Patriarch Raï praises Lebanon border communities for staying on their land

 

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 3, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Patriarch Raï praises Lebanon border communities for staying on their land

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Raï returned to southern Lebanon, visiting border villages that have endured years of instability, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Sept. 28.

Presiding over Mass in Marjeyoun, Raï praised local communities for their resilience and unwavering attachment to their land. “The south reminds Lebanon that salvation is for those who endure to the end,” he said, urging unity and strength in the face of loss.

Raï called for a permanent peace built on Israeli withdrawal and the assertion of full Lebanese sovereignty, stressing that the army remains the nation’s sole legitimate defender. His message was both pastoral and political: Lebanon’s survival depends on the steadfastness of its people and the rebuilding of a state rooted in law, dignity, and faith.

Syria’s security breakdown puts Christians at risk

In Syria, a wave of violence continues to sweep across different regions, exposing civilians to daily dangers, ACI MENA reported Oct. 2.

The killing of two young Christian men in Wadi al-Nasara this week sparked outrage among residents, who blocked roads and rang church bells in protest. Simultaneously, reports surfaced of a violent robbery targeting a Christian family in the same area and arbitrary arrests of believers in Maaloula.

These incidents underscore the fragility of local security and the increasing vulnerability of minority communities caught between lawlessness and repression.

Iraq hosts official celebration of Nicaea’s 1,700th anniversary

On Sept. 27, the Catholic University of Erbil in Iraq hosted the opening of a three-day international academic conference, organized by the Assyrian Church of the East, to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325). ACI MENA reported that the event was held under the patronage and presence of Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Awa III Royel, with the participation of Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako.

Attendees included Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, along with senior government officials, bishops, clergy, representatives of several Apostolic Churches from around the world, scholars, and members of the public.

In his welcoming remarks, Royel described the conference as the only official celebration in Iraq marking the great anniversary of the Church’s first ecumenical council, which brought together the Fathers of the Church to unify their faith and doctrine. He underscored the importance of the Council of Nicaea, which produced the first shared Creed accepted by all Christians, at a time when unity of faith and participation in the sacraments was still maintained among different Churches.

Asian bishops hold synodal gathering in Bangkok suburb ahead of 2026 plenary assembly

Over 50 bishops and Church leaders gathered in Samphran, a western suburb of Bangkok, last week to discuss the final document produced by the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in preparation for the 2026 Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) plenary assembly in Bali, according to Vatican News.

“The purpose was to study and understand the final document of the synod together, reflect on our dioceses, and consider how the Church in Asia can put it into practice,” said Archbishop Anthony Weradet Chaiseri, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand.

The gathering focused on discussions about how the final document relates to the FABC’s Bangkok Document from 2022, the reception of synodality across Asia, and “the need for transparency and accountability in a synodal Church.”

Catholic, Anglican Irish bishops meet in Dublin to discuss Gaza, AI

Representatives from the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Church of Ireland House of Bishops gathered for a meeting at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute on Sept. 22 to discuss the tragedy continuing to unfold in Gaza and the role of the Church with respect to AI.

“These meetings are held as part of an Irish response to the request some years ago from the International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) that there should be regular meetings between Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in countries where both share a parallel diocesan structure,” said a Sept. 24 press release. “The next such gathering will take place in Maynooth in September 2026.”

Jesuit communities in India become completely solar powered

Jesuit communities across India have been making the complete switch to solar-powered energy as a means of combating climate change, according to a report from UCA News.

The coordinator of the Ecology Platform of Jesuit West Zone Provinces in India, Father Frazer Mascarenhas, told UCA that about 60 institutions “have achieved zero electricity bills for quite some time and demonstrated that it is a viable project to save the only home we have — the fragile Earth.”

The communities that made the switch join a wider project aimed at making all 110 Jesuit residences, schools, and institutions across India’s four Jesuit provinces of the western zone, which includes Bombay, Goa, Gujarat, and Pune.

DR Congo, Rwandan dioceses mark International Peace Day

The Archdiocese of Bukavu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda’s Cyangugu Diocese have jointly planted a tree of peace to mark the International Day of Peace, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported Oct. 1.

Presiding over the ceremony, Bishop Edouard Sinayobye of Cyangugu said: “When we speak of peace and plant this tree, we pray for peace in the world and in our region. This tree is a symbol representing our dioceses.”

Also speaking during the Sept. 28 event, Telesphore Mugisha Buhendwa, a member of the Justice and Peace Commission of Bukavu Archdiocese, expressed joy in meeting with counterparts from the Rwandan diocese. He further noted planting the tree of peace symbolized cooperation and hope, demonstrating that people in border regions can live in harmony, fostering collaboration and mutual respect.

Catholic bishops call for peaceful election in Ivory Coast

Catholic bishops of the Episcopal Conference of the Ivory Coast have joined the Higher Council of Imams, Mosques, and Islamic Affairs in calling for calm and “restraint” ahead of the country’s Oct. 24 presidential election, ACI Africa reported on Oct. 1.

“Today again, we unfortunately see verbal violence, particularly on social media, which has intensified since the Constitutional Council’s decision on the final list of candidates for the Oct. 25 election,” the religious leaders said in a joint statement, lamenting that every presidential election since 1990 has been marked by “weakened social cohesion.”

The religious leaders called on politicians to use politics as an instrument of building society and encouraged elections officials to carry out their duties with full transparency.