World News
Faith amid the ruins: Pope calls Iraqis to affirm kinship under one God
The strength to move forward, to rebuild and to restore relationships and respect across religious and ethnic boundaries was a constant refrain during Pope Francis' trip last week to Iraq.
Returning from Iraq, pope talks about ‘risks’ of promoting harmony
Speaking with reporters, Pope Francis said he is aware of criticism from Catholics but through prayer and listening he is convinced that God wants the church and all humanity to continue promoting a sense of belonging to one human family.
Cleanse your hearts of anger, pope says at Mass in Irbil
After paying tribute to the victims of Islamic State violence, Pope Francis reached the last major event of his trip to Iraq: Mass with some 10,000 people in Irbil, where he told Iraq's Christians not to seek revenge.
Papal trip influences Muslims beyond Iraq’s borders, analyst says
Pope Francis' historic visit to the Middle East's most conflict-riven nation gives hope and comfort to Iraqis of all faiths, and "has been very well received by Muslims in the region," said one observer.
Life triumphs over death as Christians rebuild in Iraq, pope says
Amid the bombed out remains of churches destroyed by Islamic State militants, Pope Francis honored Iraqi Christians who endured persecution and even death. He challenged them to work for peace.
In Baghdad liturgy, pope encourages Iraq’s suffering Christians
The beatitudes are not a call for heroics but about imitating Jesus each day, Pope Francis said during a Chaldean Catholic liturgy March 6. "That is how the world is changed: not by power and might, but by the beatitudes."
Hostility, violence are ‘betrayals’ of religion, pope says in Iraq
From Ur, the birthplace of Abraham, Pope Francis called on Iraq's religious communities to denounce all violence committed in God's name. The journey of peace, he said, begins with "the decision not to have enemies."
Pope, Iraqi Shiite leader affirm importance of collaboration
In a meeting followed closely in Iraq and beyond, Pope Francis and Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the influential leader of Shiite Muslims in Iraq, spent 45 minutes speaking privately.
Pope: Honor martyrs by remaining faithful, working for a better Iraq
Pope Francis said at a Baghdad cathedral where 48 Catholics were martyred in 2010, and of the countless other Christians killed since, that they should inspire "trust in the power of the cross and its saving message of forgiveness, reconciliation and rebirth."
As deaths increase, prelate says Tanzania must admit COVID-19 exists
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanzania's government has downplayed the virus, called only for prayers and urged citizens to ignore wearing masks and washing hands.