The prospects of Pope Francis visiting China are not very good, say experts who closely follow the church in China.
International News
Franciscan: ‘Middle East Is in Flames’
Although Christians, Muslims and Jews have struggled for hundreds of years to live peacefully alongside each other in the Middle East, “we have never seen the kind of ‘religious cleansing’ we are witnessing today,” said the head of the region’s Franciscans.
Pope Prays for Ukraine Peace Amid Crisis
Pope Francis lamented “tension and conflict” in Ukraine and prayed for “peace and tranquility” there on the country’s Independence Day.
International Help Needed to Liberate Iraq
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Francis’ personal envoy to the suffering people of Iraq joined the Chaldean Catholic patriarch in launching an appeal to the international community Aug. 18, pleading for help to liberate villages controlled by the Islamic State (IS) terrorists and to provide the displaced with international protection.
Pope Urges Dialogue, Forgiveness in Korea
SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) – Pope Francis told Korean Catholics that the reunification of their divided peninsula as well as the harmony of South Korean society depend on the practice of Gospel virtues, especially charity and forgiveness.
Whitestone Welcomes Borgetto Madonna (with slideshow)
The Italian-American Catholic community of Whitestone was graced with the presence of the Sacred Image of Our Lady of Romitello for a visit to St. Luke’s Church for 10 days from Aug. 12 through Aug. 22.
Network Nun Gets Peace Award
Sister Simone Campbell, whose “Nuns on the Bus” tours for social and economic justice drew national attention, has been named a recipient of the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award.
Pope: Priests Should Avoid ‘Sterile’ Celibacy
One of the dangers of a “sterile” form of celibacy is bitterness and gossip, Pope Francis said July 26 during a meeting with 123 priests working in the Diocese of Caserta and 19 bishops from Italy’s Campania region.
Pope’s Garden Offers Peace and Tranquility
The gardens of the papal villas at Castel Gandolfo, which were planted in the 1930s, are a meticulously maintained historic, artistic and botanical treasure — and Pope Francis has opened them for the public to enjoy.
Ebola Negates Sign of Peace in Nigeria
In an effort to curtail the spread of Ebola, the archdioceses of Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria instructed their priests to suspend all forms of physical contact during Mass, including the traditional sign of peace.