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Vatican News
Pope says sport can be ‘prophecy of peace’ ahead of Mediterranean Games
As Athletica Vaticana prepares to take part in the Mediterranean Games, Pope Leo XIV expresses his hopes that the event held in southern Italy may promote sport as a “prophecy of peace and fraternity.”
Pope Leo XIV expresses closeness to victims of Indonesia earthquake
In a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo assures those affected by the 15 August earthquake in Indonesia of his “spiritual solidarity and closeness” and encourages ongoing humanitarian and recovery efforts.
Cardinal Pizzaballa visits Taybeh, appeals for preserving its Christian presence
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, visits Taybeh, the last remaining Christian village in Palestine. As the village faces severe restrictions on access, he stresses, “Your example is important so that we can continue to be a Christian voice amid this very complex situation.”
Zambia: Diocesan Catholic clergy in Livingstone Diocese welcome workshop on Safeguarding
The local Association of Diocesan Catholic Clergy in Zambia’s Diocese of Livingstone recently met at Luxe Country Convention Centre for a safeguarding workshop.
Cardinal Parolin in Sicily: Saint Agatha's witness still speaks to the Church
Cardinal Parolin praises the enduring witness of St. Agatha's immense faith while in Sicily as papal legate for the celebrations marking the 900th anniversary of the translation of the martyr’s relics.
Thousands of women honor Mary as tradition unites generations
Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters have made pilgrimages to Our Lady of Piekary for generations, bringing their intentions and family stories. Pope Leo XIV greeted the pilgrims during his Angelus address in Castel One of the participants, Dominika Szczawińska, told Vatican News: “I used to come here as a young wife, praying for a child, then as a young mother, and today I am the mother of teenagers.”
Pope renews appeal for end to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank
Pope Leo’s appeals at the conclusion of the Sunday Angelus included a call for an end to violence directed against Palestinians in the West Bank; his hopes that sporting events can be a prophetic sign of peace and fraternity; and special greetings to Polish pilgrims taking part in the annual pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Piekary Śląskie.
Pope at Angelus: God’s table is set for everyone
Pope Leo XIV reflects on the faith of the Canaanite woman, urging the Church to recognise how God’s grace works beyond established boundaries and to overcome discrimination and barriers that violate human dignity.
Caritas Indonesia mobilizes in response to Flores earthquake
Following Saturday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Indonesia, Catholic relief agency Caritas Indonesia has mobilized resources throughout the country to assist those affected by the disaster.
Pope: Young people, embrace Christ and your call to holiness
Pope Leo XIV reminds young people participating in the Third National Youth Day taking place this weekend in Monterrey, Mexico, that the purpose of our lives is to unite ourselves to Jesus and thus, by sharing in His life, attain the holiness to which we are called.
Earthquake in Indonesia kills 38; Catholic festival cancelled
At least 38 people have died and thousands have been displaced after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s predominantly Catholic island of Flores. The Diocese of Labuan Bajo canceled the closing celebrations of the Golo Koe Maria Assumpta Nusantara Festival, while a major priestly formation celebration in Ledalero was moved outdoors after earthquake damage made the chapel and reception hall unsafe.
Lord's Day Reflection: Good luck ignoring mom
As the Church marks the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jenny Kraska reflects on the theme: "Good luck ignoring mom!"
Poles on the Road: The remarkable appeal of pilgrimage to Jasna Góra
Thousands of people, hundreds of miles, and successive generations walking the same road. On August 15, the season of walking pilgrimages reaches its peak at Jasna Góra – a tradition that remains a vivid expression of faith and community in Poland.
Europe’s tallest statue of Mary blessed in Poland. “She directs us toward God”
The Europe’s tallest statue of Mary was blessed on August 15 in Konotopie, Poland. During the ceremony, Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski said the more than 55-meter (180-foot) monument is meant to turn people’s thoughts toward God and serve as a place of prayer.
Pope at Angelus: Mary’s Assumption reveals our eternal destiny
Pope Leo XIV reflects on how Mary’s Assumption reveals humanity’s destiny of eternal life, and prays for those suffering in the Holy Land, Ukraine, Russia and earthquake-stricken Colombia.
Pope: 'The purity of Mary's soul leads us toward glory of Heaven'
During Mass in Castel Gandolfo for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Leo XIV marvels how the Blessed Virgin Mary, through God's grace, leads us toward Heaven, insisting that love is "humanity’s most beautiful adornment," stressing that it "transfigures, transforms, ennobles and lifts us up, making us light, free and close to God, even amid life’s ups and downs."
Hope for a wounded Amazon: “The Pope knows where it hurts us”
In the communities of the Peruvian Amazon, anticipation is growing over Pope Leo's arrival in the country that shaped his missionary journey. The bishops of Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado hope that the papal visit to Pucallpa will be much more than a celebration: a call to conversion, unity, and renewed defense of the peoples of the Amazon.
Record-low Danube forces nuclear shutdown in Romania
Romania and neighboring Hungary are facing an energy crisis linked to a record heat wave and the related low level of the Danube River, with Romania forced to shut down its last operating nuclear reactor while Hungary struggles to keep the only one of its four Paks reactors still operating online.
Church condemns the execution of three death-row inmates in the U.S.
Three death-row inmates were executed by lethal injection in the United States on Thursday, August 13, in three different states. According to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), an organization that advocates for the abolition of the death penalty, this was the first time in more than sixteen years that three executions had taken place in the country on the same day.
Church and organizations in Peru defend human dignity and human rights
The Church, representatives of social organizations, Indigenous peoples and communities, grassroots groups, and human rights defenders from nine regions of southern Peru gathered in Cusco to share experiences, hear about the different realities across the territories, and develop common proposals in favor of dignity, justice, peace, and the common good, as part of the Southern Macro-Regional Meeting, “Weaving Voices for Dignity.”