CULTURE

VATICAN — In honor of persecuted Middle East Christians, Pope Francis announced that St. Isaac of Nineveh, a seventh-century Syriac archbishop venerated across Christian traditions, will be added to the Roman Martyrology.   St. Isaac of Nineveh, also known as Isaac the Syriac, was a revered Christian mystic, monk and…

BAGHDAD — In a meeting with the new UN Secretary-General’s representative to Iraq Omani Mohammed al-Hassan, Iraq’s top Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for restricting weapons exclusively to Iraqi state authorities to safeguard the nation’s security and stability. Al-Sistani, who has refrained from meeting Iraqi officials since 2015 due…

BEIRUT — Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the bishops of the Syriac Maronite Church issued a statement urging the international community to enact a resolution to halt hostilities and to implement UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701, which paves the way for displaced Lebanese to…

BAGHDAD — Syriac Catholic Patriarch Mar Ignatius Youssef III Younan inaugurated the new “Martyrs’ Complex” at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad. After opening the complex, the Patriarch led a prayer to bless the site and unveiled a memorial plaque honoring the martyrs. Patriarch Younan toured the…

ANKAWA, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Mosul, Kerkeslokh (Kirkuk), and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), Mor Nicodemus Daoud Matta Sharaf, presided over the funeral prayer for the late Syriac Orthodox Catholicos of India and head of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Aboon Mor Baselios…

DAYRIK, North and East Syria — On Sunday, Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Gozarto (Jazira) and Euphrates Mor Maurice Amsih presided over a Divine Mass at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Dudu in Dayrik (Derik), North and East Syria. Joined by diocesan priests from surrounding cities and towns, he celebrated…

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — In celebration of the 175th anniversary of the first Syriac newspaper, the Syrian Kurdish Journalists Network (SKJN) extended its congratulations to all professionals in Syriac-language journalism and media. In a social media post, SKJN highlighted the significance of Zahriri Dabahra (Light), the pioneering Syriac newspaper,…

HASAKAH, North and East Syria — In a vibrant literary gathering attended by Syriacs (Arameans–Assyrians–Chaldeans) and literature enthusiasts from various communities, the Syriac Cultural Association’s Hasakah branch hosted a literary evening on Friday at its headquarters in the Nasrah neighborhood. The event, which began at 4:30 PM, featured poets and…

ZALIN, North and East Syria — In celebration of the 175th anniversary of Syriac-language journalism, the Syriac Strategic Research Center (SSRC) hosted a dialogue seminar titled Power of the Word: Role of Syriac Press in Shaping National Consciousness in the Armenian Benevolent Association Hall in Zalin (Qamishli), North and East…

KOCHI, India — Catholicos of Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Church in India Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I passed away at 95, at a private hospital in Kochi, Kerala on October 31, 2024, after prolonged illness. The funeral mass at the church began at 10.30 a.m., on November 1, 2024. On November…