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King Charles is sending a private get well message to the Pope following his cancer diagnosis. The King, who is still undergoing treatment for cancer himself, with Queen Camilla, met Pope Leo XIV last year during a state visit to the Vatican. The monarch and the Pope made history in 2025 when they prayed together in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel in a symbolic moment of unity for Anglicans and Roman... Read More

Saturday's 250,000-strong march in London demanding an end to the three years of genocide in Gaza and for justice and peace in the Holy Land featured some eloquent speeches. In addition to the Christian witness already reported, Dora Fidler, President of Jews For Palestinian Justice, delivered an impassioned address on behalf of the Jewish bloc which is here reproduced in full. She said: "I am hon... Read More

Gospel of 14 October 2026 Luke 11:42-46 At that time: Jesus said, 'But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the market-places. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people wa... Read More

Pope Leo XIV underwent thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, as planned, according to a statement from Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora released by the Holy See Press Office. The surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung. "To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique," the statemen... Read More

Are we seeing a return of devotion to Mary as a figure who can unite Christians? Ulf Ekman will be reflecting on this subject when he gives the 2026 Rosary Shrine Lecture this Saturday. A Swedish Christian author and former Protestant pastor, Elf Ekman founded and led a large church in Sweden for three decades, before he and his wife Birgitta were received into the Catholic Church in 2014. The Ekm... Read More

Caritas Westminster, Justice & Peace team of St Mellitus RC Church, Tollington Park, and Operation Forgiveness are hosting their second online event on knife crime on 22 October, 7-8.30pm. Following the hugely positive response to our first event, this session will explore practical ways parishes and schools can take action, including knife bins, banners and vigils. During the evening, we will... Read More

Members of the Student Council at St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School in Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne, recently met with local MP Catherine McKinnell to share their ideas for improving the local area and discuss how Pride in Place funding could help make Kenton an even better place to live. Before the meeting, the Student Council looked closely at their local community, thinking about the places ... Read More

The brilliant BBC drama Time about a young persons detention centre raises questions about incarceration and the criminal justice system. Written by Jimmy McGovern and starring David Tennant and Siobhan Finneran, Time brings home the violence and terror of prison. The understaffing, meaning the prisoners end up locked in cells for 23 hours a day. This exasperates many already big problems with the... Read More

Dr David Ryall, Director of Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS UK), called for solidarity with refugees and a renewed commitment to Christian welcome during his opening keynote speech at the Association of Provincial Bursars (APB) Conference, held in Hertfordshire from 5 to 7 October. Addressing representatives of religious congregations, Dr Ryall highlighted the challenges facing people seeking sanct... Read More

Archbishop Timothy P Broglio has issued a statement forbidding Catholics from taking part in the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, due to be life-streamed. The full statement follows: In addition to supporting and subscribing to the statement by my brothers the Bishops of Texas, it is my duty to express my disapproval of what is proposed regarding the execution of the terrorist Hasan in the ... Read More

The proportion of deaths in Belgium caused by euthanasia has more than doubled over a five-year period, reaching 4% of all deaths in 2025, according to a report from the Federal Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia released earlier this month. According to a report released every two years as required under Belgian euthanasia law, there were 2,445 euthanasia deaths in 2020, acco... Read More

Gospel of 13 October 2026 Matthew 5:1-12a At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are ... Read More

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to be admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital "late in the morning" on Tuesday, 13 October, for surgery to remove a localized nodule in his lung. According to the Prefecture of the Papal Household, all of the Pope's audiences have been cancelled due to his hospitalisation for the week through to Tuesday, 20 October. The Pope announced his upcoming operation during the Angelus... Read More

Usama Nicola writes in Bethlehem Updates: In Palestinian culture, the olive tree is more than a source of food and income. It is a living symbol of identity, family, and connection to the land. Every autumn, as the hills turn golden and families gather to harvest olives, the countryside comes alive with stories, laughter, and shared labor. For generations, the olive season has shaped not only the ... Read More