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“I’ve arrived Rome safely but I soorow for my flock in Iran,” Catholic Bishop cries
Belgian Cardinal Dominique Mathieu of Tehran-Isfahan surfaced in Rome after days of uncertainty about his whereabouts following the start of a U.S. and Israel-Iran war.
In a brief statement sent to the Belgian Catholic news site, Cathobel, Mathieu said he arrived in Rome March 8 “not without regret and sorrow for our brothers and sisters in Iran.”
His departure from Iran, he said, was “part of the complete evacuation of the Italian Embassy, which serves as the seat of the archdiocese.”
“While waiting to return, pray for the conversion of hearts to inner peace,” he wrote.
Before his statement, Mathieu’s whereabouts were unknown after the U.S.-Israeli-led campaign started Feb. 28. OSV News had reached out to the cardinal several times but had received no response since the start of the war.
Tehran’s Cathedral of the Consolata, as well as the cardinal’s residence and administrative offices, are located on the grounds of the Italian Embassy.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced March 5 that the country’s embassy in Iran would be temporarily closed.
“A group of about 50 Italian nationals led by our ambassador to Iran has crossed the border into Azerbaijan,” Tajani said, adding that embassy staff will continue to operate in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.
“We are keeping diplomatic relations with Tehran open, in order to protect the Italians there and our national interests,” he wrote on X.
It is unknown whether the cardinal traveled with the group before his arrival in Rome, and OSV News is awaiting a response from both the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Franciscan General Curia in Rome regarding the circumstances of Mathieu’s return.
According to Cathobel, Mathieu is expected to meet with Vatican officials to brief them on the situation in Iran. OSV News reached out to the Vatican press office to confirm if the cardinal is expected to meet with officials, as well as with Pope Leo XIV. By publication time, the Vatican had not responded.
The war in Iran began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and weakening the country’s leadership, which they accuse of threatening Israel and destabilizing the region.
The U.S. and Israel gave similar reasons for their joint attacks on Iran in 2025.
In an interview with OSV News in July, following the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, Mathieu said the rise of populist nationalism had led to “more barriers and increased armament, justified by fears of actual or potential attacks.”
“This leads to a climate where pre-emptive or preventive aggression is justified, and the notion of the other as a brother or sister to love diminishes,” he said. “Negotiations are often based on power balances rather than sincere dialogue and mutual understanding.”
“It is troubling to hear the idea of ‘obtaining peace by force,’ where violence becomes the only means of addressing conflicts,” Mathieu told OSV News in July.
With the war now in its second week, the U.S. and Israel continued strikes against Iran, as well as in southern Lebanon, where a Maronite Catholic priest was killed March 9 by Israeli artillery fire.
The killing of Fr. Pierre al-Rahi prompted a statement from the Vatican press office expressing Leo’s “profound sorrow” for victims of the Middle East, including the Maronite priest and “the many innocent people, including many children, and for those who were providing them with aid.”
This story appears in the War in Iran feature series. View the full series.
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The David Mark-led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the Federal High Court judgement that removed its leadership.
The opposition party also disclosed that it had filed an application seeking a stay of execution of the judgement pending the hearing and determination of its appeal.
The party made this known in a statement on Friday, November 6, adding that it had formally notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the legal steps taken,
The appeal is against the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 5, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1619/2025, involving Hon. Nafiu Bala Gombe and the ADC.
The party urged INEC to refrain from taking any further action on the matter until the Court of Appeal has considered the case.
It argued that the application for a stay of execution was yet to be decided and that the electoral commission should not take any step that could affect the outcome of the appeal.
According to the ADC, it expects INEC to respect the ongoing legal process and allow the appellate court to hear the matter before making any decision connected to the judgement.
The statement partly read, “The ADC is exercising its lawful right to appeal. The judgement is now being challenged before a higher court, and the legal process must be allowed to run its course.
“We expect INEC to uphold the law and take full account of the pending proceedings before making any consequential decisions.”
The party also urged its members and supporters to remain calm, insisting that the court judgement would not stop its political activities.
It said its campaigns would continue while it explored all available legal options to defend its position.
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The Federal High Court in Abuja has nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark, declaring the caretaker committee that oversaw the party’s affairs illegal and invalidating all decisions taken by the committee.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday by Justice Peter Lifu, also affects the presidential primary that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the ADC’s flag bearer for the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s presidential candidate, had already selected former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.
The ruling followed a suit instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman (North-East) of the ADC, who challenged the process through which the David Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.
Gombe argued that following the resignation of the party’s former National Chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the leadership.
He consequently asked the court to invalidate all actions undertaken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Senator Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from presenting themselves as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
In suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, the ADC, INEC, Senator David Mark, Aregbesola and Chief Ralph Nwosu were listed as defendants.
Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, effectively invalidating the authority of the caretaker committee and decisions taken under its leadership.
The verdict is expected to trigger fresh political uncertainty within the ADC, particularly over Atiku’s presidential ambition and the party’s preparations for the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
However, the party has vowed to challenge the judgment at the appellate court.
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