Another deception by the Iglesia Ni Cristo® Media of a Certain Ferdinand Mendez

A certain "Fr. Ferdinand Mendez" was featured in one of Iglesia Ni Cristo®'s Church News. And according to them, Mr. Ferdinand Mendez was a "former" Catholic priest of the "Eastern Order of Saint Basil Lady of Fatima Missions" which is nonexistent according to registered Catholic orders and congregations available in the internet.

An "eastern" Catholic wearing a "Western" priestly garments?????????????????!

According to this Tweeter user @aprilkaygardose (Nhonoy@yahoo.com), he is a member of such non-existent Easter Order of Saint Basil:

He posted his intention to MEET THE CATHOLIC POPE (FRANCIS) whom he considers HOLY!

He even followed POPE FRANCIS's Tweeter and Our Lady of Fatima Missions (OLFMissions) which are all WESTERN, not easterm.

Here are OFFICIAL LISTS of CATHOLIC ORDERS and CONGREGATIONS from Catholic-Hierarchy:

Religious Orders

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Jump to: Institutes of Consecrated Life | Societies of Apostolic Life

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Institutes of Consecrated Life

Name	Abbreviation	Nickname	Type
Agostiniani Scalzi	O.A.D.	Discalced Augustinians	Mendicant Order
Antonian Order of Saint Ormizda of the Chaldeans (Chaldean)	O.A.O.C.		Monastic Order
Antonin Maronite Order (Maronite)	O.A.M.		Monastic Order
Arrouhbaniat Albassiliat Almoukhalissiat (Melkite Greek)	B.S.	Basilian Salvatorian Order	Monastic Order
Ar-Rouhbanyat Al-Marounyat Liltoubawyat Mariam Al-Azra (Maronite)	O.M.M.	Aleppians	Monastic Order
Augustinians of the Assumption	A.A.	Assumptionists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist (Melkite Greek)	B.C.		Monastic Order
Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat (Order of St. Basil the Great)	O.S.B.M.	Order of St. Basil the Great	Monastic Order
Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy	Lay Religious Congregation
Brothers of the Sacred Heart	S.C.		Lay Religious Congregation
Camaldolese Hermits of Mount Corona	E.C.M.C.	Camaldolese	Monastic Order
Canons Regular of Saint Augustine of the Congregation of Windesheim	C.R.V.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Congregation of Saint Victor	C.R.S.V.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Brothers of Community Life	Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Congregation of the Most Holy Saviour of the Lateran	C.R.L.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Hospitaller Congregation of Great Saint Bernard	C.R.B.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception	C.R.I.C.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Lateran Congregation of Austria	C.R.L.A.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Mother of God	C.R.M.G.		Order of Canons Regular
Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross	O.S.C.	Crosier Fathers	Order of Canons Regular
Capuchin Tertiary Religious of Our Lady of Sorrows	T.C.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Carmelites of Mary Immaculate	C.M.I.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Carthusian Order	O. Cart.		Monastic Order
Chemin Neuf Institute	I.C.N.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Clerics of Saint Viator	C.S.V.	Viatorians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Clerics Regular Minor	C.R.M.	Caracciolini	Order of Clerics Regular
Clerics Regular of St. Paul	B.	Barnabites	Order of Clerics Regular
Clerics Regular of the Mother of God	O.M.D.		Order of Clerics Regular
Clerks Regular of Somasca	C.R.S.	Padri Somachi	Order of Clerics Regular
Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus	M.C.C.I.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Company of Mary for the Education of the Deaf	S. M.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Confederation of Canons Regular of St. Augustine	C.R.S.A.		Order of Canons Regular
Congregación de San Pedro ad-Vincula	S.P. ad V.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congrégation du Sacré-Coeur	S.C.J.	Pères de Timon David	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Christian Doctrine	D.C.	Dottrinari	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Christian Workers of Saint Joseph Calasanz	C.Op.	Calasantini	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Clerics Regular	C.R.	Theatines	Order of Clerics Regular
