Get comprehensive Orthodox Christian news from Crusaders Call. We cover persecution of Orthodox believers, updates from Orthodox patriarchates, theological developments, and challenges facing Orthodox communities worldwide. Our reporting includes coverage of the Russian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox communities, Oriental Orthodox churches, and Orthodox witness under hostile regimes.
Europe
Yerevan, Armenia - Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan of the Diocese of Aragatsotn and 12 clergymen from the Armenian Apostolic Church have been arrested as tensions escalate between church leaders and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government. Proshyan was charged with coercing citizens to participate in public gatherings, obstructing electoral rights
UK
United Kingdom - Kingdom Bank, a Christian financial institution that provides mortgages to evangelical churches and ministry workers, has been ranked number 380 on Business Leader's Top 500 Growth Companies list for the UK. The bank, which has been operating for over 60 years, was also ranked number
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
UK
Northern England - On October 10, 2025, thousands of school children across northern England participated in a coordinated initiative to recite the Lord's Prayer together, marking a significant moment of Christian unity and education. Approximately 250 schools in northern England took part in the Lord's Prayer
Latin America
Guerrero, Mexico - A leading religious freedom advocacy group joined Christians in southern Mexico on October 17, 2025, demanding justice after the latest murder of a Catholic priest in a region torn by drug cartels. Mexican authorities arrested a suspect in the death of Father Bertoldo Pantaléon Estrada, 59, whose
Europe
Lyon, France - Ashur Sarnaya, a 45-year-old disabled Iraqi Christian who fled ISIS persecution, was brutally stabbed to death on September 10, 2025, while livestreaming about his Christian faith on TikTok outside his apartment building in Lyon, France. The attack occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the Gorge
Orthodox News
A heartbreaking and chilling report has emerged from Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where armed bandits launched coordinated attacks on Thursday evening. A resident of Birnin Gwari town, the local government headquarters, confirmed the incident, describing it as a well-coordinated assault by the attackers. According to one
Europe
Lisbon, Portugal - Portugal's parliament approved a bill on Friday, October 17, 2025, banning face veils worn for "gender or religious motives" in most public spaces, specifically targeting burqas and niqabs commonly worn by some Muslim women. The bill, proposed by the far-right Chega party led
Orthodox News
Nigeria - More than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria during the first 220 days of 2025, an average of 35 deaths per day, according to a report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), a Nigeria-based human rights organization. The report, released
Orthodox News
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