Latest news with #Caritas
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
At least 38 killed in church attack in eastern DR Congo
At least 38 people have been killed and 15 others injured in an attack on a church in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The attack, carried out by suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) wielding guns and machetes, took place at the church in Ituri province's Komanda city early on Sunday. The ADF, with ties to ISIL (ISIS), is a rebel group that operates in the borderland between Uganda and the DRC, and has routinely conducted attacks against civilian populations. Several houses and shops were also burned down, and many people remain missing after the attack, which happened while Catholic Christians were attending a prayer vigil at the church, run by the Caritas charity. 'The rebels mainly attacked Christians who were spending the night in the Catholic church,' said Christophe Munyanderu, a human rights activist present at the scene in Komanda. 'Unfortunately, these people were killed with machetes or bullets.' DRC's Radio Okapi reported the death toll as 43, blaming it on the ADF. 'More than 20 victims were killed with bladed weapons during a prayer vigil in a church,' the radio said. 'Other bodies were found in burned houses nearby.' 'What we know this morning is that there was an incursion by armed men with machetes into a church not far from Komanda,' DRC army spokesperson Jules Ngongo said. A civil society leader told The Associated Press news agency that people were shot dead inside and outside the church, adding that they found at least three charred bodies. 'But the search [for bodies] is continuing,' Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, told AP. 'We are truly disappointed because it is incredible that such a situation could occur in a town where all the security officials are present,' Duranthabo said, adding that some people fled the area and moved to Bunia town. 'We demand military intervention as soon as possible, since we are told the enemy is still near our town.' The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC has condemned a recent resurgence in violence in Ituri. Earlier this month, ADF killed dozens of people in the province in what a UN spokesperson described as a 'bloodbath'. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighbouring DRC and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to ISIL. The ADF's leadership says it is fighting to form a hardliner government in the East African country. The DRC army has long struggled against the rebel group, and it is now grappling with a complex web of attacks since renewed hostilities with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Herald Malaysia
3 days ago
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Caritas Europa reaffirms support for Ukraine amid ongoing war
Caritas Europa leaders visit Ukraine to reaffirm solidarity and call for sustained support amid escalating humanitarian needs and ongoing conflict. Jul 27, 2025 File photo of Caritas Ukraine solidarity operations in war zones By Linda BordoniAs Ukraine continues to grapple with the ongoing consequences of war more than three years after the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, a delegation from Caritas Europa, led by its President, Msgr Michael Landau, visited the country to express solidarity, assess current needs, and renew support for the local Caritas network. The visit included stops in Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv, where representatives from 14 countries met with national and local Caritas offices and visited ongoing humanitarian projects. In an interview with Vatican News, Tetiana Stawnychy, President of Caritas Ukraine and Vice-President of Caritas Europa, described the mission as a moment of encounter, encouragement, and planning. 'It was a solidarity visit together with many of our partners from all over Europe,' she said. 'This encounter between the local and national Caritas in Ukraine and our partners from abroad has brought us a great deal of energy and encouragement.' The timing of the visit was significant. 'There was a rather large-scale attack the day before the meetings,' Stawnychy recalled. 'Even during our meetings, there was an air alarm, so we moved into a shelter area and continued the work of exchange and scenario planning.' During the visit, Caritas Europa representatives had the opportunity to observe the work of local teams providing shelter, psychosocial assistance, support for displaced persons, and services for children and elderly evacuees. According to Caritas Europa's official statement , these encounters revealed not only the scale of suffering but also the resilience of communities and the essential role of local humanitarian actors. Emergency response and long-term projects Stawnychy highlighted that the two national Caritas organisations—Caritas Ukraine and Caritas-Spes Ukraine—together form the largest nationally based humanitarian network in the country. Their work spans a broad spectrum of services, from emergency response and evacuations to longer-term projects aimed at integration and recovery. 'Our focus is on those most vulnerable,' she said. 