites live in what is now Syria, especially along the Mediterranean coast, that area west of the Orontes plane, which belonged to the Crusader states in the Middle Ages and has thus historically and culturally experienced a differing development, than the Islamic territory east of this location. The parallel to the coast mountain range is therefore called the Alawite Mountains (Jebel al-Alawia, Jabal an-Nusayriyah after the original name "Alawite" Alawite).

The Crusaders of Tartus

Fortified Crusader Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa (now a museum)

On the Syrian Mediterranean coast, the city of Tartus is the second largest port in the country. Tartus was founded by the Teutonic Knights and belonged from 1102 to the County of Tripoli, the youngest of the four Crusader states. In 1157 it was  given by King Baldwin III.  of Jerusalem to the Knights Templar. The Templars, the oldest of the  Crusader orders  of religious knights, built the port city into a mighty fortress. Saladin besieged it in 1188 in vain. 1291 Tartus was briefly headquarters of the Knights Templar after the fall of Acre. The city was the last mainland stronghold of the Knights, but fell in the same year. In 1300-1302  the Templars made a last, unsuccessful attempt to recapture Tartus.

The Knights Templar built the fortified cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa (Tartus)  in the city in the Romanesque-Gothic style. It was built on  an original Byzantine site, consecrated to the Virgin Mary consecrated from the early Christian era, and is said to have been consecrated, according to tradition, by the Prince of  the Apostles, Peter. After the Mamelukes conquered the city, they converted the cathedral into a mosque. In 1516 the area was conquered by the Ottomans. Under Ottoman rule, the cathedral was used as a cowshed. Today it is a museum. It is considered one of the best preserved examples of  crusader churches built in the east. Hafez al-Assad, President from 1970-2000 and ruler of Syria, the father of today's President Bachar al-Assad, had promised to give the  the cathedral back to the Christians. His death prevented the return.

First  Mosque Named After Mary  in the World - Marian Devotion in the Koran

Report of the Daily Star of Beirut

In this predominantly  Alawite Tartus the first mosque was built and dedicated to  the Virgin Maryn the world. According to the Beirut daily newspaper Daily Star, the new mosque is called Al-Sayyida Maryam. This is one of several Arab names for the mother of Jesus, says the Minister of Religious and Cultural Goods, Mohammad Abdel-Sattar al-Sayyed at the opening ceremony last Saturday.The minister described the new mosque as a sign "of the opening of Islam that is far  from aberrations and extremism ."

At the opening Antoine Dib, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, who is also a representative of the Eparchy Latakia, was present. He explained that he is "proud of the initiative" has been brought forward and expressed the hope that the mosque dedicated to Mary may be a "sign of peace" for the whole country.

The worship contained in the Koran for the Virgin Mary, the foundation of the mosque dedicated to Mary, is returned by Islamic scholars to Christian context in which the early Islam arose. Some scholars see in Islam an anti-Trinitarian heresy of Christianity.

The Franciscan Giulio Basetti-Sani (1912-20011), a student of the orientalist, Louis Massignon, had especially devoted himself to the Marian devotion in his studies on Islam, including "Mary and Jesus, Son of Mary in the Qur'an", which led him to the conclusion to recognize in Islam a "sister faith". Following in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and in the pursuit of their Mission, the Franciscans endeavored  to make the figures of Jesus and Mary in the Koran visible.

Islam Knows no Personal God, nor the Son of God, but the Virgin Birth of the "Anointed" 

Impressive interior of the former Cathedral of Tartusa

Islam knows no personal God. For this reason there are no references to "father" that  can be found in the 99 invocations of Allah. For this reason, for Islam a "son of God", which would imply a father, is unthinkable. Nevertheless, the Virgin Mary is called "God's chosen", who was "chosen among all women of creation" (Surah 3.42).The divine sonship of Jesus is, however, denied by Islam vehemently. God has no son. Jesus is acknowledged in the Koran as the "Son of Mary", Isa ibn Maryam, as it says in Surah 19.34 to 36. There is acknowledgment of the virgin birth of Mary, who gave birth to the "anointed one", one of the names for Jesus in Islam.

