A group of Ukrainian youth have made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, asking Mary to bring peace as Russia doubles down on its 11-year war in Ukraine and brutally targets civilians.
International News
Pope Apologizes For Using ‘Homophobic’ Slang
Pope Francis “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, reported by others,” that is considered vulgar in Italian, the Vatican press office said.
Lourdes’ Pilgrim Claims Eyesight Healed at Pilgrimage Site
A Spanish woman who returned from a trip to the pilgrimage site in Lourdes, France on May 19 claims to have been cured of a severe visual impairment.
Pope: Quality Education Builds Better Human Beings, Not Economic Returns
True education is accompanying young people to discover and build the common good through academic rigor and serving others, Pope Francis said.
Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes is ‘Experience of Fraternity,’ Military Bishop Says
Nearly 15,000 military personnel from some 40 countries will gather at the French Marian sanctuary in Lourdes May 24-26 for the International Military Pilgrimage. After the Bastille Day celebration July 14, France’s biggest national holiday, the Lourdes military pilgrimage is the most important gathering of its kind for the army.
Pope Francis Recognizes Miracle Needed for Church’s First Millennial Saint
Pope Francis formally recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager whose birth in 1991 will make him the first “millennial” to become a saint.
Don’t Let Discord Lead to Death, Pope Says in City of Romeo and Juliet
Adults in the world’s richest nations deserve “the Pontius Pilate Nobel Prize because we have become experts at washing our hands” of the violence and injustices in the world, Pope Francis said.
Sharing the Gift of Baptism Makes All Christians Friends, Pope Says
Christians have the same baptism and that makes them friends, Pope Francis told members of an ecumenical organization from Hong Kong.
Pope Francis’ CBS Interview Addresses Women Deacons, War, Migrants, Climate Change and Hope
Pope Francis said he is not open to the possibility of ordaining women as deacons, weeks after authorizing several Vatican study groups to look into that issue and others as part of the Synod on Synodality — although “women have always had … the function of deaconesses without being deacons,” and that “making space in the church for women does not mean giving them a ministry.”
Pope Sends Condolences for Death of Iranian President, Foreign Minister
Pope Francis Monday sent condolences to Iran following a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahain, assuring of his prayers for their families and the nation.