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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

The book begins with the Introduction by a eparchial bishop, Pastoral Address of the Synod of Bishops on 120^th anniversary of birth of Patriarch Josef, Resolution of the Supreme Council regarding the celebration of this anniversary at the state level and photos.

The text of the “Testament” was printed according to the original and contains a copy of the patriarch’s signature. In the end, the book includes a reportage about the celebration of the jubilee year of Patriarch Josef in Sokal0Zhovkva Eparchy and pilgrimages of children to the crypt of St. Yur’s Cathedral in Lviv, a place where Patriarch Josef was buried. So reported the press-service of Sokal-Zhovkva Eparchy of UGCC.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo, Syria, has sought refuge in Lebanon after his offies were ransacked by rebel troops.

The offices of the Maronite Catholic archdiocese of Aleppo, and a Byzantine Christian museum, were also damaged by the marauding troops. A Church spokesman blamed the destruction on groups “who want to start a religious war and drag the Syrian people into a sectarian conflict.”

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - The Fides news service has called attention to “a long trail of Christian children killed for different reasons” in Pakistan, as well as many incidents of young Christians kidnapped, raped, and enslaved.

The common denominator in these horrible cases, Fides notes, is an attitude among Pakistan’s Muslims: “Christian children are considered ‘goods’ and deprived of their dignity.”

Roughly 700 Christian girls a year are kidnapped and coerced to convert to Islam, usually so that they can be married to Muslim men. Some young Christians have evidently been used as unwilling organ donors. Others are punished out of contempt for their Christian faith. Authorities in Pakistan have been notoriously slow to respond to threats to the Christian minority.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - John Allen of the National Catholic Reporter explains why the September trip to Lebanon by Pope Benedict XVI will be a severe test of papal diplomacy.

The Vatican has carefully avoided taking sides in the escalating conflict between the Syrian government and rebel groups--a conflict that threatens to spill over into Lebanon. The Vatican supports the right of the Syrian people to secure justice, but opposes the involvement of foreign troops in a conflict that could upset Syria's tradition of religious pluralism.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - The Polish Catholic bishops have ordered that the full text of a joint Orthodox-Catholic statement on reconciliation between Poland and Russia should be read at Mass in all parishes.

Meeting this past weekend in Czestochowa, the Polish hierarchy called for an energetic follow-up on the historic joint statement, which was signed during a visit to Poland by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. Archbishop Jozef Michalik, the president of the Polish bishops’ conference, spoke of forming joint Catholic-Orthodox commissions to strengthen ties across national and denominational lines.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

CWN - Following the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces from Syria, the apostolic nuncio called for peace and lamented actions taken by both sides of the conflict.

“At this moment we must require all sides in the conflict to rigorously respect international humanitarian law which, as we've seen, has gone to pieces because of the actions of both sides,” said Archbishop Mario Zenari. “Unfortunately, now there's the impression and the general fear that things have gotten out of hand.”

“Finding a path to peace is a very difficult thing that will entail sacrifices; it's painful, but it's something that no one can do for the Syrians,” he added. “We really need to encourage all ethnic and religious groups to find the path to peace together.”