For several years  the feast of the Annunciation on March 25th in Syria is a national holiday. It's a sign of the relatively good relations between Christians and the ruling Alawite Islam of Syria.

Mary is now considered a "door" in interreligious dialogue between Islam and the Catholic Church.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Daily Star (Screenshots) / Wikicommons / Espen Lutken (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred verkon99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Jihadists Destroy Armenian Cathedral of Aleppo

The Cathedral of the 40 Martyrs, Destroyed
on April 28th, 2015 

(Beirut) "Just in time" for the 100th anniversary of the genocide of the Armenians, jihadists destroyed the Armenian Cathedral of Aleppo. Ignatius Joseph III. Younan, Patriarch of the  Syrian Catholic Church of Antioch in union with Rome, speaks of a "tragedy in Aleppo", the second largest city of Syria. On April 28, the city was bombarded by Islamist militias. Here also, the Cathedral of the Forty Martyrs  of the Armenian Apostolic Church was destroyed.

The cathedral in the Christian district Jdeydeh is dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. It was built in 1429 in front of a smaller predecessor. In its present form, it was enlarged 1499/1500. She is one of the oldest churches in the Armenian diaspora and the old city of Aleppo.

The patriarch spoke of his visitations in twelve Syrian parishes. In all he had found a precarious situation, but above all the desire of Christians and Muslims, "that the slaughter come to an end as soon as possible".

"West Does not Want to Understand Real Problem"

The bell tower of the cathedral before destruction

In Syria there is an incumbent, internationally recognized government, "which can not be put on the same footing as the rebels," said the Patriarch to the daily newspaper Avvenire. "But the West, particularly the United States, France and Great Britain, do not want to understand the real problem: that the Sunni majority does not accept the various minorities."

The West must seriously ask themselves whether or not to put an end to this tragedy, said the Patriarch. "If we really want, then the flow of arms must stop. In addition, the borders must be controlled so that the jihadists who come even from Indonesia and Nigeria can not just to enter the country. Unfortunately, the West also gets its advantage from the war, because some thought to be able to resolve the crisis at least in part, by selling weapons to the fighters. "

Of the Islamic State, the Patriarch said: "I can not discuss the Islamic state. The problem of IS would be solved within a short time if it were not militarily  supported by some countries in the region such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with the tacit approval of the West."

Turkey and Genocide: "Why the Patriarch of Antioch Can Not Reside in This City?"

Magnificent Reliefs of Armenian Religious Art Were Lost

Regarding the Turkish reactions to Pope Francis, who spoke about the genocide of the Armenians, Ignatius Joseph III .Younan said: "Last Sunday we commemorated the tragedy of our Armenian brothers with a Holy Mass who also included  both Catholics and Orthodox Syrians. The genocide took place. If the Turks do not want to acknowledge this, that's their problem. But that's the truth. We need not be afraid of their reaction. We should rather ask: Why is there, in the area of ​​present-day Turkey, where Christianity was represented historically since ancient times, only a population of 50,000 Christians out of 80 million?  Why did none of the five patriarchs of Antioch, three Catholic and two Orthodox headquarter in this city? I myself am the son of refugees. My mother and my father had to leave Turkey when I was a kid. Given certain attitudes we must firmly and decisively remain here."

EU could make great contribution to the solution of the Middle East conflict

Considering the EU the Patriarch added, "I think of the European Union in a particular way. If the EU is united, their cultural identity rediscovered and  not be determined by the United States: Where does that leave Turkey? Unfortunately, the West is often a prisoner of a certain cowardice, which is reflected in a politically correct mentality. In reality, the EU could make a major contribution to solving the Middle East problem."

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: ora pro Siria
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
AMDG

Hezbollah is Recruiting Christians Against "Islamic State"

The Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, according to a newspaper report, have recruited volunteers of all faiths for resistance brigades against the "Islamic state", even Christians have applied.

Beirut (kath.net/KNA) The Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, according to a newspaper report, have recruited volunteers of all faiths for Resistance Brigades against the "Islamic State". Several young men were trained directly by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the Lebanese newspaper reported, "An Nahar" (Wednesday). Also a number of Christians had applied.

