Category: Vatican News

The Bishops of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) have pledged to make young people the Church’s shared pastoral priority for the next four years, while calling on political leaders across the region to end the exploitation of youth Read all  

Pope Leo XIV expresses closeness to those affected by wildfires in France and Spain and calls for prayers for victims and emergency responders. He also recalls the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated on 26 July. Read all  

At the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV praises the beatification of Patriarch Elias Hoayek, praying that the new Blessed’s intercession will bring peace to Lebanon and strengthen Maronite faithful worldwide. Read all  

During the Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV appeals for an end to violence in the Holy Land and the Middle East, urging dialogue, diplomacy, and prayers for peace. Read all  

Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, Head of Schools of the Custody of the Holy Land, deplores the situation in the West Bank and issues a warning both to those who fuel the violence and to those “who fail to intervene to stop this endless spiral.” He expresses hope that the elections announced in Israel and Palestine will … Continue reading “Fr. Faltas: The West Bank bleeds, listen to the Pope’s appeals to stop the violence”

In his Angelus address from Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Kingdom of God as a treasure that transforms lives, calling Christians to recognise what truly matters. Read all  

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Cardinal Jose Advincula urged Catholics at the 12th Philippine Conference on the New Evangelization to embrace authentic friendship and patient accompaniment as essential paths to evangelization, Christian discipleship, and communion. Read all  

In a video message for the Brazilian Catholic music festival, Halleluya, Pope Leo encourages young people to transform their youth into a force for evangelization, in order for others to get to know Jesus, answers people’s “deepest longings, revealing to every person the truth about themselves.” Read all  

Pope Leo encourages Portuguese young people to allow their restlessness to bring them closer to God and put before Him their biggest questions and deepest desires, in a video message to those participating in the Second “Rejoice – National Youth Day” meeting in the northern city of Lamego. Read all  

In a message to young people of Chota and Cutervo, Pope Leo XIV urges them to embrace a “holy rebellion” and transform situations of suffering into places of hope through joyful service. Read all  

The Israeli Defence Forces are preparing an extensive operation in the West Bank following a deadly incident near the Palestinian village of Tal. Read all  

200,000 people have been displaced in France while around 70,000 in Spain, as firefighters struggle to contain fires spreading through the two countries. Western Europe has seen exceptionally high temperatures this summer, making it harder to contain fires. Read all  

Churches across Italy take up a nationwide collection on Sunday, 26 July, to support victims of Venezuela’s devastating earthquakes, as humanitarian needs continue to grow. Read all  

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis as the Holy See’s new Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York, where he will represent the Holy See at the UN headquarters. Read all  

Pope Leo invites Bishops gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences to be an ever greater sign of God’s presence in their various countries, as they discuss the important issues affecting the life and future of the Catholic Church in Asia. Read all  

Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, looks at the key role local churches play in carrying forward the synodal journey as he addresses participants at the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) in Jakarta, Indonesia. Read all  

In an interview with Vatican Media, Cardinal Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, Secretary General of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, reflects on the fruits of the FABC Plenary Assembly, highlighting faith, the protection of human dignity, and an urgent pastoral response to migration as shared priorities for the Church across Asia. Read all  

On Thursday afternoon delegates to the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) present the results of their table discussions and agree that the Church in the continent is called to be a bridge builder and renew its missionary vocation in the face of the world’s challenges. Read all  

Kenya’s Bishop of Embu Diocese and Vice Chair of the Commission for Youth at the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Peter Kemani, says young people in the AMECEA region are seeking answers, inclusion, involvement and want to participate as serious collaborators, including in the Church’s leadership structures. Read all  

Ten years ago, on 26 July 2016, Father Jacques Hamel, pastor of the parish of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray in northern France, was murdered while celebrating Mass. Two terrorists who had pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State slit his throat. One member of the congregation who was attending Mass was also seriously injured. Read all