Login      Register  
Subscription

This fall, papal travel will change with closure of pope’s favourite airline

After a 57-year stretch of loyalty to the same company, papal travel is set to change this fall with the closure of Italy’s national airline Alitalia, which has taken four popes to a total of 171 countries on all continents. Founded on Sept. 16, 1946, Alitalia is the flag carrier and largest airline in Italy, […]

Pope names Italian journalist to head Vatican publishing house

Pope Francis has appointed Lorenzo Fazzini, an Italian journalist, author and father of four, to be managing director of the Vatican Publishing House. The 43-year-old is the first layman to head the office, which is now operated by the Vatican Dicastery for Communication. He replaces Conventual Francis-can Father Giulio Cesareo, who had been appointed in […]

Pope names Salesian nun as dicastery secretary

Pope Francis has appointed a Salesian nun as interim secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Vatican announced. Sister Alessandra Smerilli replaces Monsignor Bruno Marie Duffé and Father Augusto Zampini, respectively secretary and assistant secretary of the Dicastery, both of whom have returned to their dioceses.” In an August 26 statement, the […]

Pope Meets With Genocide Survivor Who Inspired His Iraq Trip

Pope Francis held a private audience with Nadia Murad, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and survivor of the Islamic State-led genocide in Iraq, Aug. 26 at the Vatican. While the Vatican did not release any details about the visit, Ms. Murad tweeted Aug. 27, “We discussed the importance of support for #Yazidis & other minority […]

Afghan Christian vows to continue God’s work under Taliban rule

An Afghan Christian has tearfully pleaded with Christians across the globe to not forget the underground church following the Taliban takeover of his country. In a four-minute video, the man says he feels abandoned under Taliban rule but pledges to “continue God’s work” in the conflict-torn country. Global Catalyst Ministries, a Christian group, published the footage on […]

Scars of Papua conflict weigh on Indonesia’s vaccine drive

“William” is refusing to take a coronavirus vaccine because he fears Indonesia’s military will use the country’s inoculation programme to poison him and wipe out his fellow Papuans. Decades of conflict, racism and human rights abuses are fuelling Covid conspiracy theories among his neighbours at a time when their breakaway region is facing a renewed […]

Papal foundation warns of ‘bleak future’ for religious freedom in Afghanistan

There’s an estimated 200 Catholics in Afghanistan – a tiny minority within the minority of around 7,000 Christians – and days after the Taliban took control of the country following the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a papal charity is sounding the alarm over their situation. Aid to the Church in Need said it sees “a […]

Marking the bicentenary of Saint Andrew Kim by praying for Korean unity

Korea’s Catholic community on Saturday marked 200 years since the birth of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean-born priest who was killed in hatred of the faith in 1846 at the age of 25. Eucharistic liturgies were held in South Korea’s 1,750 churches to commemorate the anniversary, along with the first solemn Mass celebrated […]