According to Hezbollah, they have not posted any of the new fighters to Syria, but are preparing for a spillover of the Syrian civil war or an invasion of extremists in Lebanon. In the past, Hezbollah militias have supported Syria's President Bashar al-Assad against the majority Sunni insurgents. Assad belongs to the Alawite religious community, which emerged from the Shiite Islam. (C) 2014 Catholic News Agency KNA GmbH. All rights reserved.

Link to Kath.net... Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com AMDG

IS Fighters Encircle Turkish Troops

Kobane Under Attack

ANKARA. Troops of the "Islamic state" (IS) have encircled 36 Turkish soldiers in northern Syria.These guard the mausoleum of Süleyman Shah, the grandfather of the first Ottoman sultan, which is the extraterritorial property of Turkey. According to Turkish newspapers there are about 1,100 Islamists  deployed.

The grave is located about 30 kilometers south of the heavily contested Kurdish city Kobane.Thousands IS-fighters have been trying for days, to conquer the border city located directly on the Syrian-Turkish border. According to observers they have also employed  heavy artillery and tanks. Opposing them are a few hundred Kurdish fighters with light weapons. They are supported by air attacks from the United States and Arab countries.

The Syrian Minister of National Reconciliation, Ali Haidar, meanwhile, stressed that the government in Damascus could not support the Kurds with air strikes because of the proximity to the Turkish border. There was a risk that the machines would then penetrate the Turkish airspace.

Turkey pulls troops together

While the fighting continues, Turkey has begun to assemble  troops on their side of the border. As government Turkish newspapers report, nearly 10,000 soldiers and 35 tanks were mobilized. On Thursday the parliament in Ankara will advise about a possible deployment of ground troops in Syria and Iraq.

One suggested solution  is also a safety zone in the two countries where Turkish troops take control, to protect the inhabitants from the Islamists. Previously, Turkey has steadfastly refused to intervene against the IS   and has even tolerated activities of the terrorist organization in their own country. (Ho)

Link to Junge Freiheit...

Pope Francis Calls For a Response From the UN

Pope Francis has called the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to reinforce the efforts of the United Nations for the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Northern Iraq.

Vatican City (kath.net/KNA) Pope Francis has appealed to the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon to reinforce efforts for united national protection of Christians and other minorities in Northern Iraq. He has turned to the UN General Secretary to "Address the fears, suffering, and the cries of despair coming from the hearts of Christians and members of beloved Iraq," it read from a letter published by the Vatican on Wednesday to Ban. The "humanitarian tragedy" in Iraq must be ended.


In view if the tragic experiences of the 20th century, the "international community must do all possible, to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities," continues Francis.
This must be accomplished according to the provisions and mechanisms of human rights.

(C) 2014 KNA Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur GmbH. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Holy Father Appeals to "International Community" to Help Persecuted Minorities in Iraq

In a twitter message, Francis wrote: "I ask that the entire international community to protect all of the victims in Iraq." -- Pope Francis otherwise named Cardinal Fernando Filon as a special ambassador for Iraq.

Vatican City (kath.net/KNA) Pope Francis has called upon the international community to protect Christians, Jezidis, and Shi'ites persecuted by the Islamic State." "I ask the international community to protect all victims of violence in Iraq," it said in a report from the abbreviated news service Twitter on Saturday. On Friday, Pope Francis called for prayer for persecuted Christians in Iraq.


On the se day the previous nuncio to Iraq, Cardinal Fernando Filoni was named to a special diplomatic mission to Iraq. It is determined that Filoni will be dispatched in the coming days to the Kurdistan region in Northern Iraq where most of the Christians are located seeking help. Rome has also said that an emergency meeting of diplomats active in the Middle East which will foreseeable take place in September. Francis had appealed last Thursday on the international community to bring an end to the violence.

