Cardinal Pietro Parolin. / Claude Truong-Ngoc via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rome Newsroom, Oct 9, 2023 / 08:45 am (CNA).
After Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel this weekend, the Vatican’s secretary of state commented on how the violence… […]
A blessing service at St. Augustin Catholic church in Würzburg, Germany, for couples, including those of the same-sex, May 10, 2021. / Gehrig/CNA Deutsch.
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 9, 2023 / 06:19 am (CNA).
Comments from Pope Francis relea… […]
John Henry Newman by Sir John Everett Millais. / Credit: Public domain
CNA Staff, Oct 9, 2023 / 04:00 am (CNA).
When John Henry Newman converted to the Catholic faith from Anglicanism in the 19th century, it shook the English world.As the count… […]
Pope Francis waves from a window of the Apostolic Palace during his weekly Sunday address and Angelus on Oct. 8, 2023. He spoke about the importance of having gratitude for the gifts one has received, especially the gifts of life and faith from … […]
Pope Francis prays during a general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 20, 2023. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, patriarch of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, celebrates Easter Sunday Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on April 4, 2021. / Credit: (L) Daniel Ibanez/CNA. (R) Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Rome Newsroom, Oct 8, 2023 / 08:45 am (CNA).
Pope Francis and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem have responded to the sudden outbreak of conflict in Israel and Palestine over the weekend.
The pope said at the end of a public address on Sunday he is following the violence “with apprehension and sorrow,” and issued an appeal to “please stop weapons attacks!”
The head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a de-escalation of the situation in a statement Oct. 7.
“The continuing bloodshed and declarations of war remind us once again of the urgent need to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this land,” he said.
A series of rocket attacks and incursions on Israel from Hamas militants had reportedly killed hundreds and wounded many between Saturday and Sunday morning.
The surprise attacks began early on the morning of Oct. 7, the start of the observance of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah.
Israel reacted to the attacks by fighting back in southern Israel and launching airstrikes in Gaza. Israeli military official Daniel Hagari told reporters Sunday morning that “hundreds of terrorists” had been killed during fighting in Gaza and southern Israel, the Associated Press reports.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday Israel is “at war.”
In an appeal at the end of his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis said “terrorism and war do not bring any solution, but only death and suffering for many innocent people. War is a failure. Every war is a failure.”
He said he is close to the families of the victims and called for prayers “that there will be peace in Israel and Palestine.”
The pope also recalled that the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary, and asked Catholics to continue to pray through the intercession of Mary “for the gift of peace for the many countries of the world marked by war and conflict.”
Pizzaballa, who was created a cardinal by Pope Francis in a consistory Sept. 30, called the sudden outbreak of violence in Israel and Palestine “very concerning due to its extension and intensity.”
“The too many casualties and tragedies, which both Palestinians and Israeli families have to deal with, will create more hatred and division, and will destroy more and more any perspective of stability,” the patriarch added.
“We ask God to inspire world leaders in their intervention for the implementation of peace and concord,” he said, “so that Jerusalem may be a house of prayer for all peoples.”
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem also announced that “due to the present circumstances,” celebrations in honor of Pizzaballa’s inclusion in the College of Cardinals have been canceled until further notice.
An Oct. 7 joint statement from the patriarchs and heads of the Churches in Jerusalem also called for the protection of both Israelis and Palestinians.
“As custodians of the Christian faith, deeply rooted in the Holy Land, we stand in solidarity with the people of this region, who are enduring the devastating consequences of continued strife,” the statement said.
The Christian leaders in the Holy Land condemned “any acts that target civilians, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or faith” and called for all parties to immediately cease violence.
“Our faith, which is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ, compels us to advocate for the cessation of all violent and military activities that bring harm to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” it said.
Bishop Timothy Senior, then-rector of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, leads a tree blessing ceremony for the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Sept. 1, 2015. / Credit: Rob Cardillo/courtesy of PHS
Philadelphia, Pa., Oct 8, 2023 / 07:00 am … […]
Speaking at a press conference for the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican on Oct. 7, 2023, Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu said the initiative is providing“new ways to address problems, whatever they are” with “a spirit of synodality… […]
Pope Benedict XVI / Paul Badde/EWTN
CNA Newsroom, Oct 7, 2023 / 10:24 am (CNA).
Several months after the theft of a pectoral cross bequeathed by the late Pope Benedict XVI to a parish in his native Bavaria, police have apprehended the suspect i… […]
Polish dancers at the reception following this year’s World Day for Migrants and Refugees Mass at St. Paul’s Parish in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 23, 2023. / Credit: Nicholas Elbers
Vancouver, Canada, Oct 7, 2023 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Eastern European floral prints were resplendent next to elaborate Asian headdresses at this year’s Mass celebrating the annual World Day for Migrants and Refugees on Sept. 23 in Richmond, British Columbia.
The event’s attendance was back to pre-COVID numbers, and St. Paul’s Church in Richmond was packed to capacity. An African choir provided music during Communion, and several hundred people attended a post-Mass reception with ethnic food served from many of the cultures present and performances by cultural choirs and dancers.
In his homily, Father Richard Zanotti said it’s essential that migrants and refugees don’t get blamed for seeking a life of dignity.
“The universality of the Church is made visible by all of you gathered for this Eucharist, many cultures around one table to celebrate God’s love for us all,” said the Scalabrinian pastor of St. Ann’s, where he works with migrant workers in the Fraser Valley.
The Church teaches us that we all have a right to a life of dignity, replete with basic human needs like food, shelter, medical attention, and dignified work, he said.
In his address for this year’s Day for Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis said: “Since the world’s resources are not unlimited, the development of the economically poorer countries depends on the capacity for sharing that we can manage to generate among all countries.”
Until that happens, “many people will still have to emigrate in order to seek a better life, a life worthy of dignity,” the pope said.
Reflecting on the pope’s message, Zanotti said it’s important not to blame migrants and refugees but to look at the world’s responsibility for supporting poor countries so their people don’t feel compelled to leave.
“We pray for the political will to do this in a safe and orderly way,” Zanotti said.
As is the custom after the Mass, the audience heard from a Catholic refugee who shared her story of coming to Canada.
This year’s testimony came from an Eritrean woman who shared how she escaped the injustice of her home country. She asked that her name not be published.
“Thirteen years ago, I decided to leave Eritrea, the country that I grew up in and I loved.
“Under dictatorship, soldiers had put us forever in slavery. Life was unbearable, and we were working unpaid for the government.” One day she went with a friend to a shoe store to buy plastic sandals, she said, “the kind our freedom fighters wore during the 30-year war for independence in my country. I was ready for my journey to freedom in my freedom shoes.”
This article originally appeared in The B.C. Catholic on Oct. 5, 2023, and has been adapted and reprinted here with permission.
null / Credit: Günther Simmermacher/pixabay
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 7, 2023 / 04:00 am (CNA).
As nearly 300 Ottoman ships closed in on Europe, intent on conquest and toppling the cross above St. Peter’s Basilica to replace it with their … […]
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