Congregration of Jesus the Priest	C.G.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary	M.I.C.	Marian Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries	C.M.M.	Marianhiller Missionare	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Missionaries of the Holy Family	M.S.F.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Saint John the Baptist Precursor	C.S.I.B.P.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Saint Joseph	C.S.I.	Giuseppini del Murialdo	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel	C.S.M.A.	Michaelites	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus “Little Flower”	C.S.T.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Servants of Charity	S.d.C.	Guanellian Priests and Brothers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of St. Basil	C.S.B.	Basilian Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament	S.S.S.	Blessed Sacrament Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of Holy Cross	C.S.C.	Holy Cross Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth of Blessed Father Piamarta	F.N.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Holy Spirit	C.S.Sp.	Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans)	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary	C.I.C.M.	Scheutists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Legionaries of Christ	L.C.	Legionaries of Christ	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles Borromeo	C.S.	Scalabrinians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer	C.SS.R.	Redemptorists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Passion	C.P.	Passionists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Priestly Fraternity	C.F.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart	S.C.I.	Dehonians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ	C. R.	Resurrectionists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary	SS.CC.	Picpus Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Sacred Stigmata	C.S.S.	Stigmatine Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Schools of Charity	C.S.Ch.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Sons of Mary Immaculate	F. M. I.	Pavonians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregation of the Sons of Merciful Love	F.A.M.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Congregazione dei Figli dell’Immacolata Concezione	C.F.I.C.	Concezionisti	Lay Religious Congregation
Congregazione Mechitarista	C.A.M.	Mechitarists	Monastic Order
Congregazione Sacra Famiglia di Bergamo	C.S.F.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Consolata Missionaries	I.M.C.	Consolata Missionaries	Clerical Religious Congregation
Discalced Mercedarians	O. M. D.		Mendicant Order
Fathers of Mercy	C.P.M.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Fils de Marie Immaculée	F.M.I.	Pères de Chavagnes	Clerical Religious Congregation
Franciscan Friars of the Atonement	S.A.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate	F.I.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer	F.S.V.F.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Hijos de la Sagrada Familia	S.F.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Indian Missionary Society	I.M.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Institut du Clergé Patriarcal de Bzommar	I.C.P.B.
Institute of Charity	I.C.	Rosminians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Institute of Schönstatt Fathers	P. Schönstatt	Schönstatt Fathers	Clerical Secular Institute
Institute of the Josephites of Belgium	C.J.	Josephites of Belgium	Clerical Religious Congregation
Istituto del Prado	Ist. del Prado	Prado Institute	Clerical Secular Institute
Knights of the Cross with the Red Star	O.Cr.		Order of Canons Regular
Little Brothers of Jesus	P.F.J.	Foucauld	Lay Religious Congregation
Little Mission for the Deaf and Dumb	P.M.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Misioneros de la Natividad de María	M.N.M.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionari dei Poveri	M.O.P.		Mendicant Order
Missionari di S. Giuseppe nel Messico	M.J.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette	M.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales d’Annecy	M.S.F.S.	Fransalians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Company of Mary	S.M.M.	Montfort Missionaries	Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Divine Redeemer	M.D.R.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Holy Spirit	M.Sp.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception of Lourdes	M. I. C.	Fathers of Garaison	Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Saint Mary of Guadalupe	M. S. C.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus	M.S.C.	Sacred Heart Missionaries	Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary	M.SS.CC.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (Mallorca)	M. SS. CC.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionaries of Workers	M.O.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Brothers of the Countryside	F.M.R.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament	M.C.B.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity	S.T.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Servants of the Poor	S.d.P.	Morsel of the Poor	Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Servants of the Word	M. S. P.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Society of St. Paul	M.S.S.P.	Paulist Missionaries	Clerical Religious Congregation
Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary	C.M.F.	Claretians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Montfort Brothers of Saint Gabriel	S.G.		Lay Religious Congregation
