NEWS

A displaced Syrian girl finds temporary shelter at a school in Damascus, Syria, Feb. 23. A prominent Syrian Christian political leader has called for U.S.-led coalition forces to use airstrikes to aid fellow Syrian Christian and Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State militants in northwest Syria following reports of flagrant abductions and church burnings.

Politician calls for coalition airstrikes to help Syrian Christians

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AMMAN, Jordan - A prominent Syrian Christian political leader has called for U.S.-led coalition forces to use airstrikes to aid fellow Christian and Kurdish fighters battling Islamic State militants following reports of flagrant abductions and church burnings in northwest Syria.

McGill University ethicist Margaret Somerville has called for a Royal Commission on “physician-assisted death” as well as for the federal government to invoke the notwithstanding clause to trump the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the matter.

Somerville calls for Royal Commission on euthanasia

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OTTAWA - McGill University ethicist Margaret Somerville has called for a Royal Commission on “physician-assisted death” as well as for the federal government to invoke the notwithstanding clause to trump the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the matter.

Fr. Henry McErlean organized thousands of retreats around Mary. In the 60s, McErlean travelled to Uganda where he served several church communities. He died peacefully in Newmarket, Ont., at the age of 82.

Fr. McErlean touched all he met

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Those who knew Fr. Henry McErlean remember the man for his strong will, his wit, wisdom and calming smile.

Coptic Orthodox priests in Amman, Jordan, remember 21 murdered Egyptian Christians during a Divine Liturgy Feb. 18. The Coptic Christians were beheaded by Islamic State militants in Libya, where the Egyptian nationals had been working.

Islamic State actions reinforce urgency of dialogue, religious leaders say

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WASHINGTON - Amid frequent reports of brutal killings and attacks by Islamic State militants, the director of an Islamic group in the United States strongly believes that people of faith must "collectively denounce" these actions of "stark evil" and "cruel barbarism."

Campaign Life Coalition is informing Canadians about Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau’s pro-choice comments ahead of the federal election this fall.

Just say #No2Trudeau, says Campaign Life

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TORONTO - With a federal election scheduled for this year, Campaign Life Coalition has launched the #No2Trudeau campaign to foil the Liberal leader's victory plan.

An electoral agent in Lagos, Nigeria, inspects the temporary voter card of a woman Feb. 10.

Cardinal urges Nigerian candidates to avoid hate speech during campaign

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ABUJA, Nigeria - Politicians should desist from hate speech and inciting Nigerians against each other during the campaign for general elections, said a Nigerian cardinal.

The anti-terrorism Bill C-51 is under committee review after its second reading in the House of Commons Feb. 23. The bill would expand powers to arrest and detain suspects if police believes a terrorist attack “may be” carried out. It would also allow the Canadian Security Intelligence can also “disrupt” terrorist web sites and social media accounts.

Popular terror bill must respect civil liberties

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Anti-terror legislation currently before Parliament needs thorough debate and close scrutiny to ensure civil liberties, including religious freedom, are fully protected, said the president of the Catholic Civil Rights League.

A view shows smoke rising Nov. 20 from a Kobani, Syria, neighborhood damaged by fighting between Islamic State militants and Kurdish forces.

Up to 100 Christians abducted in Islamic State offensive in Syria

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DOHUK, Iraq - Dozens of Assyrian Christians were abducted by Islamic State forces during a new offensive against a string of villages in northeastern Syria, aid and civil rights organizations reported.

A Syrian child stands barefoot outside a tent Feb. 17 at a camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. This winter's heavy rains have caused the paths between the tents at the settlements to fill with water.

Freezing temps, 60-mph winds, tents: Refugees struggle in Bekaa Valley

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BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon - Many Lebanese have spent as much time as possible indoors this winter, protecting themselves from this year's unusually brutal cold season.

Over 600 laypeople and faith leaders gathered at the Virgin Mary and St. Athanasius Church in Mississauga, Ont., Feb. 22 to mourn the 21 Egyptians Copts killed by the Islamic State allies in Libya. The church displayed a new icon representing the martyrs.

Hundreds gather to mourn Christians slain by Islamic State

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MISSISSAUGA, ONT. - The Coptic Christians of Toronto and their friends gathered in Mississauga Feb. 22 to answer the murder of 21 Egyptian Copts by Islamic State allies in Libya. They answered the Feb. 15 beheadings with Bible readings, prayers, songs, hope and forgiveness.

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a gathering at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi Jan. 27. An Indian Catholic leader welcomed the parting message of Obama, who reiterated freedom of religion as a fundamental right.

Survey: 133 per cent increase in attacks on religion in past three years

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WASHINGTON - A new report from the Liberty Institute in Plano, Texas, shows that incidents of "religious hostility" have more than doubled in the United States over the past three years.

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