It is unclear how much preparations for the trip will cost or who will foot what part of the bill, whether more than 200 Gaza Christians who have been promised permits to attend the pope’s Masses will receive them, or even how many Christians live in the Holy Land, said Wadie Abunasser, head of the

Marzieh Amairizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, and Maryam Rustampoor, 27, were imprisoned by Iranian officials on March 5 and incarcerated in the infamous Evin prison. Inmates at this prison are tortured and face other forms of mistreatment. The two women were imprisoned because they were practicing their Chr

United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon decried the Western boycotts as the list of absentees lengthened and other European nations threatened to walk out.
The diplomatic fallout meanwhile spread as Israel recalled its ambassador in protest at the Swiss president's decision to meet Ahmadinejad -- the Iran

The Vatican said the papal visit to the earthquake zone had yet to be confirmed. However officials involved in the rescue and evacuation effort told Italian media they had been told to expect visit by the Pope on 1 May, a public holiday.
He would arrive by helicopter and meet rescue workers at the

for Kazi Courts under Sharia Law in Swat Valley, Malakand, Kohistan and Northern Areas of Pakistan. The Shariat Regulation Bill was presented by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani in National Assembly of Pakistan for approval on April 13, 2009. The Bill was forwarded by ANP led government in NWFP wh

in National Assembly which shall be ever recorded and appreciated by millions of Christian in Pakistan who are struggling to repeal blasphemy laws and implementation of Islamic laws on minorities.
The decision of MQM not to be part of Shariat Regulation Bill is in best interests of people of Pakist

“Reconciliation, difficult, but indispensable, is a precondition for a future of overall security and peaceful co-existence, and it can only be achieved through renewed, persevering and sincere efforts to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian conflict,” Pope Benedict said today in front of the loggia of

“Reconciliation, difficult, but indispensable, is a precondition for a future of overall security and peaceful co-existence, and it can only be achieved through renewed, persevering and sincere efforts to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian conflict,” Pope Benedict said today in front of the loggia of

Taking up a symbolic wooden cross for the final stage of the walk, the pope said he prayed for "all those who suffer" in the Abruzzo region, wishing that "even for them the star of hope and the light of the risen Lord will appear."
Thousands of pilgrims holding glowing candles were on hand for the

"I wish to send these holy oils to our dear brother (L'Aquila Archbishop) Giuseppe Molinari, who because of the great damage caused by the earthquake cannot gather his faithful today," the pope said.
"May they accompany the time of rebirth and reconstruction, caring for the sick and sustaining hope

The Pakistan Christian Post has asked this question. I have seen the results on Pakistan Christian Post, 155 said yes, 46 say no and 2 said, “don’t know”. I appreciate the optimism and hopes of Pakistani Christians from the “Reinstated Chief Justice” of Pakistan. Unfortunately in the almost sixty t

Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 21:1-11 15:1-47,
Matthew 26: 14-27:66 (The Passion Gospel
Observe the Cross of Jesus
We begin this morning the most sacred week of the Christian year. Upon hearing of the accounts of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and the so

From the well of the Turkish parliament, Obama warned "you cannot put out fire with flames," arguing that brute force alone could not thwart extremism as he sent a flurry of coded messages throughout the Middle East.
Obama drew on his own biography as the son of a believer as he sought to forge new

Upon hearing of the disaster, Pope Benedict sent a telegram to the local archbishop offering his prayers for the victims and expressing his solidarity.
Italy's largest earthquake since 1997 hit early on Monday morning leveling whole blocks of the 13th- century town L'Aquila as well as surrounding t

The footage, apparently from a mobile phone, shows two men pinning down a burka-clad woman by her feet and shoulders, while a bearded man in a turban flogs her 34 times with a whip as she screams in agony.
Chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has ordered her to be produced in court at a hearing