News from the Orient – November 29, 2024

This week’s News from the Orient:

Ceasefire in Lebanon

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect on November 27, after 14 months of conflict. An initial 60-day truce was agreed, supported by the United States and France.

Hezbollah is required to withdraw its forces north of the Litani River, while Israel has pledged to evacuate southern Lebanon.

Border areas will be placed under the control of the Lebanese Army, supported by UNIFIL.

The conflict has killed over 3,800 people in Lebanon and 122 in Israel.

St. Francis Xavier’s Relics in Goa, India

Since November 21, the relics of Saint Francis Xavier have been on display at the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Goa, India, a tradition repeated every ten years since 1782.

Usually housed in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the body of the Spanish missionary known as the "Apostle of the Indies," was carried in a procession to the cathedral, where it will remain until January 5.

The opening of the exhibition drew 12,000 faithful for Mass celebrated by Archbishop Anil Couto of New Delhi, accompanied by many bishops and over 400 priests.

The event attracts up to 8 million visitors each decade, including Christians, Hindus, and Muslims. St. Francis Xavier died in 1552 after evangelizing thousands in India.

Monastery transferred to Azerbaijan’s Udi Church

The Azerbaijani government has entrusted the management of the Armenian monastery of Dadivank in Artsakh to the Udi Christian community, a small church of a few hundred members in the country.

The medieval monastery came under Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war.

The decision is part of a policy to reclaim assets previously used by the Armenian community before Azerbaijani forces took Nagorno-Karabakh.

Dadivank, like other medieval Armenian churches, is now officially presented as belonging to the Udi Church.