Pope Francis

Pope calls for world day of prayer for peace as catastrophe looms in Gaza

Warning against a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and ongoing conflicts elsewhere, Pope Francis has called for a day of fasting, penance and prayer for peace in the world Oct. 27.

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Birds fly as the sun sets over the mountains near Assisi, Italy, in this Oct. 26, 2011, file photo. St. Francis, who was born in Assisi in the 12th century, is the patron saint of ecology and his feast day is Oct. 4. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope, in document on climate crisis, criticizes science ‘deniers’

After warning the world against ignoring the cries of the earth and the poor with his 2015 encyclical, "Laudato Si', On Care for Our Common Home," Pope Francis intensified his critique with "Laudate Deum" (Praise God).
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Xavière Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the synod, speaks to reporters at a news conference at the Vatican April 20, 2023. (CNS photo/Justin McLellan)

‘Synodality Is a Call From God for the Church,’ Says Undersecretary

The approaching world Synod of Bishops on Synodality aims to be a lesson on the “exchange of gifts,” said Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops office and one of the highest ranking women in the Vatican.
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Arriving in Marseille, pope prepares to speak up for protecting migrants

Pope Francis arrived in the ancient port city of Marseille Sept. 22 for a two-day visit that was to focus on the plight of migrants and other opportunities and threats facing the Mediterranean Sea and the nations along its shores.
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Synod assembly won’t be secret, but won’t be open to press, pope says 

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MONGOLIA (CNS) — The Synod of Bishops is not a television show or a parliamentary debate, and its discussions will not be open to the public or to reporters, Pope Francis said. “We must safeguard ...
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At Mass in Mongolia, pope sends ‘warm greetings’ to neighboring China 

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (CNSA) — While China allowed Pope Francis’ plane to cross its airspace on the way to Mongolia, an office of the Chinese Communist Party prevented any Catholic bishops or priests in the mainland from traveling there to see ...
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An aerial view shows trees as the sun rises at the Amazon rainforest in Manaus in Brazil's Amazonas state Oct. 26, 2022. (OSV News photo/Bruno Kelly, Reuters)

Church environmentalists worried about oil drilling at mouth of Amazon River

Church activists in the Amazon are worried about the Brazilian government's plan to exploit oil in a marine area close to the mouth of the Amazon River.
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