Holy

Iran's attack on Israel did not deter Christians from visiting holy sites

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(Photo: Unsplash/Christian Burri) Christian pilgrims and tourists continued to visit Holy sites this weekend despite the Iranian regime’s aerial assault against Israel, an attack that has heightened fears about existing regional tensions.  Over the weekend, Iran launched around 300 missiles and drones, including ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. According to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the attack was … Read more

Russian Orthodox Church leader declares Ukraine invasion a ‘holy war'

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(Photo: Unsplash/LifeinKyiv) The World Russian People’s Council, led by Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, has labeled President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a “holy” endeavor, seemingly aiming to bring the region under Russian dominion. The declaration frames the war as a key moment in Russia’s battle against the “criminal Kiev regime” and Western “Satanism,” … Read more

Experience Holy Week in the Holy Land: These Are the Sites Where Jesus Walked During His Final Week

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JERUSALEM, Israel – Most Christians know the Easter story well from what the gospels tell us about that earth-shattering week: Jesus came to Jerusalem, ate the Passover Seder with his disciples, was arrested and sentenced to death, crucified on a cross, then was resurrected from a garden tomb. In late 2022, my wife Susan and I … Read more

A 'sombre' Christmas in the Holy Land

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Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem. (Photo: Unsplash/Christian Burri) “A ceasefire and peace – these are the two things I want for Christmas,” says Brendan Metcalfe, chief executive of Friends of the Holy Land. Months of war between Israel and Gaza are taking a “terrible” toll on the entire region, with devastating consequences for people in the … Read more

Evangelicals call for an immediate ceasefire in the Holy Land, urgent action towards just peace

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(Photo: Unsplash/Taylor Brandon) Responding to the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land, a coalition of Regional and National Evangelical alliances as well as credible Christian organizations from around the world have issued a heartfelt plea for an immediate ceasefire in the Holy Land. The statement, released on November 1, 2023, reflects a deep commitment to … Read more

Concerns for treatment of believers in Holy Land

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(Photo: Unsplash/Robert Bye) Researchers from Open Doors International, a global NGO network which has provided support to persecuted Christians for over six decades, are monitoring growing religious tensions in Israel after leaders of several Christian denominations expressed concern over the growing number of verbal and physical attacks against Christians as well as the desecration of … Read more

Church leaders call for end to attacks on Christian sites in Holy Land

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Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem. (Photo: Unsplash/Christian Burri) Attacks and harassment by extremists are posing “grave threats” to the Christian presence in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, Church leaders have said.  The concerns are raised in a report sent to the World Council of Churches (WCC) by The Justice and Peace Commission of the Council of Heads … Read more