Oblates of Mary Immaculate	O.M.I.	Oblates of Mary Immaculate	Clerical Religious Congregation
Oblates of Saint Joseph	O.S.I.	Josephines of Asti	Clerical Religious Congregation
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales	O.S.F.S.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Oblates of the Virgin Mary	O.M.V.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Orden de San Jerónimo	O.S.H.	Monjes Jerónimos	Monastic Order
Order of Augustinian Recollects	O.A.R.	Augustinian Recollects	Mendicant Order
Order of Cistercians	O. Cist.	Cistercians	Monastic Order
Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance	O.C.S.O.	Trappists	Monastic Order
Order of Discalced Carmelites	O.C.D.	Discalced Carmelites	Mendicant Order
Order of Friar Servants of Mary	O.S.M.	Servites	Mendicant Order
Order of Friars Minor	O.F.M.	Franciscans	Mendicant Order
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin	O.F.M. Cap.	Capuchins	Mendicant Order
Order of Friars Minor Conventual	O.F.M. Conv.	Conventual Franciscans	Mendicant Order
Order of Friars Preachers	O.P.	Dominicans	Mendicant Order
Order of the Pious Schools	Sch. P.	Piarists	Order of Clerics Regular
Order of Imitation of Christ	O.I.C.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Order of Lebanese Maronite (Maronite)	O.L.M.	Baladites	Monastic Order
Order of Our Lady of Mercy	O. de M.	Mercedarians	Mendicant Order
Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel	O. Carm.	Carmelites	Mendicant Order
Order of Saint Benedict	O.S.B.	Benedictines	Monastic Order
Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit	O.S.P.P.E.	Pauline Fathers	Monastic Order
Order of St. Augustine	O.S.A.	Augustinians	Mendicant Order
Order of the Canons Regular of Premontre; Norbertines	O. Praem.	Premonstratensians	Order of Canons Regular
Order of the Holy Cross	O.R.C.		Order of Canons Regular
Order of the Hospitallers of Saint John of God	O.H.		Mendicant Order
Order of the Minims	O.M.	Minimi	Mendicant Order
Order of the Ministers of the Sick	M.I.	Camillians	Order of Clerics Regular
Order of the Most Holy Trinity	O.SS.T.	Trinitarians	Mendicant Order
Order of the Teutonic Knights of Saint Mary’s Hospital in Jerusalem	O.T.	Teutonic Order	Order of Canons Regular
Ordine Basiliano Italiano di Grottaferrata	O.S.B.I.		Monastic Order
Ordre Basilien Alépin (Melkite Greek)	B.A.		Monastic Order
Parochial Cooperators of Christ the King	C.P.C.R.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Pious Workers Rural Catechists	P.O.C.R.	Ardorini Missionaries	Clerical Religious Congregation
Poveri Servi della Divina Provvidenza	P.S.D.P.	Don Calabria	Clerical Religious Congregation
Priests of Saint Mary of Tinchebray	P.S.M.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram	S.C.I. di Béth.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Religieux de Saint Vincent de Paul	R.S.V.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus	R.C.J.	Rogationists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Rosarian Fathers	C.S.R.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Salesians of Saint John Bosco	S.D.B.	Salesians of St. John Bosco	Clerical Religious Congregation
Servants of Jesus and Mary	S.I.M.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Servants of the Holy Paraclete	S.P.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of Christ for Polish Immigrants	S. Chr.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of Divine Vocations	S.D.V.	Vocationists	Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of Jesus	S.J.	Jesuits	Order of Clerics Regular
Society of Mary	S.M.	Marist Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of Mary	S. M.	Marianist Fathers	Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of Saint Cajetan	P.S.S.G.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of Saint Edmund	S.S.E.	Edmundites	Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of St. Paul	S.S.P.	Paulines	Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of the Divine Savior	S.D.S.	Salvatorians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Society of the Divine Word	S.V.D.	Divine Word Missionaries	Clerical Religious Congregation
Sons of Charity	F.C.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Sons of Charity	F.d.C.C.	Canossians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Sons of Divine Providence	F.D.P.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Sons of Saint Mary Immaculate	F.S.M.I.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Swiss Congregation of Canons Regular of Saint Maurice of Agaune	C.R.A.		Order of Canons Regular
Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance	T.O.R.	Franciscan Friars (T.O.R.)	Mendicant Order
Ukrainian Studite Monks (Ukrainian)	M.S.U.		Monastic Order
Vincentian Congregation (Syro-Malabar)	C.V.		Clerical Religious Congregation
Xaverian Missionary Fathers	S.X.	Xaverians	Clerical Religious Congregation
Other

