Since Pope Francis in July 2013 first visited the small Italian island of Lampedusa, a primary destination for migrants seeking entry in Europe, the issue of migration has been a cornerstone of his papacy.
Pope Francis
In Marseille, Pope Will Push Agenda on Climate, Migration
By Elise Ann Allen ROME (Crux) — As Pope Francis heads to the French port city of Marseille Sept. 22-23 for a summit on the Mediterranean, two issues will loom especially large — the ongoing migration crisis, amid a new surge in arrivals to Europe, and the global climate agenda. Pope Francis will travel to […]
Synod on Synodality: ‘The Biggest Thing in the Catholic Church Since Vatican II’
Meetings today are common occurrences at work, in neighborhoods, schools, and churches, but an almost monthlong meeting — coming on the heels of a two-year consultation process at the parish, national, and continental levels, and then followed by another gathering a year later before submitting a final report, to the pope no less, is hardly an average meeting.
Pope Condemns Attacks on Civilian Targets After Caritas Warehouse Destroyed in Ukraine
Pope Francis has condemned the routine use of “conventional weapons” against civilian targets in a message to Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, sent the day after a warehouse in Ukraine containing 300 tons of humanitarian aid was destroyed in a Russian drone attack.
Bishop Flores: Synod Aims to Make Church More Effective in Advancing Christ’s Gospel
October’s general assembly in Rome for the Catholic Church’s Synod of Bishops on synodality aims to address human reality — not abstractions — in order to more effectively share Jesus Christ and his Gospel with others, said Bishop Daniel E. Flores, a U.S. member of the global assembly’s preparatory commission.
Pope’s Peace Envoy Meets Ukraine Bishops Amid Fallout Over ‘Great Mother Russia’ Remarks
In a session with Catholic bishops from Ukraine Thursday, Sept. 7, Pope Francis’s personal peace envoy told the Ukrainian prelates that “victory” in the war with Russia would be “peace, and never the humiliation of the enemy.”
Pope Says Religion and Culture Can be Misused to Frighten and Oppress
When religion or culture is used to sow division or to impose a certain world view on others, it becomes an ideology, Pope Francis said.
Synod Assembly Won’t Be Secret, But Won’t Be Open to Press, Pope Says
The Synod of Bishops is not a television show or a parliamentary debate, and its discussions will not be open to the public or to reporters, Pope Francis said.
At Mass in Mongolia, Pope Sends ‘Warm Greetings’ to Neighboring China
By Cindy Wooden ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (CNS) — While China allowed Pope Francis’ plane to cross its airspace on the way to Mongolia, an office of the Chinese Communist Party prevented any Catholic bishops or priests in the mainland from traveling there to see the pope. But a retired cardinal and the future cardinal of Hong […]
Pope Begins Mongolia Visit With Talk of Peace, Respect for the Earth
By Cindy Wooden ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (CNS) — In a land bordering both Russia and China, and having deep ties with both, Pope Francis told Mongolian leaders their country can play “a significant role in the heart of the great Asian continent and on the international scene,” particularly in peacemaking. After paying tribute to Mongolian history […]