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The brother of murdered religious freedom advocate Shahbaz Bhatti has told UK Parliamentarians that, since his assassination, the growing influence of extremists in Pakistan has created a climate of fear preventing religious minorities from defending their rights. Peter Bhatti called for a UK Parliamentary inquiry led either by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee or the Joint Committee on Human R... Read More

Gospel of 28 October 2026 Luke 6:12-19 In these days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon ... Read More

In a video message sent to participants in the International Meeting for Peace in Assisi today, Pope Leo XIV urged all participants to join him in being "unarmed instruments of the Lord's peace," stressing that "war can never be waged in the name of God." "War can never be waged in the name of God. For us believers, 'to fight in the name of religion means attacking religion itself.' There is no su... Read More

Ellen Teague, well known for her work with Independent Catholic News, The Tablet and many other journals and organisations, has been given the Recognition of Service Award from the Diocese of Westminster. The Award, a medal and a certificate, were presented by Bishop James Curry on behalf of Archbishop Moth on Thursday 22 October. Bishop Curry explained that this is offered to acknowledge Ellen's ... Read More

Fr Joe Ryan (Acting Chair) writes: I would like to announce that Anna Blackman has accepted the position of General Secretary of Pax Christi England and Wales. For many years Anna has been dedicated to peace-making and nonviolence inspired by Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching. She has been involved with Pax Christi Scotland, and now based in England is a member of Pax Christi England and ... Read More

New research into the Gunpowder Plot has uncovered previously unexplored motives behind the involvement of Guy Fawkes and his fellow York Conspirators. The Gunpowder Plot is the infamous failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 - and the historic reason behind the UK's Bonfire Night tradition which is celebrated every year on 5 November. A new exhibition: 'The Gunpowder Plot: York's... Read More

Three UN conferences meet in 2026 on three crises: desertification, biodiversity loss, and climate change. Jocabed Solano, an Indigenous Gunadule theologian from Panama, does not see three. "The world calls these climate change, biodiversity loss, and desertification, but for us they are one wound," she said in Yerevan, Armenia, on 20 October. She was speaking at the Faith Hub, a space for faith ... Read More

As Israelis head to the polls today, Verity Johnson, CAFOD's Head of Middle East region, issued the following statement: "Whatever the election outcome, international pressure on Israel must stay strong. Entire neighbourhoods in Gaza have been destroyed, and whole communities are being displaced in the West Bank. The dire warnings from the Israeli government of even further escalations of violence... Read More

Gospel of 27 October 2026 Luke 13:18-21 At that time: Jesus said, 'What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.' And again he said, 'To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid... Read More

A statement released on Monday by the Holy See Press Office has confirmed that Pope Leo's visit to Latin America will take place according to the previously-released schedule, from November 6-17. It said the Pope's journey will "offer opportunities to strengthen the bonds of communion with the local Churches, encourage the faithful in their mission, and bring a message of faith, hope, and peace t... Read More

On the second day of the International Meeting for Peace in Assisi, one of the morning forums focused on nuclear weapons, disarmament, and proliferation. The panel was full of researchers, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the Catholic archbishop of Nagasaki, Japan, and a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. While the threat of nuclear attacks, to some, may seem a distant possibility, Archbis... Read More

The new Farm Street Film Club 26/27 Season kicks off this Thursday with a comedy drama, starring the always-watchable Helen Mirren in 'The Hundred Foot Journey'. The film is about a battle in a French village between two restaurants that are directly across the street from each other: a new Indian cuisine owned by an Indian emigrant family and an established French restaurant with a Michelin Star ... Read More

Fr David Neuhaus SJ, an Israeli Jesuit priest, born in South Africa to a Jewish family writes: Tomorrow, October 27, 2026, Israelis go to the polls. The influence of the events of 7.10.2023, when almost 1200 Israelis and others were killed, thousands wounded, and over 250 kidnapped, by Palestinian militants crossing into Israel from Gaza, seems to be particularly significant in determining secular... Read More

Jordanian security has arrested suspects accused of opening fire on a funeral, which Christian leaders have condemned as a terrorist atrocity. The attack on St George's Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud, Karak Governorate, on Friday (23rd October) killed nine and wounded 34 others during a funeral service. Around 250 Christians were gathered in and outside the church when armed men ar... Read More