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Catholic News

St. John Paul II (1920-2005). / Credit: Itto Ogami via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Pope Francis Won’t Be the First Pope to Visit Papua New Guinea: A Look at John Paul II’s Trips

Sep 1, 2024

Pope John Paul II visited Papua New Guinea for the first time in May 1984 and paid tribute to the strength of Catholicism on the island.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus prayer on Sept. 1, 2024, the pope called for peace in the Holy Land, urging the release of the remaining hostages and humanitarian aid for the polio outbreak in Gaza. The pope also expressed his closeness to the people of Burkina Faso after hundreds of people were killed in a terrorist attack there on Aug. 24. Afterwards the pope asked for prayers for his apostolic journey beginning tomorrow to Oceania and Southeast Asia. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Urges Release of Hostages, Aid for Polio Outbreak in Gaza

Sep 1, 2024

The pope appealed for peace in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to continue and also expressed his closeness to the people of Burkina Faso after a terrorist attack there on Aug 24.

Pope Francis prays during his general audience on Wednesday, May 29,  2024, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

This is Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention for the Month of September

Sep 1, 2024

“Let us pray for the cry of the Earth,” Pope Francis urged the faithful in a video released Aug. 30.

Sr. Victoire Noeline Rasoamanarivo. Credit: ACI Africa

Catholic Nuns in Madagascar Empowering Vulnerable Women, Single Mothers with Vocational Skills

Aug 31, 2024

Members of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Diego-Suarez (CIM-D/S) in Madagascar are empowering vulnerable women, including single mothers, with vocational skills.

The flag of Nigeria on a military uniform. Bumble Dee/Shutterstock.

“People are presently living in fear”: Eyewitness on Aftermath of Recent Military Invasion of Churches in Nigeria

Aug 31, 2024

Residents of Umunze, a community in Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria, are gripped by “fear and uncertainty” following the military's invasion of their churches on August 18, disrupting public worship in various places, including some Catholic Parishes in Ekwulobia Diocese.

Pope Francis addresses members of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who are meeting in an extraordinary plenary assembly Aug. 29–30, 2024, to discuss the future of the Pontifical Urban University, which educates priests and religious from the Catholic Church’s mission territories. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Opposes Idea to "dissolve" 400-year-old Missionary University in Rome

Aug 31, 2024

“There is some plan to ‘dissolve’ [the university] with the other universities: No, this will not do,” Francis said to members of the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Pope Francis meets with members of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican Grants "nihil obstat" to Our Lady of Mercy Shrine in France

Aug 31, 2024

On Aug. 22, the Holy See issued a “nihil obstat” (no objection) to the miraculous visions and physical healing of French woman Estelle Faguette.

Kenyan Nun Appeals to Catholic Bishops to Address Pastoral Needs of Women Religious Serving in Non-Catholic Institutions

Aug 30, 2024

A huge pastoral gap exists among women Religious serving in non-Catholic institutions, a Kenyan Catholic Nun has said, and proposed that the Church addresses the pastoral needs of Catholic Sisters serving in non-Catholic settings, especially when designing Diocesan and national pastoral programs.    

Catholic Charity Condemns Massacre of 26 Christians after Attack on Church in Burkina Faso, Appeals for Prayer for Peace

Aug 30, 2024

The Pontifical charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, has condemned a recent terrorist attack on a Church in Burkina Faso that claimed the lives of 26 people, many of them Christians.

Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Church, an Indian-Mughal style Catholic church in Medan, Indonesia. / Credit: MarlonH/Shutterstock

20,000 Miles Over the Sea: Here’s Where Pope Francis is Headed in Southeast Asia and Oceania

Aug 30, 2024

Pope Francis will embark on an 11-day trip on Sept. 2 that will bring him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste (East Timor), and Singapore.

Credit: ACI Africa

Madagascar’s Eucharistic Congress Spurs Renewed Commitment to Eucharistic Life

Aug 29, 2024

The recently concluded National Eucharistic Congress (KEN 2024)  in Madagascar has been hailed as a “unique moment” for the Indian Ocean Island nation that fostered a “deep sense of unity and spiritual renewal.”

The first-ever resident Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan, Archbishop Séamus Patrick Horgan. Credit: Radio Maria South Sudan

Pioneer Resident Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan Upbeat about Mission in World’s Youngest Nation

Aug 29, 2024

The first-ever resident Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan who was appointed in May this year has expressed his eagerness to serve in the East-Central African country, noting that he looks forward to the success of his mission in the world’s youngest nation.

Nigeria’s Recent Protests “fight against symptoms”, Catholic Bishop Advocates for Addressing “origins” of Bad Governance

Aug 29, 2024

Nigerians need to explore ways of addressing the root causes of bad governance in their country, a Catholic Bishop in the West African nation has said. 

Fr. Peter Uche Onuoha

Concern as Sisters in Nigeria Visit Non-Catholic “healing” Ministries for Miracles

Aug 29, 2024

A Nigerian Catholic Priest has expressed concern over the increasing involvement of Catholic Nuns in unapproved non-denominational ministries, with some claiming they encountered miracles after visiting the ministries.

Désiré Cardinal Tsarahazana. Credit: ACI Africa

Cardinal in Madagascar Defends Traditional Family Values, Advocates for “deepening faith, unity” amid Global Challenges

Aug 28, 2024

Désiré Cardinal Tsarahazana, the Local Ordinary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Toamasina in Madagascar, has defended the country’s traditional family values and marriage, including the concept of procreation and the union between a man and a woman. 

Bishop Augustine Ndubueze Echema of the Catholic Diocese of Aba in Nigeria. Credit: Catholic Diocese of Aba

“Catholic Liturgy is not a theatre”: Nigerian Catholic Bishop to Priests Introducing Cultural Practices in Holy Mass

Aug 28, 2024

Catholic Priests in Nigeria have been cautioned against “mutilating” Liturgy by introducing aspects of their cultures in Liturgical celebrations.

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Intentionally Hurting Migrants "is a grave sin": Pope Francis

Aug 28, 2024

The pope spoke at length about the poor conditions of migrants who attempt to cross a sea or desert to reach safety but sometimes lose their lives in the process.

Pope Francis addresses the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square for his Angelus address on Aug. 25, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Human Dignity Must Be "common commitment" of all Christian Churches: Pope Francis

Aug 28, 2024

This year’s symposium is titled “What Is Man? In the Time of Anthropological Mutation” and is taking place in Trani, Italy.

Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop on How Synod on Synodality Evolved from Pastoral to “more academic, intellectual topic”

Aug 27, 2024

The Synod on Synodality, which started off as a pastoral issue, bringing on board every baptized member of the Church, has now become a “theoretical” topic for intellectuals, the Archbishop of Cameroon’s Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda has observed.

Bishop Jean Pascal Andriantsoavina of the Catholic Diocese of Antsirabé in Madagascar. Credit: ACI Africa

Fraternity Emphasized at Madagascar’s Eucharistic Congress as “remedy that can restore broken relationships”

Aug 27, 2024

Fostering fraternity can go a long way in addressing the negative effects of disunity in families as well as wounds resulting from a life of sin, Bishop Jean Pascal Andriantsoavina of the Catholic Diocese of Antsirabé in Madagascar has said.