Pope still working on meeting Russian Orthodox Patriarch
Aboard the papal plane AP Pope Francis said Sunday he was still working on arranging a meeting with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, despite that leader’s seeming justification for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and said he wouldn’t rule out travelling to the region if it would help. Speaking to reporters en route home […]
Fresh turmoil for Pakistan as PM Khan dodges ouster, opposition vows fight
Islamabad, PakistanReuters Pakistan’s political turmoil deepened on Sunday, when Prime Minister Imran Khan avoided an attempt to oust him and sought fresh elections after dissolving parliament, a move the opposition called treasonous and vowed to fight. The deputy speaker of parliament, a member of Khan’s party, blocked an opposition no-confidence motion that Khan had widely […]
Patriarch urges soldiers to defend “peace-loving” Russia amid Ukraine campaign
Reuters The head of the Russian Orthodox Church held a service for Russian soldiers on Sunday in which he called on them to defend their country “as only Russians can” as Moscow continues its military campaign in Ukraine. At the lavishly decorated Main Cathedral of the Armed Forces opened two years ago in Kubinka outside […]
Pope prays for end to “sacrilegious” war, refugee welcome
Valletta, MaltaAP Pope Francis prayed Sunday for an end to the “sacrilegious” war in Ukraine and for the world to show compassion to refugees as he concluded a two-day visit to Malta that was dominated by his concern for the devastation unleashed by Russia’s invasion. “May we be tireless in praying and in offering assistance […]
Forty years after Falklands conflict a “battle for memory” goes on
Buenos Aires, Argentina Reuters Argentine army veteran Luis Poncetta has travelled twice to the Falkland Islands to pay tribute to comrades who fell in a 74-day conflict with British forces 40 years ago. The divisions, he has found, still linger. Argentina and Britain have long disputed the sovereignty of the British-run group of islands in the […]
Camp of Ukrainians at the US-Mexico border swells, as more refugees arrive
Tijuana, Mexico Reuters Hundreds of Ukrainians are camping in the Mexican border city of Tijuana hoping to seek US asylum, a surge in arrivals just days after the Biden administration said the United States would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing from war. Many of the Ukrainians escaping the Russian invasion of their home country […]
In US, the Pope’s allies gathered to discuss his vision – and his detractors
RNS You could argue a recent gathering of Catholic cardinals, bishops, scholars and journalists in Chicago wasn’t all that unusual. After all, gatherings of influential US Catholics are common, particularly among the church’s conservative wing. But as news rolled in about the assembly of prominent faithful over the past week, peculiarities emerged. For instance: The […]
Truce offers glimmer of hope to Yemenis battered by seven-year war
Sana’a, Aden/YemenReuters Yemenis welcomed a nationwide UN-brokered ceasefire due to come into effect on Saturday evening as a glimmer of hope in a country ravaged by a seven-year conflict that has forced millions into hunger, poverty and homelessness. But after numerous failed attempts at peace and more than a year of escalating violence, Yemenis have […]
“A new world”: As Afghan refugees celebrate Islam’s holy month, US church gives Ramadan lessons
EMILY MCFARLAN MILLER, of Religion News Service, reports on how United Church of Christ churches are supporting Afghan families who have recently arrived in the US…
Russian retreat leaves trail of slain civilians in town near Kyiv
Bucha, UkraineReuters Dead civilians still lay scattered over the streets of the Ukrainian country town of Bucha on Saturday, three days after the invading Russian army pulled back from its abortive advance on Kyiv to the south-east. The smell of explosives still hung in the cold, dank air, mingling with the stench of death. A […]