News Page 5

In northern Syria, the rubble left by the war is covered by that of the earthquake. Or rather, earthquakes, which since February 6 have shaken the ground at least 9 thousand times with aftershocks. Victims in Turkey and Syria have exceeded the tragic threshold of 50,000 people. More than half a million people have been […]

“Everything is still shaking here, we don’t know what to do anymore! All of Aleppo is in the streets!” Last night, at 8 p.m. local time, about two weeks after the earthquake of February the 6th a second quake of 6.5 magnitude struck Turkey and Syria with epicenter between Antioch in Turkey and Latakia, a […]

More than a week has passed and still not all the victims of this earthquake have been extracted from the rubble. These days our staff is relentlessly helping the populations of Aleppo, Latakia, Knayeh and Yacoubieh. The emergency centers welcome more than 4,000 people every day through the provision of food, medicine, blankets and other […]

«The Lord truly saved me from certain death. My church with much of the convent is out of order. Sadly, so many neighbors have died.». So says in a message on whastapp Father Louai Bsharat, a Franciscan friar in the village of Knayeh, Syria. The first news has arrived from the villages controlled by jihadist […]

“I tried to contact my mother and father, but they didn’t answer me because they had left their phones at home to escape into the street. I thought they were dead. But then I saw them in the street … thank God.” With a broken voice, the young Muna from Aleppo remembers the terrible moments […]

In the cruelest of silences, Syria is approaching its 12th anniversary of war. The year just past reveals all the tragedy that the Syrian people and refugees still have to endure. 2022 is the year in which fewer casualties have been recorded in Syria since the outbreak of civil war on March 15, 2011. Very […]

Many will remember the famous photograph taken just over nine months ago in the Anastasis, the heart of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The image (photo 1) portrays the heads of the Greek Orthodox, Latin Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches lifting a stone of the ancient floor with pickaxes. The gesture marked the beginning […]

The Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civil Service have published the call for the selection of 71,550 volunteer operators to be employed in Universal Civil Service projects. There are many young people who over the years have put themselves on the line to live a year to discover the reality of Pro Terra […]

Bagpipes, drums, trumpets and flags were the backdrop to the festive day of Friday, January 6 in Bethlehem. Numerous scout groups from the Holy Land gathered along the streets of the Palestinian city to celebrate the Eve of Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated thirteen days after the Catholic one. At the same time, the Gregorian […]

“Joseph and Mary are united by a single imperative: ‘Do not be afraid!’ They are united by a single mission: to collaborate with God so that salvation can be introduced into the history of Israel and humanity through Jesus”. These are the words of the Custos of the Holy Land and president of the Pro […]

“Our kindergarten gives joy to those who knock on our door.” Thus begins the story of Sister Luisa, for three years director of St. Catherine’s kindergarten in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem. Sister Luisa was born in al-Zarqa in Jordan, studied many years in Rome and speaks fluent Italian and English. Like many charitable […]

In the heart of Bethlehem, in the picturesque street of Star Street, already decorated in these days for the Christmas holidays, is the Mosaic Centre. It is a non-profit organization, supported by Pro Terra Sancta, committed to the promotion and preservation of Palestinian cultural heritage. History and objectives of the project The establishment of the […]

When we set foot in Michel’s house, we immediately understand that the situation is much more serious than expected. My colleague from Pro Terra Sancta in Lebanon and I find it hard to hide our sorrow for the conditions in which the elder Michel Rassam is forced to live. Dirt and disorder reign supreme in […]

Sunday, November 27 was celebrated on the first Sunday of Advent. It officially began a period traditionally marked by hope and desire for peace for most peoples. However, in the global geopolitical landscape, and in particular in the Middle East, the hardships related to war, energy and social emergencies make it increasingly difficult even to […]

On the Greek island of Rhodes, some of the poorest migrant families arrive after a long crossing from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq in particular. Father Luke Gregory welcomes and helps hundreds of families by offering them shelter, food, water, clothing and precious words of comfort. The Christmas light that spreads from Bethlehem also reaches the […]