Pope Francis has set up a new Pontifical institute for the study of marriage and the family, replacing the organisation set up by his predecessor in 1981. In a Motu Proprio, published on Tuesday, the Vatican announced that the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences is being established to carry forward [...]
Religious leaders met in Japan from Aug 3 to 4 to pray for peace in the world and as a response to Pope Francis’ wish to foster dialogue, friendship and peace. About 2,000 people, including 24 delegates from 18 countries of Buddhism, Shintoism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism came together in Japan at an inter-faith "Interreligious Gathering of Prayer [...]
Pope Francis met on Friday with participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who have been discussing the key contribution of women to interfaith relations. The Pope began by noting how often women’s work and dignity is threatened by violence and hatred which tears families and societies apart. Faced with the [...]
Pope Francis on Monday greeted members of the General Assembly of the Pallotine Fathers. (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis spoke of the charism of St. Vincent Pallotti, who founded the order in Rome in 1835, saying he was “blessed to recognize that Jesus is the Apostle of the Father - rich in mercy and full of mercy [...]
Georgia’s ambassador to the Holy See says she believes the Pope’s recent visit to her country can help promote better relations with other Christian Churches. (Vatican Radio) Tamara Grdzelidze, an Orthodox theologian and former official at the World Council of Churches, told Vatican Radio she was saddened by some of the negative media coverage of the two [...]
· At the conclusion of the visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Pope reiterates the need for dialogue and negotiation in the Caucasus region · A appeal for peace addressed to the political authorities and to the religious leaders of the Caucasus region concluded Pope Francis' visit to Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the afternoon of Sunday, [...]
Pope Francis takes off for the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Friday for a two-day visit to the majority Orthodox republic. As well as meeting with religious and civil authorities in Tbilisi, the Pope will travel to the nearby ancient city of Mtskheta, founded in the 5th century BC and famed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage [...]
Press communiqué says Pope Emeritus Benedict has confirmed that “the publication… is complete” An aging German priest who evidently has been a long-time friend of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Fr. Ingo Dollinger (photo), was in mid-May thrust into the middle of a new controversy over the Third Secret of Fatima which led to an unusual Vatican [...]
Parolin Chooses Cheaper Option when Flying to Vilnius A recent photo shows Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, as he arrives at the Vilnius airport of Lithuania by a Ryan Air flight. While journeying to Lithuania to serve as a “papal legate” for the National Congress of Mercy, Parolin chose a cheap flight. Of course, [...]
May 2016 - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, foreground, addresses the 2nd Moscow Cadet Parade dedicated to the 71st anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Moscow (Iliya Pitalev / Sputnik) Russian Orthodox Patriarch Declares Worldwide “Holy War” on Terrorism The head [...]