Middle East

Leo XIV has approved the election of the new leader of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Places, following in the footsteps of the saint of Assisi. Italian, 55 years old, the new custos takes over from Francesco Patton who has reached the end of his mandate. For the Minister General of the Friars Minor Massimo Fusarelli, "The particular context of conflict and violence” in the Holy Land and in the Middle East “makes our mission in these places even more urgent.”

This afternoon, the funerals of the victims of the massacre were presided over by Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi. The Christian community is still in shock, entire families decimated. Syrian authorities have arrested six people linked to the attack and promise justice. But the climate of mistrust remains and the desire to flee in a ‘security vacuum’ is growing.

The government blames the Islamic State group for yesterday’s attack that left dozens of Christian dead, but amid the uncertainty no one has yet claimed responsibility. A source spoke to AsiaNews complaining that the authorities are busy implementing the Sharia and signing deals with Qatar and Turkey rather than “building a real nation”. Father Jihad (Mar Musa) warns against falling into the trap of attacking the country’s reconstruction work. The Ordinaries of the Holy Land slammed the “barbaric act” that caused “profound shock and deep revulsion”.

Cardinal Dominique Mathieu shares a second entry of his “war diary” with AsiaNews. Over the weekend, the United States bombed three nuclear sites. The succession of attacks and counterattacks “raises fears of the worst, leading us to believe that there are no longer any limits, that anything is possible and justifiable”. “Exposing the Eucharistic body of Jesus under the din of gunfire restores silence in the mind and shows that, even if the sea is rough, he is on board and calms the storm”.

An Iranian blockade of the world's main maritime transit point for oil and gas would have severe repercussions in Asia, especially for China, India, Japan, and South Korea. As crude oil prices rise, many doubt that Iran can carry out its threats because they would harm China, risking further isolating the country.

With the recognition by the Vatican medical commission that a miracle occurred through his intercession, a "direct, complete and permanent" healing, the Greek Catholic priest, Fr Beshara Abou-Mrad (1853-1930), could soon be proclaimed blessed, this according to the Salvatorian Archimandrite Mtanios Haddad.

Maryam Marof Arwin, founder of the Purple Saturdays Movement, spoke to AsiaNews about often inhumane conditions of Afghan refugees in Iran, which got worse following Israel’s recent strikes. At least one Afghan has died so far from an airstrike. Women, children, dissidents, and activists risk their lives if repatriated, but even in exile they face hunger, precariousness, and discrimination. For the activist, human rights defenders must promote respect for humanitarian law.

Timor-Leste’s president spoke at the Global Leadership & Dialogue Initiative in Kuala Lumpur. In his address, he cited the huge human toll his country paid towards full international recognition. Next October, the country will become the 11th ASEAN member state.

The Middle East accounts for 25% of total tea exports. And 60% of private remittances come from the 1.5 million migrants working in the region. A 5% drop in orders could cost up to $75 million a year. Attention is focused on the Strait of Hormuz for possible blockades by Tehran.

Azerbaijan is on the front line of the conflict between Israel and Iran, with its ambivalent role as a strategic partner of Tel Aviv and complex and contradictory relations with Tehran. But neighbouring Armenia also openly expresses fears that the conflict could be protracted, involving other countries in the region.

The archbishop of the Iranian capital shares his account of the first week of the war launched by Israel with AsiaNews. ‘Everything is happening through airspace and by remote control’, the ‘collateral victims: displaced, wounded and dead’, fears of an accident involving the release of ‘toxic gases or radiation’. The awareness that war ‘is not the solution’ and prayers to Jesus who ‘made the two into one people’.

Speaking to AsiaNews, the activist slams the escalation with Iran. The Gaza War is no longer making headlines, but atrocities continue and the hostage issue remains unsolved. In Israel, normal life has been put on hold as Iranian missiles cause “scenes of destruction”. In this context, it is hard to see what the future has in store, except that “many Israelis would like to leave the country.”