Islamists Capture the Largest Christian City on the Nineveh Plain: 100,000 Christians in Flight

Jihadis of the Islamic States (IS)

 (Baghdad) The jihadists of the Islamic State (IS) have conquered the largest Christian town in the Nineveh plain in northern Iraq. 100,000 Christians are fleeing. Organizations speak of a "humanitarian catastrophe." How long will the West will still look away? Christian solidarity is really not a category for the "neutral" Western state doctrine ?

This past July 20, the Christians of Bach Dida (Qaraqosh) was still   a haven to the monks of the 1,600 year old Syrian Catholic monastery Mar Behnamr from which they'd been driven.'  The Islamists had  occupied the monastery and offered the monks with the alternative of "conversion" to Islam, escape or death. The Kurdish Perschmerga brought the monks after a flight of several hours to the Christians of Bach Dida. Now the city which is barely 30 kilometers southeast of Mosul has been conquered by the Islamists. The Iraqi army has abandoned the Nineveh plain after the first advance without fighting. The Christians have organized, despite a lack of weapons,  a kind of militia, but were hopelessly inferior to the battle-hardened jihadists, funded by the oil emirates and Washington.

Christians Defenseless - Radical Cleansing

Christians on the Run

Bach Dida, also known under the name Qaraqosh, is the largest Christian town in Iraq. The city is the largest Christian church in the country on the Euphrates and Tigris. The Christians have in their flight, as far as possible, the preserved in the city and taken venerated relics. Others were buried. They fear that the churches be desecrated or destroyed. The Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk Yousif Thomas Mirkis-Sulaimaniya, a Dominican, speaks of an "unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe" and a "tragic situation". He feared that the largest church in the city could be misused by the Islamists in a command center, as it has already happened in other places. "A show of force," said the Archbishop. "Tens of thousands of people are terrorized and expelled, as we speak. We suffer a disaster that is hard to describe in words."

Not only Bach Dida, but the entire area was conquered by the Islamists, as well as the other Christian places of the valley Kayf, Bart and Ella Karamlesh. The area is "cleaned". Wen the Islamists did not immediately shoot (men) or abducted (women) has only the alternative of "escape or death". Since the Iraqi state power no longer exists in the province of Nineveh, hoped the Christians  to protect the Kurdish Peshmerga. These are ready to offer the Christians in the Kurdish area protection, but do not want to get involved in direct combat due to lack of weapons with the Islamists outside of Kurdistan. This means that the majority Christian area of ​​Qaraqosh is defenseless.

Conquest with the Cry Allahu Akbar  - Mass Executions

"We are witnessing a genocide by cleansing. How long will the world just watch? We called on the UN Security Council to intervene immediately. Here  a disaster of the largest proportions is taking place. Why does nobody help us?

The nearby town of Tal Kayf was conquered by the Islamists: "The Islamists arrived at night. There were shots. Long convoys of armed fighters of the Islamic State invaded the city. WIth the cries of Allhu Akbar they proclaimed their conditions," said a Christian from the valley Kayf, managed to escape in the Kurdish capital of Erbil.

In addition to the Christians, the minority Yazidi were driven as well. Even Muslims took to flight.  About 500 men of the city were executed by the Islamists, hundreds of women, especially Christian women were deported as slaves of the Islamists, says Tempi, citing Iraqi sources.

Patriarch Sako: "People Are Suffering Here Via Crucis "

The Chaldean Patriarch Raphael I Louis Sako of Baghdad, who had directed a desperate cry for help to Pope Francis a few days ago, said: "They create a void, an emptiness. In Syria, there is an intact army fighting against the Islamists. In Iraq, there is no army that can protect anyone. The Kurds withdrew into their territories. They only have light weapons.The Islamists are very well armed. Thousands of people are on the streets on the run. Their goal is uncertain. If no help comes, droit 50,000 of them the death by hunger and thirst. There are women, children, old people. It is necessary to mobilize the conscience of public opinion in all countries. The people on the run, walk, experience their Via Crucis.

Asianews has now started a  concrete relief effort, which will find imitation hopefully also in the  rest of the world.  Donations will be collected under the keywords: "Adopt a Christian from Mosul." With five euros a day a refugee can be helped. The money will be sent to the Patriarchate of Baghdad to coordinate the relief effort for the persecuted Christians.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Asianews / tempos

Trans:; Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Does Pope Francis Really Say to Persecuted Christians: "See how you get through it."

