World News
Where to give to help Ukraine
Numerous Catholic agencies -- including the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia -- are collecting donations to aid with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, as people flee to escape the Russian invasion.
Don’t forget Syria’s 11 years of conflict, cardinal says
The apostolic nuncio said hope is gone and Syria has fallen into obscurity as the war there claimed 610,000 people, injured more than 2.1 million and caused an estimated 13 million to flee or become displaced within the country.
Pope to consecrate Russia, Ukraine to Mary
Pope Francis will consecrate both countries to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in St. Peter's Basilica and a cardinal will carry out a similar consecration in Fatima, Portugal. Mary appeared there in 1917 requesting Russia's consecration.
Pope Francis speaks with Russian Orthodox patriarch
Although he expressed hope for a peaceful resolution, Patriarch Kirill, a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While Pope Francis has not directly criticized Russia, he has condemned the war.
Generosity in action: Crisis unites Hungarians to common cause
For the past two weeks, organizations in Hungary have distributed food, clothing and other items to the continuous waves of refugees coming through Budapest's main train station. "No one is denied help here," said a volunteer.
Pope Francis on Ukraine: ‘Stop this massacre’
Appealing again for an end to the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis said those who invoke God to justify violence "profane his name." He cited Mariupol, Ukraine, a city named in honor of Mary, which has been besieged by Russian troops.
World hasn’t learned from 20th-century’s wars, pope says
After the 2008 financial crisis, Pope Francis saw a push to govern for the common good. But now it appears the world is "governed by obsolete criteria," he said, pointing to the emergence of regional wars, such in Ukraine.
Nicaragua expels the Vatican ambassador
The expulsion highlights the difficulty of the church-state relationship in Nicaragua, where the Catholic Church has sought reconciliation amid political turmoil and come under attack for supporting political prisoners and their families.
Russian Catholic: Current ‘situation very like the atheist Soviet Union’
As the Russian government clamps down on information during the war in Ukraine, Catholic priests face prison if they use the wrong words in homilies, and the church enters a "new era of silence."
Papal envoy sets off for besieged Ukrainian cities
After praying in Lviv with Catholics and other religious leaders, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski is traveling to Kyiv armed with "Gospel weapons: prayer, fasting and alms."