Societies of Apostolic Life

Name	Abbreviation	Nickname
Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America	M.M.	Maryknoll
Clerical Society of the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles	M.S.A.
Clerical Society of Virgo Flos Carmeli	E.P.
Companions of the Cross	C.C.
Confederation of Oratorians of St. Philip Neri	C.O.	Oratorians
Congregation of Jesus and Mary	C.I.M.	Eudists
Congregation of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries (Maronite)	M.L.	Kremisti
Congregation of the Mission	C.M.	Vincentians/Lazarists
Emmanuel Community	Comm. l'Emm.
Fraternità Sacerdotale dei Missionari di San Carlo Borromeo	F.S.C.B.	Fraternity of St. Charles
Glenmary Home Missioners	G.H.M.
Heralds of Good News	H.G.N.
Instituto Español de San Francisco Javier para Misiones Extranjeras	I.E.M.E.
Misioneros de Guadalupe	M.G.	Guadalupe Missionaries
Misioneros Javerianos de Yarumal	M.X.Y.
Missionari della Santa Croce	M.H.C.
Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers)	M. Afr.	White Fathers
Missionários da Boa Nova	S.M.P.	Portuguese Missionary Society
Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria	M.S.P.N.
Missionary Society of St. Columban	S.S.C.M.E.	Columban Missionaries
Mission Society of the Philippines	M.S.P.
Oblates of Saints Ambrose and Charles	O.Ss.C.A.
Paulist Fathers	C.S.P.	Paulists
Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions	P.I.M.E.
Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter	F.S.S.P.
Priestly Society of Saint Jacques	S.P.S.J.
Priestly Society of St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo	S.S.C.	Cottelengo Congregation
Scarboro Foreign Mission Society	S.F.M.
Società dei Missionari di San Paolo (Melkite Greek)	S.M.S.P.	Pères Paulistes
Société de l’Oratoire de Jésus	C.O.I.	Oratorians of France
La Société des Missions Etrangères	M.E.P.
Société des Missions-Étrangères	P.M.E.
Society of African Missions	S.M.A.
Society of Bethlehem Mission Immensee	S.M.B.
Society of Precious Blood	C.Pp.S.
Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice	P.S.S.	Sulpicians
Society of the Catholic Apostolate	S.A.C.	Pallottines
Society of the Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier	S.F.X.	Pilar Fathers
Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana	S.C.V.
St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of Mill Hill	M.H.M.	Mill Hill Missionaries
St. Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart	S.S.J.	Josephite Fathers
St. Patrick’s Society for the Foreign Missions	S.P.S.	Kiltegan Fathers
Workers of the Kingdom of Christ	C.O.R.C.

Here are the List of Eastern Catholic Churches

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Jump to Tradition: Alexandrian | Byzantine | Chaldean | Western | Antiochian | Armenian

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Alexandrian Tradition

Coptic Catholic Church Eritrean Catholic Church Ethiopian Catholic Church

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Byzantine Tradition

Albanian Catholic Church Belarussian Catholic Church Bulgarian Catholic Church Greek Catholic Church Hungarian Catholic Church Italo-Albanese Catholic Church Križevci Catholic Church Macedonian Catholic Church Melkite Greek Catholic Church Romanian Catholic Church Russian Catholic Church Ruthenian Catholic Church Slovakian Catholic Church Ukrainian Catholic Church

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Chaldean Tradition

Chaldean Catholic Church Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

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Western Tradition

Latin (or Roman)

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Antiochian Tradition

Maronite Catholic Church Syrian Catholic Church Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

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Armenian Tradition

Armenian Catholic Church

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church confirms communion with Rome: "what no totalitarian regime could break"

Pope Francis meets members of the Greek Catholic Ukrainian Church, 5 March. - REUTERS

(Vatican Radio) On Saturday Pope Francis met with leaders of the Permanent Synod of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church. His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevhchuk affirmed communion with the Catholic Church despite a century of persecution inflicted by totalitarian regimes. Suffering in Ukraine included wars, genocides, a state-planned famine, and ethnic cleansing, all claiming some 15 million lives. Suffering continues in Ukraine for which the Permanent Synod seeks the Holy Father's support. The statement of the Permanent Synod is reproduced below in full:

As Pastors We Speak Out on Behalf of Our People

Before the Holy Father and Before the World:

“Pope Francis heard us.”

“We came to reaffirm our communion with the Holy Father and to ask for his help for the suffering people of Ukraine during the Jubilee Year of Mercy,” stated His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevhchuk. “And the Holy Father heard us.”

