Vatican News
COMECE: New EU Pact on migration presents several critical issues
Legal expert José Luis Bazan of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) says that the agreement reached on Wednesday over the major reform of the EU's migration presents several critical issues though it is still a step forward, considering the present polarized context.
COMECE 'saddened' by vote to include abortion access in EU Charter of Fundamental Rights
Following European Parliament's vote in favor of including access to abortion in the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Secretary General of COMECE, Fr. Manuel Enrique Barrios Prieto, appeals for forming and educating consciences to vote responsibly in upcoming elections, and recalls the EU Bishops' recently-presented grounds for opposing voting for the resolution.
EU's new Asylum and Migration Pact disappoints rights groups
The European Parliament narrowly approves the wide-reaching reform of the European Union's migration and asylum policy. Aid agencies and human rights activists express disappointment saying it fails to protect those most in need.
Cardinal Parolin in Aparecida: We must continue to pray for peace
Speaking to Vatican News on the sidelines the spiritual retreat which traditionally opens the General Assembly of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference (CNBB) gathered this week in Aparecida, the Vatican Secretary of State highlights the need to continue to pray for peace at this trying time for the world.
Archdiocese of Accra to engage Ghana’s young people in dialogue
Ghana’s Catholic Archdiocese of Accra has lined-up several activities aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration between the Church’s hierarchy and its vibrant youth community. The initiatives will culminate in a Youth Congress slated for June 2024.
Archbishop Gallagher meets Vietnam’s Prime Minister in Hanoi
The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations is in Vietnam until 14 April. During the visit he has held cordial talks with the Prime Minister and other government officials. Meetings with the Vietnamese Catholic community are scheduled in Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Cardinal Gregory sees ‘Dignitas infinita’ as balanced, challenging document
US Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., speaks with Vatican News about human dignity, the National Eucharistic Revival, and the Synod on Synodality.
Pope Francis: ‘Bible shows Jesus’ closeness to suffering humanity’
Pope Francis meets with members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and encourages biblical scholars to explore Jesus’ example of compassion and inclusion when faced with the suffering of others.
Pope Francis advocates for inclusion and dignity for people with disabilities
Pope Francis addresses the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and emphasises the need for inclusive societies that recognise the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities, denouncing the throwaway culture and advocating for integral inclusion and solidarity.
Indigenous leader: Pope Francis helps us protect our lands
In an interview with Vatican News, Shaman Davi Kopenawa, the leader of the Yanomami tribe in the Amazon, who met with Pope Francis before Wednesday's General Audience, discusses the "calamitous" situation of the lands being besieged, without scruples, by extractive activities.
US setting up temporary port for Gaza humanitarian aid
In the six months since Israel mounted its military operation in the Gaza Strip to counter a Hamas attack mounted from Gaza, the Palestinian territory’s infrastructure has been dealt a crippling blow. Beyond the more than thirty thousand dead, Palestinians of all ages are at risk of starvation, and famine looms in the region.
India: Religious superiors explore ‘heartbeat of the Church’
Over 100 superiors of Catholic religious institutions gather in Kerala to explore ways to lead their congregations and better serve the Church in India.
Fr. Faltas: Christians enduring war in Holy Land in faith and hope
Father Ibrahim Faltas, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, reflects on the realities faced by Christian communities in the Holy Land, underscoring the importance of solidarity, prayer, and unwavering faith in times of turmoil.
Pope asks for prayers for those affected by flooding in Kazakhstan
During his General Audience, Pope Francis requests prayers for those affected by massive flooding in Kazakhstan, which has impacted many regions of the Central Asian country and forced thousands of people to evacuate. He also asks for prayers for those suffering from conflicts in the Holy Land, Ukraine and Myanmar.
Pope at Audience: Grace-sustained fortitude helps us daily
During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis continues his catechetical series on virtues and vices, focusing on the cardinal virtue of fortitude, saying that sustained by grace, it can fuel our efforts daily and bring us closer to God.
Humanitarian organizations urge action against famine in Sudan
Ahead of a humanitarian conference on war-torn Sudan and its neighbouring countries to be held in Paris on April 15, aid organisations have urged international actors to take immediate action to prevent famine setting in the country At a virtual media briefing hosted on Tuesday by the InterAgency Working Group for East and Central Africa (IAWG) and the Sudan INGO Forum experts reiterated that the people in Sudan can no longer wait for international aid and that the time for action is now.
European Court of Human Rights rules on climate change cases
The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday rules that Switzerland’s failure to adequately work to meet emission reduction targets amounted to a vioaltion of human rights.
CATHAN Conference: Theology, Culture and New Media in Nigeria
The members of the Catholic Theological Association of Nigeria (), in partnership with John Carroll University, Ohio, USA, recently held their 38th Annual Conference at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria Resource Centre, Durumi, Abuja.
The Jobel at the origins of the Jubilee
The Shofar, a ram's horn used in the Jewish tradition to announce the beginning of some sacred festivals, is at the root of the word "Jubilee."
From war-torn Cameroon to Marseille: Daniel's journey through hell
Daniel Bourha, a young Cameroonian Catholic, speaks to Vatican News about his perilous two-year journey to reach Europe. He was participating in MED24, a conference on migration organised by the French Archdiocese of Marseilles.
