OC

Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of a married couple with seven children who were killed by the Nazis for hiding a Jewish family in their home in Poland.

Atchaneh (Agenzia Fides) - An unprecedented and in some respects historic meeting between the leaders of the Churches of the Syriac tradition, to discuss and reflect together on the emergencies and problems faced by Christian communities in the Middle East, in the light of the common spiritual heritage and of the teaching of the Fathers of the Church. This is the only ecclesial meeting convened today, Friday, December 16, at Atchaneh (Lebanon), at the headquarters of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate. The meeting, convened by the Syriac-Orthodox Patriarch Mar Ignatius Aphrem II, sees the participation, among others, of the Syriac-Catholic Patriarch Ignace Youssif III Younan, the Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Raï, the Assyrian Patriarch Mar Awa III and the Chaldean Patriarch Luis Raphael Sako. 

Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) - On December 13th, 2022, the Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land (ACOHL) organized a conference for the launching of two new offices: the Safeguarding Office & the Professional Legal Office, which aim to provide support and advice to the Catholic Church in the Holy Land. The conference, which included opening speeches by His Beatitude Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Mgr Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy Land, was meant to present the purpose of these offices to the religious congregations and institutes of the Holy Land. 

On December 16 the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church - Bulgarian Patriarchate posted the results of its meeting on December 13. The results are as follows:

Some 20 organisations urge the Bishops’ Conference to boycott government Christmas celebrations. They call for protest over the failure to find the truth about the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. They want the authorities to pursue an impartial investigation and help survivors if they truly care about Catholics.