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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday spoke about the beatification of a group of martyrs which took place earlier in the day in Vientiane, Laos.Father Mario Borzaga, OMI, a 27-year-old Italian missionary and his catechist Paul Thoj Xyooj where murdered by communist rebels in 1960. The beatification ceremony also included 14 other in Laos who were killed “in hatred of the Faith.”Pope Francis recalled their sacrifice following his recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.“Their heroic fidelity to Christ can be an encouragement and example to missionaries, especially catechists, who in mission lands play a valuable and irreplaceable apostolic role, for which the entire Church is grateful,” Pope Francis said.Speaking off the cuff, the Pope added: “And ... we think of our catechists: They do a lot of work, such a beautiful job! Being a catechist is a beautiful thing: you bring the message of the Lord so that it grows inside of us. But, a rou...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday appealed that the world not ignore the plight of the people in the Syrian city of Aleppo.Russian-backed Syrian troops have been fighting to retake portions of the city which are still held by rebels. The conflict has killed hundreds of people in the past few weeks, many of them civilians.“Every day I am close, especially in prayer, to the people of Aleppo,” Pope Francis said after his Angelus address.“We must not forget that Aleppo is a city in which there are people: Families, children, the elderly, sick people ... Unfortunately, we have become accustomed to war, to destruction; but we must not forget Syria is a country full of history , culture and faith,” – the Pope continued – “We cannot accept that this is negated by war, which is a pile of abuses and falsehoods. I make an appeal for the commitment of everyone, because we face a choice of civilization: No to destruction, Yes to peace, Yes to the ...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has prayed for the victims of several terrorist attacks which had taken place in the hours before his Sunday Angelus.In Egypt, a bomb outside St. Mark’s Coptic Cathedral in Cairo killed at least 25 people on Sunday morning; in Somalia, a suicide bomber killed over a dozen people in Mogadishu on Sunday morning; and in Turkey, at least 38 people were killed in twin bomb attacks outside a football stadium in Instanbul on Saturday evening.“And we also pray for the victims of some horrible terrorist attacks which have hit various countries in the last few hours,” Pope Francis said after reciting the Angelus.“There are several places, but unfortunately, unique is the violence that sows death and destruction. But the response is also unique: Faith in God and unity in human and civil values,” – Pope Francis said – “I would like to express a special closeness to my dear brother Pope Tawadros II [the head of the Co...
(Vatican Radio) The Third Sunday of Advent is the traditional day when the children of Rome bring the Baby Jesus statues from their Nativity Scenes at home to St. Peter’s Square to be blessed by the Pope during the Sunday Angelus. The day is affectionately known as “Bambinelli Sunday.”“Today, my first greeting goes to the children and young people of Rome who have come for the traditional blessing of the “Bambinelli ,”which has been organized by parish churches and Catholic schools,” – Pope Francis told them – “Dear children, when you pray in front of your crèche with your parents, ask the Baby Jesus to help us all to love God and neighbor. And remember to pray for me, as I remember you.”Pope Francis returned to the children at the very end of his Angelus."And one thing I want to say to the children and young people: We want to hear one of your songs!" Pope Francis said, ending his appearance with t...
(Vatican Radio) European Mayors meeting in the Vatican concluded a two-day meeting on the refugee crisis by issuing a statement on Saturday evening calling for the creation of a “Network of Mayors” to help deal with the issues facing the cities on the continent.“This new network must be centred on human encounter and based on a progressive vision of interculturality, with the active participation of civil society – including the third sector – and of the religious traditions, where the defence and promotion of human dignity, freedom, justice, integration and peace must prevail over the debates of our prejudices,” the statement reads.About 80 mayors met at the Vatican’s Casina Pio IV – the headquarters of the Pontifical Academies for Science and Social Science – on Friday and Saturday (9-10 December) at a summit with the theme “Europe: Refugees Are Our Brothers and Sisters”. The Full statement can be found...
LONDON (AP) -- Like many foreign scientists in Britain, Joanna Bagniewska was devastated when Britons voted to leave the European Union. The biology lecturer, a Polish migrant who found Britain a welcoming place to build her academic career over a decade, is suddenly seeing her job security and research prospects up in the air....
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump has found an accomplished American executive in Rex Tillerson, but one whose longstanding support for free trade, international law and an expansive U.S. presence in the Middle East largely doesn't fit with what Trump has pitched to supporters....
CAIRO (AP) -- A bombing at a chapel adjacent to Egypt's main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 25 people and wounded another 49 during Sunday mass, in one of the deadliest attacks carried out against the religious minority in recent memory....
ROME (AP) -- Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni was summoned to the presidential palace on Sunday and appeared poised to receive a mandate to try to form a new government....
ISTANBUL (AP) -- Turkey declared a national day of mourning, launched a full investigation and began to bury its dead Sunday after twin blasts in Istanbul killed 38 people and wounded 155 others near a soccer stadium....
