World

Reflecting at the weekly General Audience on the crucifixion, Pope Leo XIV stressed that Jesus' cry from the cross reveals "the final stage of a love that is given up to the very end," and encourages everyone to avoid seeing crying as a weakness but rather as an act of extreme prayer. Pope Leo said Jesus did not die in silence. "He does not fade away gradually, like a light that burns out, but rat... Read More

Pope Leo made a video call to the Holy Family parish in Gaza on Tuesday, following the news of Israel's order for residents to evacuate Gaza City. Parish priest Fr Gabriel Romanelli, said the phone call with the Holy Father was a blessing. Fr Gabriel said: "We told him we are well, even if the situation remains difficult.. The Pope gave us his blessing and prayed for us and for peace. He follows e... Read More

Pope Leo was asked by journalists for his reaction to news of Israel's bombing in Doha, Qatar, as he left his residence in Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican on Tuesday. He described it as "very serious news", expressing his deep concern over the developments following the Israeli bombing, which it said was targeting some Hamas leaders there. The attack hit several residential buildings in ... Read More

Gaza City residents were airdropped Israeli leaflets on Tuesday ordering them to evacuate immediately as the government in Tel Aviv said it was about to obliterate the area in an assault to wipe out Hamas. One million people called Gaza City home before the onset of Israeli attacks in October 2023 destroyed most homes and infrastructure. Amid continuing bombings and raids, they have been preparing... Read More

On August 19, 2025, the sun rose over Brisbane to mark a milestone few ever reach: the 100th birthday of Sr Angela Mary Doyle, an Irish nun whose legacy in Australia is etched into the very fabric of its healthcare and social justice landscape. Born Kathleen Doyle at Six Crosses, Kilmurry-McMahon in Co Clare on 19 August 1925, her journey from a small farm to becoming one of Queensland's most reve... Read More

The international development agency Christian Aid says Israeli military forces are destroying Palestinian human rights institutions as well as buildings. The comments follow the destruction today by the Israeli military of the 12-storey Al-Roya Tower in Gaza where Christian Aid's partner, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), has its main office. Christian Aid Programme Manager, Katie... Read More

Husam Zomlot, Palestinian Ambassador, delivered the following address in Whitehall on Saturday at the 30th National Demonstration for Gaza in London. Friends, today marks a day of shame. Today is the 700th day of genocide: 700 days that the world has failed to end the slaughter of children, the mass murder of women, men executed in cold blood. My friends, I have just returned from the homeland, ... Read More

When Beata Sperczyńska left her home in southern Poland to find work in Italy, she could hardly have imagined the role she would play in shaping the spiritual life of a boy who would one day be declared a saint. Hired as a nanny by the Acutis family, she became the first person to introduce young Carlo to the world of prayer and devotion. It was Beata who taught him the simple yet profound words ... Read More

More than 80,000 pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square on Sunday for the Mass with the canonisation of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis. In his homily, Pope Leo XIV said the extraordinary witnesses of these two young Saints invites all of us, especially young people, to direct our lives upwards to God and make them masterpieces of holiness, service, and joy. Recalling words from the first S... Read More

The first LGBT pilgrimage during the Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope was attended by more than 1400 people from more than 24 countries. It started on Friday with a panel discussion organised by Fr James Martin's organisation Outreach at the Jesuit General Curia. Three members of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics and a trans woman from New Jersey, USA discussed their moments of joy and hopes fo... Read More

Pope Leo XIV on Friday morning received in audience the newly elected President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Tadeusz Nawrocki, who took the oath of office before his nation's Parliament one month ago. Afterwards, President Nawrocki met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organi... Read More

The US Government has imposed sanctions against Christian Aid's partner, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), for providing evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) of potential Israeli violations of international law. PCHR monitors and reports alleged war crimes occurring in Gaza and is actively building legal case files and pursuing them with the international courts. It has... Read More

A senior official from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said yesterday he was extremely concerned over intensifying Israeli military operations in northern Gaza - including Gaza City - and warned against any attempt to annex parts of the West Bank. Ajith Sunghay, Head of OHCHR's Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), told UN News that the escalation has caused extensive destruction... Read More

During a private audience today, Pope Leo XIV and the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog discussed the need for an urgent ceasefire and unimpeded aid access for Gaza, as well as the liberation of all remaining hostages and a two-state solution as the only path to peace. The Israeli President subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary ... Read More