CNA Staff, Aug 21, 2025 / 17:56 pm
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:
Syrian minister of culture sparks controversy with Islamic chant in Orthodox church
Syrian Culture Minister Mohammed Saleh was criticized this week after a video surfaced showing him at a historic Orthodox church with Islamic chanter Al-Mu’tasim Billah Al-Assali, who performed an Islamic hymn with lyrics that directly contradict Christian beliefs.
According to ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, the video was filmed inside the Church of St. Ananias in Damascus, a Greek Orthodox landmark built in 1815. It shows Saleh with Billah Al-Assali, who performed a chant that calls Christ “a creation” and says that he came “bearing good news of Mohammad.”
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