In Rome on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Lviv pseudo-synod the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), His Beatitude Major Archbishop Sviatoslav, and the members of the Permanent Synod came to Rome to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. “We reaffirm what no totalitarian regime could break: our communion with Rome and the Universal Church,” His Beatitude said.

The Head of the UGCC and the Permanent Synod conducted meetings, discussions with representatives of the Holy See, and prepared a public statement denouncing the invasion and hybrid war in Ukraine and decrying the suffering of millions of innocent men, women and children. The Church condemns the atrocities, the kidnappings, imprisonment and torture of citizens of Ukraine in the Donbas and Crimea—especially abuses directed at religious communities and ethnic groups, especially Muslim Tatars, as well as broad violations of civic rights and the human dignity of millions.

Dwindling Iraqi Christians is a disaster!

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — A car bomb outside Holy Family Syrian Catholic Church wounded 23 people Tuesday, August 2, 2011, as security forces found and disabled other vehicles packed with explosives outside two other churches in northern Iraq.  Photo: Emad Matti / AP

Iraq’s vanishing Christians
One church leader is pointing the finger at the West to explain the disappearance of Iraq’s Christians, writes Salah Nasrawi

Ahram.org - As the mass exodus of Iraq’s Christians continues, so does the call for ending the plight of those who have remained. Like Iraq’s ancient Jewish community before them, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities may soon cease to exist.

The disappearance of Iraq’s religious minorities has been a troubling trend since the US-led invasion in 2003, and it has threatened to end the cultural diversity of Iraq. As the violence in the country spikes and religious intolerance grows, many Christians, Yazidis, Mandaeans and other minority community members are leaving the country.

Last week, the head of the Iraqi Catholic Church sent a chilling warning that Iraq’s 2,000-year-old Christian community is on the brink of extinction as new waves of Christians take the journey of exodus.

The exodus is largely blamed on the worsening security since the US-led invasion that toppled former president Saddam Hussein’s regime. Christians have suffered abuses by Muslim extremists and militias, including brutal attacks, death threats and forcible seizure of property.

But Chaldean patriarch Louis Sako now believes that intervention by the West in the region has exacerbated the problem by producing more chaos and conflict in the war-ravaged country, and it is this that has been driving Christians to flee.

Vatican News: Christians in high Mesopotamia refuse to take up arms. Bishops' appeal to the Pope and the leaders of Nations: avoid the catastrophe that is upon us

Gregory III Laham (Source: CathNews)

Kamishly (Agenzia Fides/News.va) - An urgent appeal to the Pope, the UN Secretary General and the Heads of State so that catastrophe that threatens Syrian populations of high Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and the Euphrates is avoided. This appeal is launched, through Fides, by three Bishops of the region at the end of three days of fasting in which Christians in the area have asked the Lord for the gift of peace.

Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo, owner of the Syrian Catholic archeparchy of Hassaké-Nisibis, from the parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Kamishly describe to Fides Agency a situation on the brink of precepice: "In past days, the Salafis entered Ras al Ain. From there 30 thousand people fled, which were added to the already 400 thousand refugees from Deir el Zor, Homs and Aleppo. Now they and those of the Free Syrian Army, on the Turkish border, may head towards the province of Jazira, urban centers of Hassaké and Kamishly.

If they do, the army of Assad will start bombing, just as what happened in Ras al Ain. It will be a slaughter, and there will be another 800 thousand people forced to flee, not knowing where." The Archbishop, in coordination with the other Bishops - the Syrian Orthodox and Assyrian - and with local leaders of other ethnic and religious communities, is engaged in feverish efforts of mediation to prevent new tragedies to his people.

Vatican News: Pope confirms election of new Archbishop of Homs in Syria

Coat of Arms of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate
of Antioch and All the East
of Alexandria and of Jerusalem

VATICAN CITY (News.va) - The Holy Father has given his consent to the election of Archbishop Abdo Arbach, BC, to the Greek Melkite Metropolitan Archdiocese Archdiocese of Homs, Hama, andYabroud in Syria.

Archbishop Arbach was born in Yabroud on June 28, 1952. He made his final vows in the Basilian Chouerite Order of Saint John the Baptist in 1977, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1980.

On October 17, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Exarch for the Greek Melkite faithful residing in Argentina.

Archbishop Arbach’s election happened at the Greek Melkite Catholic Synod of the Church, which is led by Greek Melkite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Gregory III Laham.

