Article Archive
Please click below to view any of the articles in our archive.
(Vatican Radio) The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheik Ahmed Muhammad Al-Tayyib, said the time has come for “the representatives of the Divine Religions” to “strongly and in a concrete way” turn humanity towards mercy and peace, "so that humanity can avoid the great crisis we are suffering now.”The Grand Imam was speaking to representatives of Vatican Radio and the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano after his meeting with Pope Francis on Monday.The first impression, which was very strong, is that [Pope Francis] is a man of peace, a man who follows the teaching of Christianity, which is a religion of love and peace," – the Grand Imam said – "and following His Holiness we have seen that he is a man who respects other religions and shows consideration for their followers; he is man who also consecrates his life to serve the poor and the destitute, and who takes responsibility for people in general; he is an asce...
(Vatican Radio) One of the main goals at the heart of the first ever UN World Humanitarian Summit that has just wrapped up in Istanbul is to reaffirm the principles at the heart of humanitarian action: humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.These principles are also at the heart of the mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta invited by the United Nations to participate in the consultations that gave life to the Summit and then to participate in the Summit itself.Albrecht Boeselager, Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta, has been working for over a year with the preparatory committees of the Summit. In Istanbul he has been present at many of the Summit meetings and roundtables with a series of concrete commitments including the continuation of provision of first aid to migrants on board the Italian Naval ships in the Mediterranean and using its diplomatic network to provide support in implementing humanitarian aid and to promote dialogue.Speaking to Vatican...
The possibility of having the body of the Slovak nun, Sr. Veronika Theresia Racková who died at Nairobi hospital last Friday, 20 May back to South Sudan for burial in the course of the week is being considered.Sr. Veronika, 58, is a member of the Missionary Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS).She succumbed to gun wounds when the ambulance she was driving from Harvest Hospital in Yei (South Sudan) was shot at several times by a “suspected group of soldiers ” on night patrol.The SSpS Communication office published a message titled “Solemn Requiem Mass for Sr. Veronika” and stated, “Due to the complexity and legal implications of the situation, we cannot, at the moment, confirm the place and date of the funeral.”On Monday, 23 May, a member of the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD), SSpS’s male counterpart congregation in Kenya, told CANAA that plans are underway to airlift the body of Sr. Veronika back to her last ...
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See’s former envoy to the United Nations, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, said on Tuesday we need to ask why so many people globally are suffering because of forced displacement, adding we must “try to sensitize” public opinion about this “totally unacceptable number of people” who are the victims of humanitarian emergencies. Archbishop Tomasi’s remarks came whilst attending the first ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul as part of the Holy See’s delegation to the meeting. He was interviewed by our correspondent there, Linda Bordoni.Listen to the interview with Archbishop Silvano Tomasi: Archbishop Tomasi lamented what he called the “excessive and extraordinary explosion of violence in different corners of the world” and said we need to ask ourselves why so many millions of people are suffering because of forced displacement. According to the United Nations, there are currently...
The Bishops of Ivory Coast have called for the release of political prisoners still being held following the violent post-election conflict of 2010-2011 that claimed the lives of over 3000 persons within a space of five months. The release of political prisoners is seen as an important step in uniting and achieving genuine reconciliation in a country that is still very politically and ethnically polarised.Tens of thousands of Catholics in Ivory Coast gathered Sunday at the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro for the national pilgrimage celebrating the Jubilee Year of Mercy announced by Pope Francis on 8 December. The Bishops want the nation to start a new chapter founded on reconciliation.Some of the pilgrims to Yamoussoukro started arriving at the Basilica, a day earlier. They came from literally all parts of the country. Together they sang songs, celebrated the Eucharist, listened to spiritual talks and prayed as one.The Bishop of Katiola, Ignace Bessi Dogbo, speaking ...
By Carol GlatzVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Holiness doesn't depend onsuperhuman powers, but rather demands a heart filled with courage, hope andgrace that strives for conversion each and every day, Pope Francis said at hismorning Mass.In fact, holiness is reached by taking tiny steps, likebiting your tongue every time there is the urge to gossip or demean somebody,he said May 24 during the Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae."Bite your tongue a little. Your tongue will swellup a bit, but your spirit will be holier," the pope said."Holiness is a journey. Holiness cannot be bought,it is not sold" and it is not given away as a reward, he said. It is"walking in God's presence in an irreproachable way."Every person is responsible for striking out on a path ofholiness, he said. "I have to do it, someone else can't do it in my name.I can pray for someone else to be a saint, but he has to take that path, notme."The holiness Christians must strive for is an"everyday" task often carried...
IMAGE: NS photo/Simon CaldwellBy Simon CaldwellLIVERPOOL, England (CNS) -- Myanmar'sfirst cardinal has thanked the Christians of the West for helping to bringdemocracy to his country.Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon said theCatholic Church was "at the forefront" of supporting the people ofMyanmar, formerly Burma, during a dictatorship that lasted half a century.Preaching at a May 22 Mass inthe Metropolitan Cathedral ofChrist the King, Liverpool, he declared: "Today, we are free.""The world community refusedto accept the oppression ... and spoke against that," Cardinal Bo said."The church as a communityrefused to allow the oppression of Christians and others in Burma," hesaid. "Every church, including the U.K. church, was at the forefront ofsupporting us."The cardinal told thecongregation that Catholics "are united by a special bond of community. Itis this sense of community which has helped many Christians around the world tosurvive hardship and emerge stronger."My heart is fille...
PARIS (AP) -- French police have raided Google's Paris offices as part of an investigation into "aggravated tax fraud" and money laundering, authorities said Tuesday. The raid is the latest regulatory headache for the American search engine-and-email company, which like other Silicon Valley firms faces increasing questions about its complex tax arrangements....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Republican senator on Tuesday called for Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald to resign after McDonald compared long wait times at VA health care sites to waiting in line at a Disney amusement park....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Many of America's young adults appear to be in no hurry to move out of their old bedrooms....
