The late Popes John Paul II and John XXIII will be canonised in a joint ceremony in Rome next April 27. Last Monday, September 30, during the Public Ordinary Consistory for the much-anticipated canonisations, Pope Francis announced Divine Mercy Sunday as the chosen date for the event. The second Sunday of Easter is now set…

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch has appealed to international aid agencies to reach a community of nuns and orphans in their charge trapped in the Syrian village of Maalula. Most Rev Ignatius Zakka has called for help on behalf of some 40 nuns and children now trapped in worsening conditions in the monastery of…

A new book on the life of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio before his elevation to the papacy reveals his efforts to shield Argentine citizens from the Argentine regime during the Dirty War Years. Prompted to investigate the cardinal’s past by allegations made against him as soon as he became Pope Francis, journalist Nello Scavo of the…

A parliamentarian in Kabul has called for those who convert from Islam to Christianity to be killed. Nazir Ahmad Hanafi made his proposal, he stressed, to halt the growing number of Christians in the country, which is blamed on the presence of American troops. “The Afghan people continue to convert to Christianity. This is an…

Kenya – Members of the Christian and Muslim faiths have joined in condemning the recent terror attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi and to insist that communities are dedicated to good relations for the good of their country. “We, religious leaders, are engaged in a robust dialogue to ensure that these relations are not…

Central African Republic – The United Nations must intervene in the country, the Bishop of Bangassou has said. In a message sent to the UN in New York ahead of a debate on the deteriorating state of affairs in the African nation, Bishop Juan Jose Aguirre Muno states that the controlling Seleka group is now…

United States – A perfume manufacturer in the state of California has released a fragrance named in honour of Pope Francis. Excelsis Fine Fragrances, which was originally founded in 2005 to recreate the cologne worn by Pope Pius IX and has since offered colognes such as Benedictus has now released Francis, billing it as fragrance…

This week, Rome marks the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIIís encyclical Pacem in Terris. Between October 2 and 4, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is hosting a major conference on tenets of the encyclical, not least its educational aspect. This, the council’s president, Cardinal Peter Turkson said ahead of the conference, “is…