At the opening of the Synod on June 18, Patriarch Laham expressed his solidarity with the Syrian people, calling them “tenacious in their quest for life, dignity and unity of their country”

He also called for the reform of the country, which he said must happen "in all fields of the political, social, cultural and administrative reality, through the efforts of all the Syrians: the government, political parties, intellectuals, constructive opposition".

Catholic Church' Different Rites (Western & Eastern)

EGYPT: Truth and justice not lies and superficiality on massacre of Copts

by Bernardo Cervellera

The results of the autopsies will be released Oct. 27. But Egyptian army trying to silence the issue by manipulating the truth and accusing the Copts of provoking the violence despite the eyewitness accounts and videos. Shenouda III is opposed to the military’s version. Obama also assumes that the Copts were violent. Not to forget AsiaNews publishes some pictures of the massacre, sent by Coptic organizations. (Let us keep in our prayers our brothers and sisters in Egypt. Let us recommend the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen -CD2000)

Rome (AsiaNews) - The tortured bodies of Coptic Christians killed on 9 October demand truth and justice. The 26 still bloody corpses, heads smashed by the violence of military tanks and armored vehicles are piled up in of Cairo's Coptic Hospital and other hospitals in the city waiting for autopsy. Ihsan Kamel, head of forensic medicine, said it will take time and that the results will be published only on October 27. He also claimed that declarations made by forensic doctors in the past week may be inaccurate. (More disturbing photos... WARNING: The images presented here are very harsh and could upset sensitive viewers. To see the images click here.)

Perhaps this warning is due to scrupulousness and scientific accuracy. We hope it is not an attempt to discredit the eye-witness accounts of demonstrators or the evidence of doctors who stressed that the deaths of several victims was caused by bullets from firearms and from the crushing weight of heavy vehicles.

Catholic Church leader pays tribute to fallen demonstrators in Egypt

Source: Church to the Church in need - The leader of Catholics in Egypt has defended the memory of "honest and sincere" Copts whose protest ended in violence and death and has called on the regime to step up security and do more to uphold the rule of law.

In an official statement about the October 9th pro-Christian demonstrations in Cairo, Patriarch Cardinal Antonios Naguib of Alexandria went on to call on Christians not to be deterred and to continue to “participate” in political action towards the creation of a new Egypt post-Mubarak.

The document, a copy of which was sent to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), underlines the Patriarch’s “full confidence” in the interim military regime after a week of criticism about the government’s response to the demonstrations, which according to latest figures, led to the deaths of about 25 people with 329 injured.

Patriarch Naguib, who is head of Egypt’s 250,000-strong Coptic Catholic Church, writes: “With wounded hearts, we…express our deep sorrow for the bloody events suffered by honest and sincere children of the nation.”

Europe's Bishops Call Continent to Defend Egypt Minorities

Photo Source: Malta Diocese

Reiterate Solidarity With Coptic Christian Community

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland, OCT. 13, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Europe's bishops are answering Sunday's violence in Egypt with a call to their governments to take a stance in defense of minorities.

Cardinal Péter Erdő, president of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE), released a statement reiterating the prelates' "closeness to all citizens in Egypt, and especially to our brothers in the Coptic Christian community, affected in these days by the murderous violence against peace, harmony between religions, freedom and human dignity."

The statement follows the bloody weekend clash between Egyptian military and police and a group of mostly Coptic Christian protestors. The clash left 26 people dead. Witnesses said the Copts were attacked by crowds throwing stones, followed by military intervention. Some of those killed died of gunshot wounds, but most were crushed by armored military vehicles.

Copts and other Christians make up 10% of Egypt's population. The demonstrators were protesting the burning of a Christian church.

The bishops' council pointed out that Coptic Christians have been present in Egypt since the time of the Evangelist Mark.

Ukrainian Catholic Leader: Married Priesthood Not Cause Of Vocation Boom

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav (Photo Source: interfax)

Ukraine, EWTN - Less than a week after his enthronement as head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said that the ordination of married men to the priesthood has not been the major contributing factor to the numerous young vocations in his Eastern Catholic church. The average age of a Ukrainian Catholic priest is 35.

In our tradition, we do have a married clergy, but a married clergy is not the main reason we have so many young priests, he said, noting that religious orders, which require a vow of consecrated chastity, also have numerous young vocations. The possibility of being a married priest is not the main cause of an increase or decrease in vocations to the priesthood because this vocation comes from God.