 

August 7, 2014 07:55 | Communication to the Editor

Antonio Socci: Are Pope Francis, the persecuted Christians in the Middle East no matter how President Obama?

(Rome) The Catholic journalist Antonio Socci, director of the Academy of Television Journalism in Perugia, a joint project of the University of Perugia and  public television RAI, wrote after the Angelus of Pope Francis from last Sunday on his Facebook page a short comment:

Bergoglio says to the persecuted Christians 'See to it how you cope with it'?

At today's Angelus Pope Bergoglio said, 'Looking the other way is an kind of way of saying, see toit how you cope with it'. But that is not Christian. "

But Bergoglio avoided any reference to the persecuted Christians and especially those that are being persecuted in Iraq at this time because of their faith.

Not even a reference to the initiative of the Italian Bishops' Conference, which has   declared a day of prayer for the persecuted Christians for the coming 15th August.

According to his own words, this means that you are being harassed because of your faith and out of your homes? See how you can cope with it.

A tribute to the Italian bishops! Rather, why didn't the prayer not connect with the initiative of  the Society of St. Peter ?

This ends the commentary. The Catholic journalist left the question hang in the air, whether Pope Francis, is indifferent to the persecuted Christians of the Middle East.  Indifferent as the U.S. President Barack Obama and most Western leaders?

The Austrian bishops have proclaimed  an ecumenical day of fasting and prayer  on August 8. With his suggestion that the bishops should have actually aligned their prayer initiative with that of the FSSP  on August 1,  Socci would clearly have overwhelmed the bishops.  A joint initiative of Western European Episcopal Conferences with a community of tradition? That would be the best  imaginable from the U.S. Bishops' Conference.  As  "Western Europeans" we should just enjoy it, that the bishops are active.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Tempi

Trans: Tancred vekron99@homtail.com

Link to Katholisches...

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Christians of Aleppo Plant Olive Tree Where Three Were Killed by Islamists

(Damascus) Last week was the parish of the Holy Trinity in Aleppo was the target of a brutal attack by  Syrian rebels. The parish church was attacked with a rocket that struck just in front of the church. Three Christians were killed, including two nuns. Now the priests and faithful have  planted an olive tree in response  at the point of impact, as a sign of peace and for the future.

"We had just celebrated the Holy Mass. Had the rocket hit the stairs to the church, the number of victims would have been much greater," said Father Joseph Bazouzou to the news agency Fides. Last Sunday, the priests and faithful of the parish gathered after the Sunday Mass, "to give the only answer to the bombs and the violence that for years always claims new lives," said the priest. As a symbol against violence and for the hope in Christ, they planted an olive tree at the point at which the Islamist rocket struck and took three dead. They wrote in Arabic on the pot: "Peace" and "God is love".

Since the outbreak of the civil war,  Christians have been the target of Islamist rebels. Christians are murdered, expelled, or forcibly converted subject to the Islamic dhimmi system. 

While the West is silent or finances the Islamists and equips them with weapons, church organizations engage in concrete help.  Regarding the Prayer of the Fraternity of St. Peter for the persecuted Christians and the fasting and prayer of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna has already been reported. Help for  needy Christians, who made ​​up 15 percent of the population, according to the Church historian Rudolf Grulich, until the outbreak of the civil war in 2012, comes from the Relief Organization, Church in Need .

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Infovaticana

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

Syria: Islamists Descend on Christian Town

About 80 dead - 670 families from Kasab fled to the port city of Latakia Kasab (kath.net / idea ) In north-west Syria, Islamist rebels have attacked the predominantly Christian town of Kasab. The reports are from the Christian Hilfsbund (Bad Homburg) working there in the Orient, citing eyewitnesses. As the director of federal assistance, Andreas Baumann, the Protestant news agency 'idea' said it has so far the area on the Syrian-Turkish border has been relatively quiet and safe. In the 3500 population city and twelve surrounding villages, there live mainly Christian Armenians. Even Armenian refugees from the city of Aleppo and other parts of the country have sought refuge there from the fighting. On 21 March an offensive had been launched by the Islamists. 670 Christian families then fled or were evacuated by the Syrian military - more than 60 kilometers south from the port city of Latakia. They lived there with relatives or in churches. Partner organizations of Christian auxiliary Federal supplied them with food.

