With the European Union poised to ease sanctions on Syria following the ouster of its former governing regime last fall, Europe’s bishops have urged the protection of persecuted communities and investment in rebuilding. In a February 19 statement, Bishop Mariano Crociata of Latina and President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European…
Since the ceiling of a historical church in Salvador, Bahia state, fell and killed a tourist on February 5, government agencies have already shut down 12 churches in the city under risk of collapsing. Definite solutions for the crisis of conservation of ancient churches in the city, however, are not visible yet. The incident at…
As US President Donald Trump backs Russia in its war against Ukraine, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is visiting the United States. Speaking on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator.” “He refuses to have elections. He’s low in the real Ukrainian…
Cardinal Pietro Parolin has praised authorities in Burkina Faso for their effort to regain control of the country, which has suffered attacks by Islamist terrorism. The Vatican’s Secretary of State was speaking last week after discussions with the country’s Transitional Leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The Vatican’s top diplomat met with Mr Traoré marking 125 years…
People in Odessa report on everyday life which is now the fourth year of war The Russian attack on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Three years later, there is still no peace in sight. Those affected in the port city of Odessa talk about how they are dealing with the ongoing threat. “Everything is…
As conflict continues to escalate in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Catholic Church in Angola has signalled its readiness to welcome refugees fleeing the Central African country. Sr Carla Luísa Frei Bamberg, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants (CEPAMI) in Angola, said the Church, through…
A Catholic priest was killed in Myanmar on Friday, an incident that “deeply shocked and saddened” Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar. Fr Donald Martin Ye Naing Win from the Archdiocese of Mandalay in Upper Burma, was killed by a group of armed men on the evening of…
Pope Francis has appointed Sr Raffaella Petrini, FSE, as president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, the Vatican announced Saturday. According to the February 15 bulletin from the Holy See Press Office, Sr Petrini will assume her new roles on March 1. She succeeds…
Hannah Brockhaus Defending the rights of Indigenous people is a matter of justice and a way to guarantee a sustainable future for everyone, Pope Francis said in a message on Monday. “Land, water, and food are not mere commodities but the very basis of life and the link between these [Indigenous] peoples and nature,” the…
President Donald Trump’s new policies concerning undocumented immigrants have been causing shock and outrage among many in Latin America. The region’s Church is one of the institutions currently trying to figure out how such changes will impact its work and is establishing strategies to deal with them. The new US president’s pledge to promote “mass…