Middle East

Pope Francis met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Vatican, two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital provoked outrage in the Middle East.

This remarkable book, “The Persecution and Genocide of Christians in the Middle East: Prevention, Prohibition & Prosecution,” should be read by all Catholics, indeed all Christians who care about the fate of Christianity in the lands of its origin, the Middle East and North Africa.

Carl Anderson, CEO of the Knights of Columbus, praised the decision by the Trump administration to provide direct U.S. aid to persecuted Christians in the Middle East and route it through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Hala Alyan, award-winning author of three poetry collections, has recently published “Salt Houses,” an elegant novel that follows several generations of a Palestinian family, set mainly in the Middle East.

An “invisible” Catholic organization celebrated 90 years of quiet service to the poor in the Middle East, northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe.

It’s an open question as to just what the United States would do for the Middle East’s Christian minorities under the presidential administration of Donald Trump.

Amid the turmoil in the Middle East and persecution of Christians in surrounding countries, the Christmas spirit is evident in Lebanon: sparkling lights, decorated trees and even mangers in public places.

As Christians in the Middle East look back on 2016, they wonder if there will be much to celebrate amid mounting challenges, particularly for those displaced by conflicts in Iraq and Syria.