Right now, we’re in the middle of what I’ve taken to calling “World Series Week” on the Vatican beat. We tend to reserve the “Super Bowl” metaphor for transition events, i.e., the death or resignation of a pope, but this is basically the next step down in terms of significance and media interest.
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who was expected to meet Pope Francis at the Congress of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, will not attend the interreligious gathering in September, a senior Russian Orthodox bishop said.
Much has changed in the world since the seminal World Youth Day 1993 event in Denver put the event firmly on the map among North American Catholics.
Marking the six-month anniversary of the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for prayers for an end to “the horror of war.”
Pope Francis said he is doing everything he can for Ukraine, saying the world was witnessing “cruelty.”
Some adjustments to prayers are subtle, leaving some Catholics asking, “why?” The answer is rooted in history, starting with the founding of the Church, when its ancient texts were written in Latin.
Cuban bishops and Pope Francis asked for prayers as a major fire has caused at least one death, more than 100 injuries and left 17 firefighters missing in Cuba.
Christians should not only face life’s challenges without fear but also not be overcome by the temptation to remain idle to the Lord’s presence in those moments, Pope Francis said.
The oldest member of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Jozef Tomko, died Aug. 8 in Rome at the age of 98.
Pope Francis plans to make his long-awaited visit to Ukraine before his trip to Kazakhstan in September, said Andrii Yurash, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See.
