World

Bishop Paul Swarbrick, Lead Bishop for Africa for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has expressed great concern at the renewed fighting in Ethiopia's Tigray region and growing tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea. "I visited the region of Tigray in 2025 and had the opportunity to meet people who had been displaced by the war and had suffered grave atrocities. I was struck by ... Read More

The Holy See Press Office released a statement this afternoon, (Friday 16 October), saying that Pope Leo XIV had spoken by telephone with Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region. Oleshky lies along the frontline of the Russian-occupie... Read More

This afternoon, the Holy See Press Office released a statement from Pope Leo XIV's doctors, who said his postoperative recovery continues with steady improvement. Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said the Pope "underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray this morning, which confirmed the steady improvement in his overall condition." They added that "respiratory physiotherapy session... Read More

Israeli settlers are reported to have begun vandalising olive trees during the annual olive harvest season in the West Bank, according to a Catholic parish priest in the Christian town of Taybeh. Fr Bashar Fawadleh leads a parish less than ten miles from Jerusalem, where Christian Palestinians are facing continuing attacks. He's written a letter describing the situation and appealing for help. May... Read More

A gardener cycling from London to Jerusalem has returned to the shrine that inspired his pilgrimage, describing it as one of the ride's most significant moments as he enters what he expects to be the most challenging stage of his journey. Andrew Foote, 32, said his return to the House of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana Evi) near Ephesus strengthened his resolve to continue the journey and deepened his ... Read More

On Thursday afternoon, Dr Luigi Carbone and Prof Stefano Margaritora provided an update on Pope Leo XIV's postoperative recovery. "This morning, the Holy Father underwent routine checks, which yielded normal results," they said. "The chest X-ray showed good recovery of the lung that underwent surgery." The Pope's doctors said he "carried out his daily activities independently," adding that "his ph... Read More

On 14 October 2026, in New York, His Excellency Archbishop Christophe Z El Kassis, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, delivered a statement at the joint debate under Agenda Item 21: Eradication of Poverty and Agenda Item 23: Agriculture development, food security and nutrition, of the Second Committee of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Archbishop El ... Read More

Church leaders from around the world have publicly expressed their prayers and support for Pope Leo after his recent operation to remove a lung nodule. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally who travelled to Rome to meet the Pope in April, said: "My daily prayers remain with Pope Leo XIV following his cancer diagnosis, and I assure the Holy Father and the Catholic faithful of the praye... Read More

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

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

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

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

A daytime drone strike by Russia destroyed the front of CAFOD partner Caritas-Spes Ukraine's humanitarian support centre in Odesa. Mercifully, no visitors or staff were injured. Henry Wilson Smith, CAFOD Acting Emergency Programme Manager for Ukraine, said: "With civilians experiencing the mostly deadly period of the war since 2022, this attack was a stark reminder of the risks humanitarian worke... Read More