Despite widespread speculation that Pope Francis and top Shi’a cleric Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani will sign a document on human fraternity during their meeting in Iraq next month, an Iraqi state official has said the rumors are false.
Pope Francis
Iraq: Full of Historic Sites Important to Understanding Christianity
Pope Francis hopes to embark on the first-ever papal visit to the biblical land of Iraq in early March in a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts to the place known in Arabic as the “land of the two rivers” — the mighty Tigris and Euphrates — and once renowned as Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilization.”
Focolare’s New President ‘A Daughter of the Church’ In ‘Service of All’
Focolare, the international ecumenical organization, has a new president — Margaret Karram, an Arab Catholic from Israel, and an expert at promoting dialogue among religions. In a Feb. 5 audience with Pope Francis, Karram told him, “I don’t like the word ‘president.’ I’m a daughter of the Church, and I want to be at your service and the service of all.”
For Lent, Ask If One’s Life is Centered on God or Oneself, Pope Says
Lent is a time to reconsider the path one is taking in life and to finally answer God’s invitation to return to him with one’s whole heart, Pope Francis said.
Ahead of Papal Visit, Iraq Closes Houses of Worship Due to COVID
Less than three weeks from Pope Francis’ highly anticipated trip to Iraq, the local government on Feb.14 announced new restrictions to try to curb the spread of COVID-19, which includes the closure of all houses of worship until the last day of his March 5-8 visit.
Responding to Coup, Biden Freezes Myanmar’s Military Assets in U.S.
U.S. President Joe Biden ordered new sanctions against the military regime in Myanmar to prevent six generals from accessing $1 billion in Myanmar government funds in the United States.
Panel Addresses Healing After Strife and How Catholics Can Move Forward
A Catholic panel analyzing a path forward during moments of strife or of social sin said the only way to move ahead as a society toward healing is to recognize the damage done to a person or communities, to lay the truth out for everyone to see.
A Eureka Moment With Pope Francis
History cannot be changed by purifying the past of its impurities. Trying to do it is a violation of the historical truth, something like crying over spilled milk.
New Educational Center Enlivens Father Tolton’s Legacy
Supporters of the cause for canonization of Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), have created the Tolton Spirituality Center to help Catholics learn from his examples of ministering to people of all races and loving all of humanity. The center, now in its development stages, is moving forward with a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
In ‘State of the World’ Speech, Pope Francis Talks COVID, Myanmar, 9/11
Pope Francis said Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic shows there are parts of the world that are “seriously ill,” not as a result of the virus but in its natural environment, its economic and political processes, and even more so in in its human relationships.