Ten years after Syria’s bloody civil war began, most of the fighting is now over. Yet the country is now facing a massive economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in which rampant poverty is the next major battle it faces.
International News
Pope Francis Praises Filipino Catholics as Joyful Witnesses of the Gospel
The joy of the Gospel has been an integral part of the Filipino identity since the arrival of Christianity in the Southeast Asian country five centuries ago, Pope Francis said.
Knock Shrine Receives New International Status on Feast of St. Joseph
Pope Francis officially announced Ireland’s Knock Shrine as an international Marian and Eucharistic shrine on the feast of St. Joseph on March 19.
Analysis: At His Eight-Year Mark, Will Pope Francis Try Turning Down the Temperature?
Internally, his to-do list features a long-simmering reform of the Roman Curia, a sweeping clean-up in money management, the fight against clerical sexual abuse, empowerment of women and laity, a more collaborative (“synodal,” to use his word) mode of decision-making, and more.
Woman Religious Honored as One of International Women of Courage
Comboni Sister Alicia Vacas Moro, a Spanish missionary sister and registered nurse, was one of 14 women to receive this year’s International Women of Courage Award, an annual honor from the U.S. Department of State for women who have demonstrated leadership in their human rights work.
Reverberations of Pope’s Iraq Visit Felt After Francis Is Gone
Pope Francis’s recent trip to Iraq will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the country in ways that only time will tell. However, in the immediate aftermath, significant developments are already being seen.
Only in Print: Pope’s Message: ‘Peace Is More Powerful Than War’
Pope Francis walks alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at Baghdad International Airport on Friday.
New US-Turkey Cultural Property Deal Threatens Minorities’ Heritage
It has been six months since Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned the UNESCO world heritage site Hagia Sophia (the cathedral built by Emperor Justinian I in 532) into a mosque and four months since he made a similar conversion of the historic Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora.
‘Hope Is More Powerful Than Hatred’
On March 7, Pope Francis concluded a three-day whirlwind tour of Iraq that took him to six cities, saw him deliver seven speeches, and marked several historic firsts.
Meeting Pope ‘Best Birthday Gift Ever’, Says Father of Drowned Refugee Children
Abdullah Kurdi, the father of the young refugee boy who death five years ago woke the world up to the reality of the migration crisis, has described his recent meeting with Pope Francis as the best birthday present that he’s ever received.