News

CWN - Gunmen in military uniforms stopped a bus carrying Coptic Orthodox pilgrims in Egypt on May 26, and opened fire on the passengers, killing at least 26 people and wounding a roughly equal number.

The gunmen—believed to be Islamic militants—shot passengers at point-blank range, according to Coptic Bishop Makarios of Minya. Many of the victims were children.

The bus was part of a convoy of vehicles carrying Copts from Minya province on a pilgrimage to the monastery of St. Samuel, south of Cairo.

Egyptian President Abdel al Sisi called an emergency meeting of military and security officials in response to the attack. He had already declared a state of emergency after a series of bombings at Coptic churches before Easter.

CWN - Addressing the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, President Donald Trump spoke about the war on terrorism and the persecution of Jews and Christians.

“This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations,” he said. “This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life and decent people, all in the name of religion.”

“Of course, there is still much work to be done,” he said later. “That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds. We must stop what they’re doing to inspire, because they do nothing to inspire but kill.”

President Trump added:

And it means standing together against the murder of innocent Muslims, the oppression of women, the persecution of Jews, and the slaughter of Christians. Religious leaders must make this absolutely clear—barbarism will deliver you no glory.

References:

• President Trump’s full speech from Saudi Arabia on global terrorism (Washington Post)

ugcc.org.ua - The first day of visiting Archdiocese of Peruzzi on May, 17 started with praying and visiting world-famous Franciscan sanctuaries in Assisi.

 Before the Service Head of UGCC visited a sanctuary where, according to the legend, saint Francis took off his clothes as sign of denying and started his way of monastic life in poverty.

At 5pm in the church, where saint Francis was baptized, His Beatitude Sviatoslav prayed Mass together with cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, Archbishop of Peruzzi and local bishop Domenico Sorrentino. Hieromonks-Franciscans co-served the archbishops.

After the Service Head of UGCC delivered a sermon to the present ones. Referring to the image of “naked” saint Francis who, with a gesture of renunciation and humiliation became similar to Jesus Christ himself, His Beatitude Sviatoslav explained the sense of a paschal faith: “Following saint Francis, who were bearing the wounds of Christ but who remains today in joy of Christ’s resurrection, we are certain that faith in humiliated, ragged and crucified Christ leads us to the resurrection”.

“Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, - told Head of Church, - in the past century suffered from humiliation, destruction and persecution by soviet government, but 25 years ago, thanks to the paschal faith, it rose from the dead”. His Beatitude Sviatoslav also reminded about “forgotten war in Ukraine and called for praying for its end”.

Head of UGCC visited a grave of saint Francis in the major basilica of Franciscan order, prayed in Saint Claire monastery and met with monks of Franciscan order. He asked them for praying for “ending the war what has been going on for 3 years, unceasingly”.

Secretariat of Head of UGCC in Rome

CWN - Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill believes that the most important outcome of his historic meeting with Pope Francis was a new public recognition of the persecution of Christians.

In an interview with La Stampa more than a year after the meeting, the Russian Patriarch sidestepped most questions about ecumenical relations between Moscow and Rome. Instead he focused on the question of religous freedom and persecution. He said:

The main subject of the discussion was in fact the “monstrous” condition of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa, a much wider topic than the bilateral agenda. I

Until our meeting with Pope Francis, this topic was almost invisible on international media, and we also saw a great deal of indifference from many international organizations. Afterwards, the situation has changed substantially.

Patriarch Kirill went on to say, in the interview with La Stampa, that Christians should work together, especially in Europe, to reverse dangerous trends: “the destruction of the family, the ideology of trans-humanism and so many others.”

References:

• “With our meeting we broke the silence on persecuted Christians” (La Stampa)

Glen Cove, NY (risu.org.ua) - The Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Canada and USA held their annual meeting from May 2nd thru May 4th, 2017 in the Library Building of the Ukrainian Catholic Basilian Fathers at St. Josaphat Monastery located in Glen Cove, NY. A very comfortable and prayerful environment was generously provided through the hospitality of Very Rev. Basilio Salkovski, OSBM, Provincial Superior of the Basilian Fathers of St. Josaphat, OSBM.

Participants in the meeting were Most Rev. Stefan Soroka, Metropolitan for USA and Archbishop of Philadelphia, Most Rev. Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, Metropolitan for Canada and Archbishop of Winnipeg, Most Rev. Paul Chomnycky, OSBM, Bishop of the Eparchy of Stamford, Bishop David Motiuk, Bishop of the Eparchy of Edmonton, Most Rev. Ken Nowakowski, Bishop of the Eparchy of New Westminster, Most Rev. Bryan Bayda, CSsR., Bishop of the Eparchy of Saskatoon, Most Rev. Bohdan Danylo, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma, Bishop John Bura, Auxiliary Bishop for the Philadelphia Archeparchy and Bishop Emeritus Basil Losten of the Eparchy of Stamford.

CWN - Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has asked Pope Francis and other religious leaders to exert their influence against a proposal to amend Ukrainian laws to withdraw protection from religious bodies that are under the influence of an “aggressor state.”

Because Ukraine currently defines Russia as an aggressor state, the Patriarch said, the proposal would “threaten the constitutional rights of millions of Ukrainian believers,” who are affiliated with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church subject to the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriachate. He warned that the measure, if passed, could lead to “a wave of violence and new seizures of churches” in Ukraine.

References:

• Russian church leader asks UN, Pope to intervene with Kiev over 'discriminatory' religious laws (RT)