Articles by Souhail Lawand
From Rome to Alexandria: Catholic Youth Jubilee continues its mission in Egypt
Aug 14, 2025 / 18:07 pmThe Latin Church in Alexandria, Egypt, has launched its own Catholic Youth Jubilee after the Jubilee of Youth in Rome, taking place in two phases this month.
Churches in Syria resume liturgies amid heightened security and unease
Jun 30, 2025 / 14:56 pmDivine Liturgies were celebrated on Sunday, June 30, in Damascus, Syria — albeit with significantly lower attendance due to a prevailing atmosphere of fear and anxiety.
Solemn farewell for victims of Damascus church bombing amid anger at government silence
Jun 25, 2025 / 04:00 amChurches across Syria held funeral services for the victims of the suicide bombing that targeted St. Elias Church in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday.
Monks close doors of St. Catherine’s Monastery as battle with Egypt government continues
Jun 6, 2025 / 15:30 pmThe future of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula remains a source of controversy with tensions rising after a recent court ruling.
Egyptian court ruling on St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai sparks outcry
May 30, 2025 / 12:02 pmA court ruling in Egypt about St. Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai has sparked grave concern within the Greek Orthodox Church about religious freedom.
Eastern icons at Notre-Dame in Paris: A step toward greater unity?
May 27, 2025 / 17:18 pmOn the World Day of Eastern Christians, a liturgy was celebrated at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Sunday, May 25, presided over by Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako.
An Augustinian pope: Upholding Africa’s legacy and embracing Eastern Christianity
May 17, 2025 / 08:00 amEastern Christian communities erupted in celebration at the election of the new pontiff on May 8, but many wondered about Pope Leo XIV’s connection to the East.
Pope Francis and the Islamic world: A legacy of dialogue and fraternity
Apr 26, 2025 / 09:00 amHow did Pope Francis view Islam and Muslim peoples during his time as pope? What is the position of the Islamic world toward him?
Syrian patriarchs condemn massacres as sectarian violence escalates on Syria’s coast
Mar 11, 2025 / 11:30 amIn a joint statement issued March 8, the patriarchs of Syria condemned acts that threaten civil peace and denounced the “massacres targeting innocent civilians.”
Vatican’s first envoy to postwar Syria sees a nation with ‘a desire for life’
Jan 29, 2025 / 12:15 pmThe occasion marked the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
Safety concerns escalate for Christians in historic Syrian town
Dec 31, 2024 / 14:30 pmChristians in Maaloula in western Syria have been living with an intensifying fear for their safety, exacerbated by a recent incident.
Franciscan monastery in Aleppo attacked; friars call for peace
Dec 3, 2024 / 15:05 pmA statement released by the Franciscan order said a missile strike from a warplane hit the monastery, destroying one of its wings and setting its storage facility ablaze.
Body of Armenian patriarch on path to possible sainthood returns to Lebanon
Sep 15, 2024 / 07:00 amThe Armenian Catholic Patriarchate on Sept. 12 held a ceremony in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square to welcome the remains of Patriarch Gregory Peter XV Agagianian.
Between earth and sky: ‘Lady of the East’ statue rises in Syria
Aug 1, 2024 / 15:46 pmA new landmark honoring the Virgin Mary will be inaugurated in a grand celebration Aug. 1–4 in the town of Al-Hwash, near Homs, Syria.