Turkey Syrian Shoots Down Syrian Jet.

Baumann showed himself very concerned about the development. Government troops had tried in vain to repel the insurgents. So far, 80 people have been killed. Rebels had beheaded 13 Armenians. In the fighting, the Turkish military had shot down a Syrian fighter aircraft, according to the media reports it had penetrated Turkish airspace. According to Baumann it is believed that the rebels had advanced from Turkish soil to Kasab. The place is located just three kilometers from the Turkish border. Meanwhile, Latakia was being attacked with rockets, Baumann said. The Armenians are considered as the oldest Christian nation in the world. During the First World War they were the victims of genocide by the then Ottoman Empire, now Turkey. He noted an estimated 300,000 to 1.5 million Armenians fell victim. Turkey denies this genocide. Of the 21 million inhabitants of Syria, 90 percent are Muslim and 6.3 percent Christian, of which three percent are Catholics and Orthodox, plus small groups of Protestants before the Civil War. The rest of the population consists of non-religious people or followers of other religions. The Christians enjoyed relative freedom of belief under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad; they are hunted by the insurgents as his allies.

  Link to kath.net....

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Only Catholic Church appears able to aid starving population of Homs, Syria

Edit: I just ripped off the whole story from the site. It's a good story, it's just that there's so much advertising on Catholic Online right now, I don't know how anyone could read it.

AMMAN, JORDAN (Catholic Online) - The UN believes that about one million people in and around Homs are suffering from hunger, with several hundred living under the worst conditions, starving to death. Those facing the worst are surrounded by both rebel and government forces, and remain entirely under siege without food. Movement invites danger and any attempt to escape is made at significant risk. Still, many try, driven to the edge of madness with hunger.

Islam or Death? -- Islamists Take 2,000 Christians as Hostages and Threaten with Being Shot

(Damascus) Two thousand Christians are hostages in the hands of the Islamists. On Saturday night the rebel Salafist Brigade Al-Nusra took the Christian town of Kanaye. Since then, they have kept the Christians of the place hostage, as the retired Bishop of Aleppo, Bishop Giuseppe Nazzaro reported. A resident of Kanaye, who escaped, called the bishop and brought him the bad news. The Islamists offer the Christians two the alternatives: Islam or death.

"Based on the information available to me, I can say that the Al-Qaeda fighters have invaded the village on Saturday. First, they occupied the church and prevented the priest from sounding the bells of the church tower and alarm to warn the Christians," said Bishop Nazzaro. He fears for the lives of Christians of Kanaye, one of the many Christian places of Syria. "The Islamists have blocked all access routes to Kanaye and Christians explained that Islamic law is now in effect in Kanaye. The Islamists threatened the Christians: If even one woman is found unveiled on the road, all Christians would be executed. People are terrorized. Communication is unfortunately broken. Today it was not possible for me to make contact. What is currently happening in Kanaye, I can not say," said the bishop.

  In Aleppo, 15 Children Were Killed

Another village was taken in 2012 in the same manner by he Islamist group Ghassanieh,  near Kanaye, in the region Idlib. The churches and holy places were looted, Christians symbols were destroyed, especially the cross. The homes of Christians were seized by the Islamists. The Christians had to give up their homes and fled. "The same fate now threatens Kanaye. We would currently be happy if we knew that the Christians could get away with their lives," said Msgr Nazzaro.

In Aleppo, the Syrian Air Force flew an attack on the rebel-controlled part of the city. In this case, 83 people were killed, including 15 children.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 image: Asianews
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to katholisches....
AMGD

Islamists Attack Cherubim Monastery with Giant Jesus Statue, Which Stopped the War for Three Days

(Damascus) Islamist rebels have launched an offensive north of Damascus to Deir Atieh. In the city with a population of 25,000 there is a strong Christian minority. On 22 November the attack began with two suicide bombings. With the second attack wave, the hospital was taken and the patients and staff were taken hostage. The Islamists took time to destroy a museum with thousands of archaeological finds.

