Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Pope Francis and a top Muslim cleric Monday issued a joint call for freedom of belief during the first visit by the head of the Catholic church to the birthplace of Islam — the Arabian Peninsula. Francis, who has made outreach to Muslim communities a cornerstone of …
Read More »Pope Francis warns against internet ‘disinformation’
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Thursday warned against the “disinformation” and “targeted distortion of facts” to be found on the Internet and social networks’ “manipulation of personal data”. The Internet “is a source of knowledge and relationships that were once unthinkable,” the Argentine pope said in …
Read More »Being ‘cool’ not enough, pope tells young people in Panama
Panama City, Panama | AFP | Pope Francis told a global gathering of young Catholics on Thursday that meaningful service was key to attracting a new generation of faithful, rather than trying to make the Church more “fun” or “cool.” The 82-year-old pope received a rock-star welcome by tens of thousands …
Read More »Pope says nationalist leaders undermine global diplomacy
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Nationalist leaders are weakening the world’s system of multilateral diplomacy, Pope Francis warned on Monday in his annual address to ambassadors to the Holy See. The pope decried “the resurgence of nationalistic tendencies at odds with the vocation of international organisations to be …
Read More »Pope urges EU leaders to show solidarity with migrants off Malta
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Sunday urged EU leaders to show “concrete solidarity” with 49 migrants stranded on NGO ships off the coast of Malta who have been refused permission to land. “Forty nine migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by two NGO ships have been onboard …
Read More »Marketing cannot restore church image after abuse crisis: pope
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis issued a warning to US bishops on Thursday, saying in a letter that using marketing tricks or flow charts would not restore trust in the Catholic church following the sex abuse crisis. “Loss of credibility calls for a specific approach, since …
Read More »Conditions for papal visit to Iraq ‘not yet met’: Vatican
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | The conditions for a possible visit to Iraq by Pope Francis have not yet been met, the Vatican number two said on Wednesday, citing concerns about the possibility of a terrorist attack targeting the pontiff. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, …
Read More »Churches in Chile firebombed ahead of pope visit
Santiago, Chile | AFP | Three Catholic churches were firebombed in the Chilean capital Santiago on Friday, days before the start of a visit to the country by Pope Francis. President Michelle Bachelet condemned the incidents, which happened during the night and caused minor damage. “It’s very strange, because it’s …
Read More »Pope sends funds to hunger-struck S.Sudan
Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis is supporting a series of aid projects in South Sudan, the Vatican said Wednesday, sending money in his place after a trip to the war-torn country was ruled out. The Vatican will donate 462,000 euros ($515,000), which will be divided among …
Read More »Modern meaning of martyrdom
Hundreds of thousands of Christians once again are making the annual pilgrimage to Namugongo Martyrs Shrines to commemorate the 45 Christian young men (recognized in the spirit of Christian unity or ecumenism as 22 Catholics and 23 Anglicans) who were killed by KabakaMwanga II in 1886. These martyrs are among …
Read More »