World News
Fifty years after martial law, Filipinos gather to recall heroes, martyrs
At a Sept. 21 ecumenical service in Manila, church leaders honored the memory of priests, pastors, religious and laity who were tortured and killed during the brutal regime of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Bishops in Belgium authorize prayer for committed gay couples
The bishops said the decision reflects "a need for a recognition" of same-sex unions, "on the condition it is clear that it is not equivalent to a wedding blessing." The Vatican had not yet commented as of Sept. 20.
Pope decries savagery, monstrosities against people in Ukraine
At his Sept. 21 general audience, Pope Francis urged faithful to pray for the "noble and martyred" Ukrainian populace, amid the seventh month of a Russian invasion that has resulted atrocities and threats of nuclear force.
Papal envoy delivers aid to Ukraine under gunfire
Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski said in a Sept. 17 interview he and fellow clergy escaped attack while delivering humanitarian aid to suffering Ukrainians on Pope Francis' behalf.
Pakistani bishops say they need more help after deadly flooding
Record monsoons have created a dire need for emergency food, structural repairs and medical aid, said three bishops whose dioceses have been hit hard.
Pope: Under right conditions, nations may buy weapons for self-defense
Speaking to journalists Sept. 15 after his three-day trip to Kazakhstan, the pope responded to a question regarding the sale of weapons to Ukraine, saying that it can be "morally acceptable" under proper conditions.
Ukrainians ‘feel the power of your prayer,’ says major archbishop
The intercession of faithful "stops the war" and is "the source of our optimism (and) hope that together we will defeat evil," said Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych Sept. 14, designated by European bishops as a day of prayer for Ukraine.
Pope urges world leaders to ‘work for peace, not weapons’
"Only by serving the cause of peace, will you make a name for yourselves in the annals of history," said Pope Francis Sept. 15, speaking on the final day of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan.
Pope: Religions must be purified of extremism, self-righteousness
Fundamentalism, which "defiles and corrupts every creed," must be replaced with "open and compassionate hearts," said Pope Francis Sept. 14 at the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan.
Arriving in Kazakhstan, pope makes case for peace
Ahead of an interreligious conference in the Central Asian nation, Pope Francis lamented "the senseless and tragic war that broke out with the invasion of Ukraine," and called peace the "essential path to development for our globalized world."