News from the Universal Church
Grounded in its Christian faith, Hungary "can draw on its specifically ecumenical character" to bring unity to Europe... By Shannon Mullen (CNA) Budapest (Hungary), April 28, 2023. Pope Francis is welcomed by Katalin Novák, President of the Republic of Hungary, and by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Photo - Grzegorz Galazka) Speaking to Hungarian civil [...]
Amid increasing attacks on Christians by Israeli extremists, Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 57, says, "We have something bigger than hate" La Croix International Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, 57, since November 6, 2020, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. A Franciscan friar, Pizzaballa has a reputation for personal integrity and simplicity; much of his pastoral work has been with [...]
By Courtney Mares (CNA) Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, 69, the Vatican’s “foreign minister” as the Secretary for Relations with States since November 2014 Photo-Daniel Ibáñez/CNA The Vatican’s foreign minister has said that the VaticanChina deal was “not the best deal possible” and that negotiations are underway to make the deal “work better.” In a [...]
By Matthew Trojacek CATHOLIC PRIEST FROM UKRAINE GIVES POPE FRANCIS CROSS MADE OUT OF WAR RUBBLE Father Vyacheslav Grynevych, Catholic priest from Ukraine gives Pope Francis cross made out of war rubble Father Vyacheslav Grynevych vividly remembers the first day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine one year ago. The Catholic priest woke [...]
By Peter Anderson The enthronement ceremony of the new Archbishop of Cyprus, Georgios, took place at the Cathedral of the Apostle Barnabas in Nicosia On November 7, 2022, the primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, died at the age of 81. Because of this, it was necessary to choose a [...]
By Matthew Trojacek “Dialogue and Reconciliation are Not Optional for Us”: An Interview With Ecumencial Patriarch Bartholomew The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew, spiritual leader of an estimated 250 million Orthodox Christians worldwide Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is the spiritual leader of an estimated 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. He was chosen in 1991 to lead [...]
Possible behind-the-scenes negotiators for Ukraine-Russia peace talks By Robert Moynihan August 24, 2022, Vatican City. Pope Francis leads the general audience at Paul VI Audience Hall. Present is Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See Andrii Yurash (photo Grzegorz Galazka). On December 8, Pope Francis shed tears publicly over the tragedy of the war in [...]
Some Ukrainian Orthodox fear new government persecution By Peter Anderson From left to right: Ukrainian leaders pray together: Metropolitan Onufriy, President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olene, and Metropolitan Epifaniy joined a solemn “Prayer for Ukraine” event on the morning of August 24 in Kiev on Independence Day On December 1, the National Security [...]
Is the much-criticized China-Vatican deal now openly faltering? By Cindy Wooden (CNA) In an unusual move, the Vatican in November issued a public statement of regret, essentially accusing the Chinese government of violating its agreement with the Vatican over the appointment of Catholic bishops. “The Holy See noted with surprise and regret the news of the [...]
Another figure close to Pope Francis and the Vatican who has been pressing publicly for the immediate commencement of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the bloodshed is Jeffrey Sachs, Ph.D., economist and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. Dr. Sachs, not a Catholic, was named by Pope Francis to the [...]
