Many Jews in Jerusalem said while Pope Francis’ visit to their city was a positive thing, they wished their daily commute did not have to be disrupted so drastically.
International News
Pope and Patriarch Mark 50 Years of Ecumenism
Half a century after a historic encounter between their predecessors, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew met in the same place to seek inspiration for Christian unity at the site of Christ’s death and resurrection.
The Pope in the Holy Land – Peres and Abbas Invited to Vatican to Pray for Peace
Pope Francis has invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli President Shimon Peres to pray together at the Vatican for peace between their nations.
Pope Will Meet with Clergy Abuse Victims
Pope Francis will meet with a group of sex abuse victims for the first time in June, he told reporters May 26.
Agenda for US Bishops’ Meeting
The U.S. bishops, meeting in New Orleans June 11-13, will discuss today’s economy and its impact on marriages and evangelization.
Bethlehem residents look forward to papal visit, despite inconveniences
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (CNS) — A long line of cars trailed down the road next to the Church of the Nativity as Franciscan Father Ibrahim Faltas helped coordinate the placement of the electricity generator for the May 25 papal Mass. “We are working night and day,” he said calmly May 23, as he worked to quickly free up the road while drivers waited patiently in their cars. “I think it will be very nice. The people here are happy.”
US Soldiers Make Pilgrimage to Lourdes
About 60 retired or active duty U.S. military personnel packed their uniforms, flags, wheelchairs, canes and the inevitable emotional baggage of their daily struggles to take part in a pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Pope’s Holy Land Visit Continues the Dialogue
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America welcomed the May 25 meeting between Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Jerusalem.
Cause of Archbishop Romero Is Proceeding
Pope Francis assured the bishops of El Salvador that the sainthood cause of slain Archbishop Oscar Romero was proceeding well, and the bishops asked him to come to El Salvador to preside personally over the archbishop’s hoped-for beatification.
Family Is Still Key to Human Development
Calling family “indispensable and irreplaceable” in human development, a high-ranking Vatican official called for a “renewal of family models” when he spoke at the U.N. in Manhattan earlier this month.