Vatican news In an Easter Letter addressed to Catholics in the Holy Land, Pope Francis expresses his spiritual closeness and fatherly affection, and encourages Christians around the world to offer concrete support and prayers for peace. By Christopher Wells Pope Francis has written to Catholics in the Holy Land, assuring them that they are in…
Two grieving fathers, one Israeli Jewish and the other Palestinian Muslim, speak to Vatican News about their meeting with Pope Francis, who thanked them for their testimony of fraternity. By Francesca Sabatinelli and Joseph Tulloch Rami Elhalan is a Jewish Israeli whose 13-year-old daughter, Smadar, was killed in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 1997….
Vatican news This year, Pope Francis will write his own Via Crucis meditations for the Stations of the Cross this Good Friday at Rome's iconic Colosseum, the Vatican announces. Deborah Castellano Lubov Each year, for the annual tradition of the Via Crucis, presided over by Pope Francis at the Colosseum in Rome on the evening…
Vatican news Five years after the publication of Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation on Young People, we speak with a participant in the 2018 Synod who inspired it. By Tiziana Campisi Among the hundreds of bishops gathered for the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2018, dedicated to the theme “Young people,…
Vatican news Pope Francis offers prayers for the victims of Friday's terrorist attack on a concert hall in the Russian capital Moscow and calls on everyone to pray for “martyred Ukraine” as the country faces heavy Russian bombing of its critical infrastructure. By Devin Watkins “I assure my prayers for the victims of the despicable…
Vatican news Roger Vangheluwe, 87-year-old former bishop of Bruges, was dismissed from his post after being found guilty of child abuse. Pope Francis approved the sentence after a re-examination of the case in light of “new serious elements” reported to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. By Salvatore Cernuzio The decades-long case against…
Vatican news Pope Francis holds a private audience with Maltese President George Vella, who gives him a computer for the Mother of Mercy ambulatory which serves the poor in St. Peter's Square. By Vatican News The President of Malta, George Vella, met with Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Thursday. Their…
Vatican news During the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis expresses his satisfaction for the release of a teacher and four of the six religious kidnapped in Haiti. He calls for the release of those still detained and offers prayers for Ukraine, Palestine and war-torn Israel, South Sudan and Syria. By Vatican News Four Brothers of the…
Vatican news The cardinal, Pope Francis said, served “the Lord and the Church with fidelity and generosity, attentive to the needs of young people and the needs of fragile people.” Vatican News Pope Francis mourned the death of Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, who died yesterday in Rome at the age of 89. In a telegram…
Vatican news It has been a year since Pope Francis' ecumenical pilgrimage to war-torn South Sudan. The process of healing and reconciliation after years of trauma is still ongoing and nuns play an important role. By Sr Paola Moggi, SMC South Sudan is a very young nation; she was born on July 9, 2011, after…