Europe
Vatican City - Pope Leo XIV recently received Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister in an official audience at the Vatican, continuing the Holy See's controversial relationship with the Muslim-majority nation accused of systematic cultural genocide against Armenian Christians. The Vatican has maintained diplomatic relations with Azerbaijan since
Orthodox News
Tehran, Iran - Under Iranian Islamic law, girls can legally be married at age 9 lunar years (approximately 8 years and 9 months) with parental consent and court approval. While the official minimum marriage age is set at 13 for girls and 15 for boys, Article 1041 of Iran'
Asia
Mosul, Iraq - Eight years after ISIS terrorists destroyed historic Christian churches in Mosul, Iraq, two landmark churches officially reopened in September 2025 following extensive restoration work, marking a significant moment for Iraq's dwindling Christian community. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Al-Tahira Church) for
Middle East
United States - "The Chosen Adventures," an animated children's spinoff of the hit biblical drama "The Chosen," premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 17, 2025, offering families a faith-based entertainment option designed to teach young children about Jesus and biblical principles. The series,
Europe
Karaman Province, Turkey - Archaeologists excavating the ancient Byzantine city of Eirenopolis in southern Turkey have discovered five exceptionally preserved communion bread loaves dating back approximately 1,300 years, one of which bears an image of Jesus Christ and a Greek inscription. The discovery took place at the Topraktepe archaeological
Orthodox News
Tehran, Iran - A dramatic religious transformation is underway in Iran, with reports indicating that approximately 1 million Muslims have converted to Christianity while 50,000 of the nation's 75,000 mosques have closed due to declining attendance. The developments come as Tehran inaugurated a new metro station
Middle East
Occupied West Bank - Layan Nasir, a 25-year-old Anglican Palestinian, was taken into Israeli custody on Thursday, October 16, 2025, despite being previously told her seven-and-a-half-month sentence would not begin until November. Ms. Nasir, a member of the congregation at St Peter's Church in Birzeit in the occupied
Europe
Turkey - The Turkish government has expelled over 200 foreign Christian workers from the country since 2020, citing "national security" grounds, according to legal advocacy group ADF International. The expulsions have impacted approximately 350 people total, including families. Between December 2024 and January 2025 alone, 35 new exclusion
Orthodox News
On October 10, 2025, government officials in Sumgait, Azerbaijan refused to approve Peace Church's application for official registration, thereby preventing the congregation from holding legal gatherings. International Christian Concern reported the denial as part of broader restrictions on Christian communities in the former Soviet republic. Peace Church, located
Middle East
Wycliffe Bible Translators reported on October 3, 2025 that it had completed 118 new Bible translations and New Testaments during the past year, marking what the organization called "historic growth" in Scripture accessibility. The Christian Institute covered the announcement in their October 3, 2025 news briefing. The 118
Protestant News
Remember their names in your prayers: Hesameddin (Yahya) Mohammad Junaidi, Abolfazl (Benyamin) Ahmadzadeh Khajani, Morteza (Calvin) Faghanpour Sasi, and two other individuals whose names haven’t been publicly revealed. On September 17, 2025, an Iranian appellate court upheld prison sentences for five Christian converts, each facing more than eight years