'That includes the elderly who are alone, families with members who have special needs, large families, and single mothers.' She explained that in frontline areas, Caritas provides basic supplies, hygiene and water access, home repairs, and psychosocial support. Further from the front, the organisation supports displaced persons with housing, child-friendly spaces, and livelihood restoration. Reflecting on the prolonged impact of the war, she noted the growing challenge of meeting evolving humanitarian needs. 'People are tired, but there's a strong desire to continue living, to respond, to help one another, and to make a life,' she said. Fundraising appeal The Caritas network's global fundraising appeal, launched at the start of the invasion, continues to play a critical role in sustaining operations. 'The number of people in need remains very high. The UN estimates about 13 million people in Ukraine will require humanitarian assistance in 2025,' Stawnychy noted. 'The network is still assisting us as they are able, and we also engage in bilateral projects with Caritas members, institutional funding, and local fundraising despite the fragile state of Ukraine's economy.' In the statement, Fr. Vyacheslav Grynevych, Executive Director of Caritas-Spes Ukraine, highlighted the importance of international solidarity in this Jubilee Year. 'The solidarity we receive from the Caritas network is especially meaningful for us in Ukraine. We deeply feel the closeness of our many colleagues from across Europe. Their support and presence give us strength and remind us that we are not alone in these challenging times,' he said. Concern for decline in international support Msgr. Landau expressed concern over a decline in international support. 'Caritas is facing great challenges in Ukraine. The need for help is huge and increasing. At the same time, many international donors, including those in Europe, are beginning to reduce their support. This is very worrying,' he said. 'People in Ukraine still need our solidarity, perhaps now more than ever.' Stawnychy echoed this concern and outlined the most pressing needs: 'People evacuating from eastern Ukraine are extremely vulnerable—many are elderly or have mobility issues. There's an ongoing need for assistance with evacuations, support for those under shelling, even if not on the frontline, and long-term housing solutions for those who have lost everything.' It is hard to pick the most pressing need, she says: She explained that housing was part of the social safety net in Ukraine. 'Now we have millions without homes to return to. We need to help people find a place to live, get back to work, and ultimately exit from humanitarian aid into sustainability.' Solidarity and the rebuilding of trust Solidarity, she added, plays a vital role in sustaining humanitarian workers and those they serve. 'War destroys the human face—it rips at relationships,' she said. 'Solidarity is the opposite. It's what brings healing. There's something profound in that encounter between the one giving and the one receiving aid. It rebuilds a sense of trust in humanity.' In conclusion, Stawnychy appealed to the international community: 'First, continue to pray for us. In 2022, we felt the strength of global prayer, and we ask that it not stop. Second, stay informed. And third, get involved—advocate for Ukraine, support the mission through Caritas or Church structures. Together, we can make a big difference.'--Vatican News
India.com
20-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Pope Condemns Israeli Attack On Gaza Church, Calls For End To Barbarity Of War
Pope Leo XIV has strongly condemned an Israeli attack on Gaza's only Catholic church, which killed three people on Thursday. During his Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope expressed his deep sorrow and appealed for an end to the "barbarity of war," AL Jazeera reported. He urged the international community to "observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians", emphasising the need to avoid collective punishment, indiscriminate force, and forced displacement. "As well as the prohibition of collective punishment, of indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population," he added. Among those killed were the parish's 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman who was receiving psychosocial support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound, according to the Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem. Israeli attacks across Gaza on Thursday killed at least 32 Palestinians, including 25 in Gaza City alone, as per AL Jazeera. Meanwhile, Gaza's Health Ministry said that at least 130 people have been killed and 495 wounded by Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours. That brings the death toll since the start of Israel's war to 58,895, with 140,980 people wounded. According to AL Jazeera, in the last two years, as well as its war on Gaza and increasingly violent occupation of the West Bank, Israel has launched attacks on Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. The most recent attacks on Syria were launched this week, going so far as to hit the country's Ministry of Defence. The Israelis point to their justifications for the attacks on Syria, principally, in Israel's telling, to defend the Syrian Druze minority. In Lebanon, Israel claimed it wanted to stop the threat posed by Hezbollah. The attacks on Iran, it said, were to end that country's attempt to build a nuclear bomb. And in Yemen, Israel's bombing was a response to attacks from the country's Houthi rebels.
