The strength of the Catholic Church in Central Asia is measured not in numbers, but by the diversity of its people, Pope Francis said.
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The strength of the Catholic Church in Central Asia is measured not in numbers, but by the diversity of its people, Pope Francis said.
As war, violence and extremism in countries around the world threaten the lives of countless men, women and children, religions must rise above differences and be examples of peace and harmony, Pope Francis said.
Arriving in Kazakhstan, a country that borders Russia, Pope Francis said he came as a “pilgrim of peace” at a time when “our world urgently needs peace; it needs to recover harmony.”
Popes seem to have a habit of visiting Kazakhstan amid major crises and conflicts that risk fracturing regional stability and splintering its diverse religious and ethnic communities, and Pope Francis’ visit this week is no exception.
In a new interview, Pope Francis laid to rest rumors that a papal visit to Kyiv could happen before his visit to Kazakhstan next week, saying he has been forbidden by doctors from traveling before that due to his ongoing knee troubles.
Beatifying Blessed John Paul I, Pope Francis praised the late pope for showing the world God’s goodness and for living the Gospel without compromise.
German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, a once influential conservative prelate known to be at odds with several aspects of Pope Francis’s papacy, has asked that the right to vote in a conclave be limited to those residing in Rome.
Pope Francis offered prayers Wednesday for the victims of violent political protests in Iraq that have left more than 20 people dead, saying dialogue and fraternity are the only way to resolve its current difficulties.
Jesus’ call to spread the Gospel should fill all Christians, especially those within the church hierarchy, with a sense of wonder and gratitude, Pope Francis said.
After a diplomatic rift caused by one of Pope Francis’s off-the-cuff remarks about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Vatican on Tuesday released a statement saying that he unambiguously condemns the “large-scale war in Ukraine initiated by the Russian Federation.”