Pope Francis before his General Audience on Wednesday, greeted a Palestinian delegation hosted by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Speaking to those gathered, the Pope told them that it was his hope “that your consultations may help to open a space of sincere dialogue for the benefit of all the members of Palestinian society, and [...]
Indonesian Protestants who are marking the 5th centenary of the Protestant Reformation, have embraced Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium” on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world, calling it a document that can significantly help mend ties among Christians in a country experiencing a surge in religious intolerance. The Reformation was sparked by the publication on [...]
February 7, 2017, Tuesday -- The New York Times and Steve Bannon "Vatican Traditionalists See Hero in Trump Aide." —Headline of a New York Times front-page article today (link) which argues that "Vatican Traditionalists" see US President Donald Trump's top aide and "strategic advisor," the Irish American Catholic and former Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon, as [...]
Pope Francis celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, 24 March, at a reception centre for people seeking asylum [the Centro di Accoglienza per Richiedenti Asilo, or CARA] in Castelnuovo di Porto. Located just a short distance from Rome, the centre provides temporary lodging and services for nearly 900 asylum seekers from [...]
Pope Francis tells scholars that Christians and Muslims need to study each other’s faith and values and “draw near each other on tip toes” without “raising dust”. Education about one’s own faith and the faith of others is the most effective antidote to interreligious violence, Pope Francis told participants in a conference on Catholic-Muslim scholarship and [...]
Pope Francis has reached out in a very friendly way to Muslims, calling them “brothers.” He has done so on a number of occasions, including at Aparecida on July 24, when he met a representative of Brazilian Muslims, and on August 11 when, from the Vatican, he extended his greeting to “the Muslims of the entire [...]