World

This year, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and author and ethicist Andrew DeCort, PhD, will be giving a series of prayerful reflections on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). From January 18-25, Andrew will be joined online each day at 12pm ET by a different guest to reflect on one of the beatitudes and pray for a just peace for the Middle East. Sp... Read More

Pope Francis has expressed his concern for the thousands of people affected by devastating fires in Los Angeles and renews his appeal to pray for peace. After the recitation of the Angelus today, (Sunday) Pope Francis said: "I am close to the residents of Los Angeles County, California, where devastating wildfires have flared in recent days: I pray for all of you," His words of solidarity and con... Read More

Humanitarian efforts to address the overwhelming needs in Gaza - already under immense strain - face mounting obstacles. For 15 months of unrelenting hostilities, people there have been forced to endure profound trauma and suffering, unprecedented displacement, starvation, and widespread destruction of schools, hospitals and other critical civilian infrastructure. Aid is more urgent than ever, and... Read More

Pope Francis met a group of young cancer patients receiving treatment at the Oncology and Pediatric Hematology Clinic in Wrocław, Poland today. In his greeting the Pope spoke about the Jubilee Year 2025, calling it a "year in which God wants to grant us special graces.... We have the opportunity to give each other hope and love," Pope Francis said. The Holy Father explained one of the reasons h... Read More

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, gave the following address at the dedication of the Church of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jordan today, Friday, 10 January. Representative of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein, His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi Ibn Muhammad, Chief Advisor to His Majesty the King for Cultural and Religious Affairs, Legate of His Ho... Read More

As attacks by Islamist militants continue in Cameroon, the bishop of the worst-affected diocese has stressed the importance of providing education and giving people hope as an antidote to extremism. Jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram has been carrying out "sporadic attacks" in northern Cameroon, mainly to "steal food, livestock, money and even clothes", but they no longer have "heavy weapons", ac... Read More

At his annual Audience for Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See yesterday, Pope Francis laid out his vision for a 'diplomacy of hope' based on truth, forgiveness, freedom, and justice. The Holy Father began his 'State of the World' address, (which was read by Mgr Filippo Ciampanelli, from the Dicastery for Eastern Churches) by noting the importance of the Jubilee year for the... Read More

Two religious Sisters were abducted on Tuesday (7th January) in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria. The kidnapped religious, Vincentia Nwankwo and Grace Okoli, belong to the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ - which sent a message to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) asking everyone to pray for their unconditional release. Sister Vincentia María, the principa... Read More

Towards the end of 2024, while families were preparing for the Christmas season and holidays, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem's social department conducted a series of sessions entitled 'Rise and Shine' to empower women beneficiaries in the Old City of Jerusalem, holding a total of seven sessions. Ten women, primarily residents of the Holy City, who have participated in LPJ's women empowerment... Read More

A webinar, hosted by the Balfour Project: 'Hope is a Radical Act' - Reflections on my travels in the occupied territory of Palestine with Miranda Pinch, takes place on Thursday, 9th January 2025 at 3pm UK time. Miranda's mother was a secular Jewish refugee from the Holocaust in 1938. She was always bitterly opposed to what was being done to the Palestinians in her name as a Jew. Because of that, M... Read More

Bishop Nicholas Hudson and Bishop Jim Curry, along with twelve other bishops from around the world, will travel to Jerusalem from 18-23 January 2025 for the Holy Land Coordination. The Holy Land Coordination, organised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales through its Department for International Affairs, is an annual meeting that is defined by four Ps - presence, prayer, pilgri... Read More

Just over a year after extremists murdered more than 300 people in coordinated attacks targeting Christian villages in Plateau State, Nigeria, the faithful gathered for a special Mass to remember the victims last Sunday, 5th January. Bishop Michael Gobal Gokum of Pankshin, celebrated the Epiphany Mass at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Bokkos for all those killed in their homes and on t... Read More

Pakistan's Christian community is in shock over the death of a Christian who was shot following six months of persecution. Suleman Masih died last Wednesday, 1st January, after being attacked by men on motorcycles in Kot Saadullah, Rahawali, Gujranwala on 29th December 2024. He was shot, sustaining severe kidney damage. He was buried on Saturday, 4th January. The National (Catholic) Commission fo... Read More

Pope Francis has today appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian-born religious sister from the Consolata Missionaries, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, along with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime as Pro-Prefect. Sr Simona, who turns 60 on March 27, previously served as Superior General of the Consolata Missionaries. She has serve... Read More