International

Pope Designates Card. Oswald Gracias Group Coordinator for Reform of Vatican Diplomacy

In a significant step towards the renewal of Vatican Diplomacy, Pope Francis designated Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai, one of the Pontiff’s principal advisers, Coordinator of a study group that will assess the role of Papal Representatives throughout the world. This move, promoted by the Pope’s reformist vision, seek that the Apostolic Nunciatures and […]

Cardinal Schönborn: ‘We must accept the decline of Europe’

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, OP, archbishop of Vienna, said in a recent interview with a French Catholic magazine that in the face of rising secularization and the growth of Islam in many historically Christian nations, Catholics should “trust in the work of grace” and remember that the Church is “an expert in humanity.” “The Church is […]

‘We are all connected:’ Pope Francis

“Be builders of hope,” Pope Francis told the over 100,000 Indonesian faithful gathered on Thursday afternoon to join him at Holy Mass in Jakarta’s main stadium, as his three-day visit to their nation came to an end. “Guided by the word of the Lord,” he said during his homily, “I encourage you to sow seeds […]

Pope to Timorese youth: Freedom means choosing to respect others

“I have two words of advice for you: make a mess and respect your elders!” Pope Francis offered those words of advice on September 11 as he met with the young people of Timor-Leste in the capital, Dili. The encounter was held at the Congress Centre and was the final public event of the Holy […]

Pope Francis opposes idea to ‘dissolve’ 400-year-old missionary university in Rome

Pope Francis expressed disagreement with a proposal to absorb a 400-year-old missionary-focused university in Rome into other pontifical universities. Members of the Dicastery for Evangelization were meeting in an extraordinary plenary assembly Aug. 29–30 to discuss the future of the Pontifical Urban University, which educates priests and religious from the Catholic Church’s mission territories. “There […]

Cardinal Ribat:Pope’s visit to PNG underscores unity of global Church

One of Pope Francis’ most powerful messages in Papua New Guinea, according to Cardinal John Ribat, Archbishop of Port Moresby, was the one he deli-vered to young people on Septe-mber 09. It was plain to see that the Pope engaged in a personal connection with the 10,000 young people gathered in the Sir John Guise […]

Pope Francis’ Mass in East Timor draws 600,000 Catholics

An estimated 600,000 Catholics attended Pope Francis’ Mass on 10 September in East Timor, a small island country that is 98% Catholic. The pope celebrated the youthfulness of East Timor at the massive outdoor Mass where the crowd appeared like a sea of yellow-and-white Vatican-themed umbrellas used for protection from the island’s scorching midday sun. […]

Pope Francis meets Middle East Catholic bishops amid fears of all-out war in region

Pope Francis met with the Latin-rite Catholic leaders of some of the Middle Eastern and Arabic-speaking countries amid fears of an escalation of the Israel-Hamas war. He encouraged the bishops to “bear witness to faith in [the Lord], also through respectful and sincere dialogue with everyone.” The Aug. 28 meeting took place as part of […]

Indian bishops slam terror attack on tourists in India’s Kashmir

No action taken against police who assaulted Catholic priests in India