Christians in Prison

The Greek Orthodox Church is concerned about the fate of Christians in Deir Atieh. The churches of the city were targeted by the Islamists. The same applies to Alawi mosques. Civilians have been abused by Islamists in the street fighting being used as human shields. The attacks seem to be made according to a certain scheme. Conquest of the hospital, destruction of Christian and Alawite places of worship and hostage-taking. Also, in Deir Atieh the Christians of the city, which the Islamists were getting hold of, were prevented from escaping the city and held hostage. A Greek Orthodox priest succeeded in fleeing under adventurous circumstances, so that he could report on the situation in Deir Atieh.

Jesus statue

The Islamist attack on Deir Atieh is part of a larger offensive against the Qalamun Mountains after the Syrian army managed to retake the strategically important town of Qara. There is the city Sadnaya with several monasteries dating back to the first millennium AD. The rebels tried to take the monastery Cherubim, which is located at the highest elevation in Saidnaya. The monastery at about 2000 meters above sea level dates back to its origin from the Byzantine period. Above the monastery a 39 meter high statue of Jesus Christ was consecrated and erected on October 14th. In order to deliver the statue, the Christians had reached a truce of three days between the army and rebels. Meanwhile, the Islamists seem to have, however, changed opinion. The monastery is no longer considered a combat-free zone for them.

Repelled Attack

With the battle cry of Allahu Akbar, Islamists stormed the monastery, which was guarded by a small unit of the Syrian army with a tank. They were able to fend off the attack. "Currently, the location is quiet. We were attacked for two days. The rebels continued here also include snipers. The attack was repulsed, "said one soldier.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi Image: Tempi Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com Link to Katholisches....

JIhadists Behead Islamic Commander by Mistake --- "Whoever Works Makes Mistakes"

(Damascus) fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant have beheaded a man with shouts of Allahu Akbar  who fought a few days earlier with them against Syria's President Assad.  As it turned out, the man was beheaded by mistake, yet I wasn't an enemy who was decapitated, but the commander of an allied Islamist brigade.

"We do not deny our mistakes and will continue to do that, because we are human. If there is a  Mujahideen leader and who doesn't  make mistakes, then he doesn't exist under the skies,"  In plain language, anyone who works makes mistakes. With these words, the Al-Qaeda warriors  are justifying the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)  as they bring the horror of war every day in Iraq and Syria in their inhumanity and horror of war.

The jihadists apologized with  a statement for the beheading, which otherwise wouldn't have happened. In their zeal, the bloodthirsty Islamists had beheaded an alleged "dog of Bashar al-Assad" . The alleged mercenaries of  the Syrian President was actually the commander of the Islamic Brigade Ahrar al-Sham . The brigade is allied with the ISIL. Fares Mohammed was beheaded. Together with the ISIL, he fought against Assad, the Alawites, Christians and all "infidels" to establish a new Islamic Caliphate. A few days ago, he called on his warriors, "to destroy enemies," and all "to seek Martyrdom for Allah". Now he has been beheaded by his own comrades by mistake. Fares was injured while fighting near Aleppo. The Islamists of the ISIL did not recognize him, and made ​​him prisoner. Without flash lights they cut off his head to the shouts of Allah Allah and death to the infidels.

Initially, as the commander of the ISIL's  head was shown as a trophy, the error was found. A beheading, showing the brutality of Islamist war, but also the chaos that reigns uninhibited in the ranks of soldiery.

Amidst this savage murder sit ten percent of Christians among the Syrians, fearing for their lives. They do not want to leave their country in which they endure for two thousand years. But their situation is deteriorating with the substantial indifference of the rest of Christendom. The hopes concerning Syria's Christians are now only from Russia's President Vladimir Putin, whom they asked to for protection.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Tempi

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com 

Link to Katholisches...