NBC News
20-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Pope calls for end to 'barbarity' after deadly Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church
The church was watched over closely by the late Pope Francis, who spoke daily with its parish priest and once gifted his popemobile to the children there. In a rare and risky visit to Gaza — largely sealed off from foreign officials — Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, led a delegation into the territory on Friday to show their support. Video footage captured their arrival at the church, greeted by cheers and ringing bells. 'On behalf of all the Christians of our land, all the churches all over the world are united with us in this moment,' said Pizzaballa, who also led Sunday morning mass at the church. President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the strike. White House spokesperson Tammy Bruce said it was an understatement to say Trump was not happy with Netanyahu during the call, adding that the U.S. had asked Israel to investigate the strike and 'ensure that all civilians, including Christian civilians, remain safe.' "Everyone is appalled," she said. On Friday, staunch Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a bill to strip $500 million in U.S. military funding to Israel, a measure that was overwhelmingly rejected but marked a rare rebuke. Netanyahu said that Israel 'deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church" and called Pope Leo on Friday night. The Israel Defense Forces said it was reviewing the incident. Israel's Foreign Ministry said the results of the investigation would be published. Bruce called the prime minister's response 'an appropriate start' and reiterated Israel's framing of the strike as an accident. But admissions of regret have not satisfied the grieving Catholic community, which has amplified its calls for a ceasefire. The Jerusalem branch of the Vatican's Caritas federation named two of the dead as Saad Salameh, 60, the church's janitor, and Fumayya Ayyad, 84, who had been sitting inside a Caritas psychosocial support tent when the blast sent shrapnel and debris flying. The pope named the other as Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for peace and an 'immediate ceasefire' following the strike, echoing Pope Leo and renewing calls made so often under Francis. 'With the Holy Father, the Catholic bishops of the United States are deeply saddened to learn about the deaths and injuries at Holy Family Church in Gaza caused by a military strike,' Broglio said in a statement. "May there be peace in Gaza." Pax Christi International, a Christian peace organization, condemned the strike, and called for "an immediate and permanent ceasefire." Yet while those calls may have intensified in the wake of the attack, there was little sign of one this weekend. Since Pizzaballa visited the Holy Family Church on Friday, Israeli air strikes had killed more than 100 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities. On Sunday, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders that suggested its ground offensive may be about to extend into new areas at the heart of the enclave, while the United Nations said that civilians were starving and in urgent need of aid. Pizzaballa, closer to the carnage than most foreigners have managed since the current conflict began, once again called for peace. "Churches all over the world, especially the church in the Holy Land, the Greek Orthodox, and all the churches, will never abandon and neglect you," he said, addressing the church. 'We are working in the diplomatic world in order for a ceasefire, to stop this war, this tragedy,' he said.
Nahar Net
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Top Holy Land clerics visit Gaza after deadly church strike
by Naharnet Newsdesk 18 July 2025, 16:53 Top church leaders in Jerusalem headed into Gaza Friday in a rare solidarity visit to the territory one day after an Israeli shell slammed into its only Catholic church, killing three people. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III entered Gaza in the morning to express the "shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land," read a statement released by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The patriarchs and their delegation arrived at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza in the afternoon. As well as the three people killed in the strike, 10 were wounded, including the resident priest. The church compound was damaged. The delegation was also planning on sending hundreds of tons of food aid, medical supplies and equipment to families inside Gaza, the patriarchate said, adding they also had "ensured evacuation" of individuals injured in the attack to hospitals outside Gaza. The attack drew condemnation from world leaders and religious figures. Pope Leo XIV on Thursday renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in response to the attack and President Donald Trump called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his frustration. Israel on Thursday expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it was investigating. The visit by religious leaders Friday marked a rare entrance to the territory by a delegation of outsiders. With the exception of a trickle of aid workers and a small number of Palestinians needing medical care outside the territory, very few have been able to enter or exit Gaza since the start of Israel's latest offensive in May. At the time of the strike, the church compound was sheltering both Christians and Muslims, including a number of children with disabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the casualties. The Catholic charity Caritas Jerusalem said the parish's 60-year-old janitor and an 84-year-old woman receiving psychosocial support inside a Caritas tent in the church compound were killed in the attack. Parish priest Gabriel Romanelli was lightly wounded. "The Latin Patriarchate remains steadfast in its commitment to the Christian community and the entire population of Gaza. They will not be forgotten, nor will they be abandoned," read the statement from Caritas. Netanyahu released a statement saying Israel "deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church." The Israeli military said an initial assessment indicated that "fragments from a shell fired during operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly." It said it was still investigating. Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them for civilian deaths. Palestinians say nowhere has felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Fifty hostages are still being held, less than half of them believed to be alive Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other international organizations consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