New Patriarch for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

New Primate for Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Archbishop Schevchuk, 40, Succeeds Cardinal Husar

KIEV, Ukraine, MARCH 25, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI granted ecclesial communion to Archbishop Sviatoslav Schevchuk, 40, as the major archbishop of the Archeparchy of Kiev, Ukraine, and primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, meeting in Lviv, elected Archbishop Schevchuk on Wednesday as the successor of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, 78, who tendered his resignation for reasons of health in February.

As the Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches establishes (Canon 153), the appointment requires the recognition of communion with the universal Church granted by the Pope.

Archbishop Schevchuk (Rome has not assigned the title of patriarchate to this Church) was the youngest bishop taking part in the synod and is the fourth youngest bishop of the Catholic Church.

He will be the pastor of a Church of five million faithful, the largest of the Catholic Eastern Churches. The Church was united to Rome after the Union of Brest (1596), and it was particularly persecuted for this reason during the Soviet period, when Stalin ordered its dissolution in 1948. The legal persecution and marginalization ended in 1989 when, after the fall of Communism, this Church again received juridical recognition.

Al Qaeda threat: Christians are legitimate targets

The authors of the terrorist massacre in the Baghdad church publish a message on the internet that is a threat to all Christians, and make explicit reference to the Vatican.

Terrorists!

Baghdad (AsiaNews / Agencies) – “The ultimatum made two days ago to the church of Egypt for the release of two Muslim women held prisoner, has expired. We have had no response and now you are all involved in the war on Islam , so be careful of the souls of your followers. " The so-called 'War Department' of the 'Islamic State of Iraq' (ISI) al-Qaeda in Iraq issued a statement on the Web to announce that the passing of the deadline of its "ultimatum" to the Egyptian Coptic Church to release two Egyptian women, Camilia Cheh and Wafa Constantine, wives of Coptic priests, whom according to the terrorists are detained against their will in a convent after converting to Islam.

Their conversion has been denied by all the Islamic religious authorities in Egypt, and the Muslim Brotherhood have harshly attacked the authors of the massacre in Baghdad. Al-Qaeda, however, confirms that all Christians and their churches have become "legitimate targets" of the terrorist group and are therefore are in danger. The message issued today by the Iraqi cell of al-Qaeda also makes explicit reference to the Vatican.

The Pope Condemned Attack on Catholics by Muslim Extremists in Baghdad

File Photo: Catholics solemnly praying inside Baghdad Church before it was attacked
(Photo Source: zindamagazine)

The defeaning silence Muslim States and the Islamic communities around the world such as the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the CAIR, and other known Muslim organizations and institutions; Muslim individuals who says "Islam is a Religion of Peace" is quite disturbing!

If they DO NOT have the GUTS to condemn such people "hijacking their faith" why they can't go out in PROTEST and show their force that they are really anti-terrorism!

Iraq: Dozens dead following Muslim standoff at Catholic church

Just a week ago, the Catholic Church held its Middle East Synod at the Vatican. Among the greatest threat for Christians are "Muslim Extremists" who want all Christians to be out of the Middle East.

We need peaceful Muslims to CONDEMN this BARBARIC acts done in the name of Islam by the few. We condemn this attrocities but we stand with those suffering Christians in the Middle East that their own blood become seed for Evangelization just as our saint-martyrs did.

Today, as we Catholics are celebrating the ALL SAINTS DAY, let us remember them, those who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of Christ and ask them to pray for us who are still journeying to salvation.

And those who died who still need the grace of God, may all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen!

Youth freed after the siege was brought to an end by security forces (Photo Source: SkyNews

Energy Publisher - A siege by Iraqi security forces at one of Baghdad's largest Catholic churches ended on the night of October 31, leaving at least 37 people dead and twelve injured.

FINAL MESSAGE OF SYNOD FOR MIDDLE EAST

VATICAN CITY, 23 OCT 2010 (VIS) - During yesterday's Thirteenth General Congregation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops, the Synod Father's approved their Final Message.

