by indcatholicnews.com -- Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, and the head of the Maronite Church, gave an overview of the situation in Lebanon on Tuesday evening, explaining that the country needs help from the United Nations and called for a resolution to address the situation in Palestine. The Patriarch, who is visiting the UK on a trip organised by Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East, (FACE) said Lebanon in the past had been "exposed to greed" and was "a venue for wars, hostilities, occupation, assassinations and injustices."

Patriarch al-Rahi told a press conference at Archbishops House, Westminster, that now his country is facing a "demographic problem and an economic problem" due to shocking inflation, and having to take in millions of refugees from Syria and Palestinian which has put a strain on the country.The Patriarch said: "In order to protect Lebanon, keep it secure, stable and united it ought to be removed from regional and international conflicts, while remaining committed to legitimate Arab just causes, particularly the Palestinian cause, and to the United Nations resolutions." "We ask the United Nations to call for a Special International Conference on Lebanon," he added.

Such a conference, according to Patriarch al-Rahi, would support "devising a solution for the Palestinian problem; the facilitation and encouragement of Syrian repatriation and their assistance in their own country; the declaration of the positive neutrality of Lebanon through a Security Council Declaration." Patriarch al-Rahi also had some warm words for the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who visited Lebanon in 2012. Explaining how the speech of any pope "carries a lot of weight," he said: "The pope made three main speeches, besides his sermon. He spoke about the importance of Lebanon and the identity. "If you read his speeches you will see a lot of his ideas being held [today]. The speeches of any pope in any country have a permanent impact." Patriarch al-Rahi asked people in the UK to "invest in Lebanon", advocate on the country's behalf, and support a two-state solution in Palestine. He finished by saying: "I can assure you that the Maronites present throughout the world are carrying the cause of Lebanon with them."

by indcatholicnews.com -- On his first official visit to the UK, His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi, Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Maronite Church, has taken part in a series of meetings with church leaders, politicians and Lebanese delegations yesterday. He was welcomed to Lambeth Palace by Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop said: "We prayed together for Christians in the Middle East, especially Lebanon - a place close to my heart." The Patriarch then went on to the Palace of Westminster, where he took part in a number of official meetings, most notably with Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State for the Middle East; Sarah Mackintosh, Deputy National Security Adviser, who has responsibility for the Middle East; and with Parliamentarians, organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group to the Holy See.

The Patriarch was accompanied by Archbishop Paul Boulos El-Sayah; His Excellency Rami Mortada, Ambassador of Lebanon to the United Kingdom; and Mr Maran Francis, Counsellor at the Lebanese Embassy. In recent days, His Beatitude has also met with representatives of various Lebanese parties at the Maronite Parish in London, for which meeting he was accompanied by Abbot Hadi Mahfouz, General Superior of the Lebanese Maronite Order, and Father Fadi Kmeid, Maronite parish priest in London.

Story by Marquise Francis -- AFP -- India is expected to surpass China and become the world’s most populous nation within the next three months, according to a recent report by the United Nations’ population division, marking a seismic shift on the global stage in a trend with significant social and economic impact for both countries. “Most people think India's economy is still a fraction of what it could be in the future, which means there's so much promise,” Dr. Audrey Truschke, an associate professor of South Asian History at Rutgers University, told Yahoo News, adding that much of the potential is due in large part to India being “such a young country.”

Of the rapidly growing 1.41 billion people in India, about 1 in 4 are under the age of 15 and nearly half are under 25. By comparison, China’s population is about 1.45 billion, but those under 25 make up only a quarter of the population. “The Indian subcontinent has always supported a robust human population,” Truschke said. “India has also long been compared to China, and they have for a long time traded with one another. So as much changes over the course of human history, that's something that recurs — both the dense population of the subcontinent, as well as the comparison with China.” Since 1950, India and China have accounted for an estimated 35% of the world’s population growth, with China emerging as a global industrial power. Combined, the two population epicenters are a significant slice of the world’s roughly 8 billion people.

By Brad Kallet, Editor at LinkedIn News – Your Instagram navigation bar is going to look a bit different in February. Beginning …