Vatican News
Pope: Lack of respect for religious values leads to intolerance
In his address to participants in the "All Religions' Conference" in the Vatican taking place on 29-30 November, Pope Francis highlights the value of dialogue in a global context marked by "intolerance and hatred."
Haiti’s children: Trapped in violence but not forgotten
Haiti has plummeted into extreme poverty, leaving many parents too poor to feed their children. Out of desperation, these children are lured into gangs, which offer food and money, only to trap them in an endless cycle of violence. Save the Children warns that escaping this cycle is nearly impossible.
Cardinal Ambongo advocates for peace and dialogue at the SECAM meeting in Rwanda
Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Archbishop of Kinshasa and President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), has reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to work for peace and reconciliation in Africa, especially in the Great Lakes Region, where conflicts have frustrated cordial diplomatic relation among neighboursing countries
Churches in Jerusalem call for respectful Christmas celebrations amid war
Following last year's decision to forgo the public display of Christmas lights and decorations in solidarity with those suffering war in Gaza, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem are inviting their respective communities to fully commemorate the birth of Christ “by giving public signs of Christian hope" amid ongoing war.
Scores more killed in Gaza with no sign of ceasefire in sight
Israeli military strikes kill at least 30 Palestinians overnight in the Gaza Strip, most of them in the Nuseirat refugee camp at the centre of the enclave.
Michelangelo's Pietà shines again in Saint Peter's Basilica
Replacement of the glass protection of Michelangelo's Pietà in Saint Peter's Basilica is concluded. The new protection consists of nine top-quality shatterproof and bulletproof panes for greater transparency, all enhanced with new lighting.
Two Bibles handwritten by parishioners in India
A local parish in India creates history as over 700 parishioners produce two handwritten Bibles, one in English and another in Malayalam.
Lord's Day Reflection: 'Keep Calm & Advent On'
As the Church marks the First Sunday of Advent, Jenny Kraska offers her thoughts on the day’s liturgical readings under the theme: “Keep Calm & Advent On".
Jubilee Films for Pilgrims of Hope: 'The Concert'
Father Greg Apparcel, CSP, film critic, associate pastor of St. Patrick's Catholic American Parish in Rome, and the Paulist Fathers’ Procurator General to the Holy See, brings us his take on the 2009 movie - "The Concert" - chosen by Vatican Official and film expert, Msgr Dario Viganò, to be part of the Dicastery of Evangelization's "Jubilee is Culture" initiative.
News from the Orient – November 29, 2024
In this week's news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L'Œuvre d'Orient, an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire comes into effect, St. Francis Xavier’s relics are venerated in India, and Azerbaijan transfers control of an Armenian monastery.
Pope: Climate change impacts poorest and requires global cooperation
Pope Francis sends a message to a conference in Rome that brought together Cardinals and experts to discuss climate change and its negative effects on the most vulnerable.
Poland: Prisoners given 'ray of hope' from university lecture program
A Polish Catholic university provides "Open Prison Lectures" to aid the personal growth and transformation of inmates, fostering respect and hope through study.
Pope to healthcare workers: Your job goes beyond curing symptoms
Pope Francis celebrates the 800th anniversary of the University of Naples Federico II by urging its medical community to uphold compassion, ethics, and care.
Gaza: Where is the international community?
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is marked annually on the 29th of November. This year, amidst utter destruction, the world's gaze is on Gaza, where mothers are too hungry to breastfeed, and aid trucks can scarcely deliver.
DRC - A young civil servant, killed for opposing corrupt officials to be beatified
Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi, a young civil servant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, assassinated for opposing corruption, will be beatified.
Lebanese displaced return home, despite warnings
Tens of thousands of Lebanese, driven from their homes by the hostilities, have been heading south.
'Made in Prison' tote bag for Jubilee 2025 in support and solidarity with inmates
On December 26 Pope Francis will open a Holy Door in the Roman prison of Rebibbia, marking a historic moment in the history of Jubilee years. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, says this gesture is "a symbol of all the prisons in the world" at a time for forgiveness and restoration.
Death Penalty: ‘Access to justice means access to life’
More than half of the world’s population lives in countries where the death penalty still exists. An international conference organized by the Rome-based St. Egidio Community focuses on the fight to abolish state-sanctioned executions.
Inclusion of Isaac the Syrian in Roman Martyrology ‘a wonderful step forward'
Vatican News speaks to Sebastian Brock, one of the world’s foremost scholars of Syriac Christianity, about Pope Francis’ recent decision to include 7th-century St Isaac the Syrian in the Roman Martyrology.