Extracts from the English-language version of the Message are given below:

I. THE CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE EAST: COMMUNION AND WITNESS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. THE JOURNEY OF FAITH IN THE MIDDLE EAST

"The first Christian community was born in the Middle East. From there, the Apostles after Pentecost went out to evangelise the whole world. ... We are now at a turning point in our history: The God Who gave us the faith in our Eastern lands 2000 years ago, calls us today to persevere with courage, strength and steadfastness in bearing the message of Christ and witnessing to His Gospel, the Gospel of love and peace".

"Today we face many challenges. ... What Christ asks from our Churches is to strengthen communion within every 'sui iuris' Church, and between the Catholic Churches of different traditions, and to exert every effort in prayer and charitable acts in order to attain the full unity of all Christians".

Pope Says Church Is Instrument of Unity in Mideast

Requests Prayers for Synod of Bishops

Participants in the opening Liturgy of
the Synod of Bishops of the Middle East.

VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) - Benedict XVI is pointing out that the Church is called to be a sign and instrument of unity in the Middle East, amid all of the division present in that region.

The Pope affirmed this today before praying the midday Angelus together with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.

He said: "I have just come from St. Peter's Basilica where I presided at the opening Mass of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops.

"This extraordinary synodal gathering, which will last two weeks, will see the meeting in Rome of the pastors of the Church that lives in the Middle East, a very diverse reality. In that land, in fact, the one Church of Christ expresses herself in all the wealth of her ancient traditions."

The Pontiff noted, "We will be reflecting on the following theme: 'The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness.'"

"In fact," he added, "in those countries, unfortunately marked by profound divisions and lacerations by age-old conflicts, the Church is called to be the sign and instrument of unity and of reconciliation, on the model of the first community of Jerusalem, in which 'the multitude of those who had become Christian were of one heart and one soul' (Acts 4:32)."

"This is an arduous task," the Holy Father observed, "since the Christians of the Middle East often find themselves having to endure difficult conditions of life at the personal, familial and communal levels."

He continued, "But this should not be discouraging: It is precisely in this context that the perennial message of Christ becomes more necessary and urgent: 'Convert and believe in the Gospel' (Mark 1:15)."

Benedict XVI concluded by inviting everyone to pray for the synod assembly, "invoking from God an abundant outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit."

Will there be an Arabic Section of the Vatican's Official Website?

Feeling neglected by the rest of the Christian world, missionaries assigned to the Middle East have very little resources to be used to Evangelize our brethren in the Middle East. Except that of the Coptics made available in Egypt by Christian Copts, we have no other means to bring the message of Christ in their own language. Perhaps an Arabic authorized Catholic Version, or the official Vatican City's website with an Arabic version could speak to millions of Arabs accross the Middle East.

Vatican is planning to include Arabic and Russian in its official website. Hopefully, this will not take much time while the harvest is still plenty, and the harvesters are still waiting for their reaping tools for the harvest. Let's pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may provide our missionaries their tools and send forth the harvesters without delay.

May our Blessed Mother be their inspiration of patience while watching the ripening fruit of our labor.

Catholicism: Vatican mulling Arabic and Russian versions of website

Vatican City, Religiouscope - The Vatican plans to revamp its official website and is considering opening sections in Arabic and Russian, an official said Tuesday.

The need to use language "that is comprehensible to today's internet users," is prompting the initiative, Monsignor Lucio Adrian Ruiz who manages the site, told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.

The site: www.vatican.va currently consists of some half-a-million pages with sections in eight languages: Latin, Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and Chinese.

"First of all it must be made clear that it will be a long process (to update the site). But it has to be done," Ruiz said.

The site was first launched in 1995 with a Christmas message by the then pontiff, John Paul II.

It currently hosts several sections, including archive material, statements and publications from the Holy See's press office - such as the daily bulletin.

There is also an area dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI including speeches, details of his travels and other activities.

Plans include expanding the section on all the 265th popes in history, with online versions of documents and other materials, Ruiz said.

A video archive collecting images of Benedict's pontificate which began in 2005, is also in the pipeline.

The Vatican site currently receives an average of some three million "hits" a day.

However, some of these may be multiple attempts to reach the site from the same source so a new statistical system will be introduced to enable the Holy See to assess how many people actually visit the site, Ruiz explained.

The most hits originate from computers in the US, followed by Italy, Spain, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Mexico, Canada, France and China, he added.

Melkite Patriarch Gregorios Divine Liturgy in Rome