Vatican & World News

- Waves of refugees flee Rafah as Israeli Forces reach the centre of the besieged city in the southern Gaza Strip - Christians in Pakistan rally over yet another mob attack over false blasphemy accusations - A rising death toll in Papua New Guinea's landslide tragedy suggest more than 2000 people may be dead

In the headlines, this Monday, May 27th: - Pope Francis invites Buddhists to work together - The Pope prays for people suffering in Papua New Guinea - Deadly airstrike on Rafah could hinder mediation efforts in the Middle East

- Pope Francis meets with children from Ukraine and Palestine, as the Vatican’s first ever World Children’s Day kicks off in Rome - The Pope tells the national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies to be creative and tenacious in the face of difficulties - We speak to a doctor at the Massachusets General Hospital about the global landscape of palliative care

- Pope Francis urges Jesuits teachers and professors to foster service and academic rigor in their educational institutions - Hundreds are feared dead in Papua New Guinea after a massive landslide - Catholic youth ministers gather near Rome to prepare for the Jubilee for Youth next year and World Youth Day in 2027

- Pope Francis officially puts the Blessed Carlo Acutis on the path to sainthood - He encourages Sisters of the Talitha Kum anti-trafficking network to continue to fight the trafficking scourge and stand by victims - A Symposium on Palliative Care in Toronto enters its final day with a call to strengthen the network of carers to support people who are suffering and in need of hope

- Pope Francis prays for peace in Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Myanmar and in all war-torn countries of the globe - A well-known Italian artist creates the first Cross of Joy for the first World Children’s Day - Norway, Spain and Ireland announce they will formally recognize the State of Palestine

- Pope Francis encourages Chinese Catholics to testify to their faith through works of mercy and charity - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem thanks Italian bishops for their prayers for the people of the Holy Land - The Head of India’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Church recalls his meeting with Pope Francis and the warmth of a father and brother in faith

- Pope Francis is to travel to Luxembourg and Belgium in September - Religious involved in the fight against human trafficking gather in Rome to renew their commitment to fight the trade and rescue victims - Palliative Care is the focus of a symposium organized by the Canadian Bishops in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life

In the headlines this Saturday May 18th: - Pope Francis makes a pastoral visit to the Italian city of Verona - He urges people to take the cause of peace in their hands, rather than leaving it to world leaders - The Pope tells children to, with Jesus their friend, not have fear to go against the tide

- The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem entera the Gaza strip, offering the closeness of the Church to the suffering people - Pope Francis addresses a climate summit exploring the theme: “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience.” - Participants at a conference on interreligious dialogue in Lisbon describe the importance of real change coming from within

- Pope Francis appeals to the international community to provide support and aid to flood-stricken Afghanistan - A conference on Climate Crisis and Climate Resilience opens in the Vatican - In the preface of a book dedicated to peace and justice, the Pope reflects on how peace is handmade by each of us

- Pope Francis says the elderly are the “firm foundation of the future” in a Message for Grandparents’ Day - A West Sumatran Bishop warns that climate change is exacerbating flooding and other natural calamities - The Pontifical Urban University is preparing to host an international conference on the Church in China

- Pope Francis encourages India’s Syro-Malabar Catholic Church to commit to a path of unity - The Apostolic Penitentiary releases a Decree that explains to the faithful how to obtain an Indulgence during the Jubilee Year - The head of the Nasa Space Agency reflects on the unique “outer-space” view of a world without divisions

- Pope Francis appeals for the exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war and says the Holy See stands ready to facilitate in this regard - Israel continues to strike Rafah as thousands of families scramble to flee the south of the Gaza enclave - Children die in Sudan as intensified clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces strike close to a paediatric hospital

- Pope Francis encourages participants in the Second World Meeting on Human Fraternity to persevere in their efforts to promote fraternity in a broken world - Israel orders more evacuations from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip amid continuing attacks - Flood-stricken Brazilians in the south of the country find refuge and aid in church buildings and organizations

- Pope Francis expresses his grief over a deadly attack on two camps for displaced persons in the Democratic Republic of Congo. - A leading bishop in Ethiopia urges religious leaders to act as mediators to heal the nation’s political and social divisions. - The President of the Commission of EU Bishops' Conferences calls for greater participation in Europe’s future