In a ceremony to create 20 new cardinals, Pope Francis encouraged the College of Cardinals to have the same spiritual zeal for all people, whether they are in positions of power or ordinary Christians.
International News
For Tailor to Popes and Cardinals, a Consistory is ‘Fashion Week’
Even if the garments are hand-me-downs, like the one Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires wore when Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal, the label is almost always the same.
ANALYSIS: This Week’s Papal Speculation Risks Fiddling While Everyplace but Rome Burns
Right now, we’re in the middle of what I’ve taken to calling “World Series Week” on the Vatican beat. We tend to reserve the “Super Bowl” metaphor for transition events, i.e., the death or resignation of a pope, but this is basically the next step down in terms of significance and media interest.
Tragic Egypt Church Fire Spotlights Coptic Christians’ Struggle
Cries of grief rose, and fingers of blame were pointed in the wake of a tragic fire that gutted Martyr Abu Sefein Coptic Church and claimed the lives of 41 people including 15 children and the church bishop, Abdul Masih Bakhit.
Pope Meeting Off as Russian Patriarch Cancels Visit to Kazakhstan
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who was expected to meet Pope Francis at the Congress of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, will not attend the interreligious gathering in September, a senior Russian Orthodox bishop said.
Growing Gang Violence Stalls Haiti’s Recovery from Earthquake Last Year
Many churches still struggle to rebuild from the 2021 earthquake in Haiti, but escalating gang violence is turning the situation from “bad to worse,” church leaders say. Nevertheless, they believe hope is alive in Haiti.
As Nuns Freed, Critics Complain of Campaign to ‘Wipe Out’ Christianity in Nigeria
Four nuns who were kidnapped in Nigeria’s southern Imo State on Sunday, Aug. 21, have been returned to their community.
USCCB Official Sees Enthusiasm Building for WYD 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal
Much has changed in the world since the seminal World Youth Day 1993 event in Denver put the event firmly on the map among North American Catholics.
Pope Calls for End to Horror, Madness of War, on Anniversary in Ukraine
Marking the six-month anniversary of the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for prayers for an end to “the horror of war.”
Four Nuns Kidnapped en Route to Mass in Nigeria
Four Catholic nuns were kidnapped in southeast Nigeria Aug. 21 while traveling to a Mass in a nearby state.