International

Over the first day of the meeting, more than 50 leading firms worldwide joined forces to help solve the global water crisis, while ten new States have expressed their intention to join the UN Water Convention.

As “billions of people worldwide still live without safely managed drinking water and sanitation,” the United Nations General Assembly will gather in New York from 22 to 24 March to “achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets”.

Following an attack on Sunday by two Israeli radicals in the church where the Tomb of the Virgin Mary lies, Patriarch Theophilus III of Jerusalem urges for a better protection of Christians in the Holy Land and their holy places.

The Holy See's Permanent Observer to the UN in New York addresses the Security Council debating what has been achieved ahead of the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. He underscores how the representation of women in peace processes has gone down, while violence against women has increased.

JRS UK says the UK’s new “Stop the Boats” bill punishes people forced to flee dramatic realities and may open the door to further policies of discrimination and closure.

After the tragic shipwreck off the coast of Calabria, Christians and Muslims call for joint action to support those who decide to leave their country, because it is "a human fact" that "calls on everyone to take responsibility".

According to the 2023 Report on “Violations to the rights of Christians in Iran” recently released by by Article18 along with other three Christian non-profit organizations, 2022 saw a significant increase in the number of Iranian Christians arrested and detained in the Islamic Republic.

The Nicaraguan government of President Daniel Ortega has banned the celebration of traditional public processions of the Way of the Cross during this year's Lenten season, and has accused Catholic Bishops of “grave crimes and horrors".

In an extensive interview with journalist Gerard O’Connell of America Magazine, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, underscores the urgent need to halt the fighting in Ukraine and work for a just peace. He also echoes concerns over the increasing threats to global peace and nuclear disarmament.

The Pope's powerful appeal for peace in Ukraine resounded at the weekly General Audience on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion. Participating in the audience were three young women who felt particularly encouraged and comforted by his continuing closeness and prayers. 

Around a hundred refugees from Afghanistan arrive in Rome, as part of the “Humanitarian Corridors” initiative, which is sponsored by groups including Italy’s Catholic and Evangelical churches.

Nicaragua’s government strips 94 people of their Nicaraguan citizenship, including the Bishop of Managua and a Catholic priest.

A gradual increase suicide alert among students. Causes include unfulfilled family expectations, mental or economic problems, conflict and depression

In a statement signed by Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE), expresses its closeness to detained Bishop Álvarez and the Church in Nicaragua as it faces ongoing crackdown by the Sandinista government and asks for prayers for dialogue and peace.

A UN official has said 5.3 million people in Syria may have been left homeless by Monday’s devastating earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkey.

The Appeals Court of Managua convicts the Bishop of Matagalpa for treason undermining national integrity and spreading false news and strips him of his Nicaraguan citizenship.

A company in Chile has a project that transforms textile industrial waste into thermal insulation panels for social housing and for low-income families and individuals. It is a “seed” that, in order to germinate, needs the contribution of each of us in an attempt to preserve our common home. According to Franklin Zepeda there is only one solution: consume less.

Pope Francis' apostolic journey to South Sudan concluded with the celebration of Holy Mass in Juba on Sunday morning. South Sudan expert Miklos Gosztonyi highlights some of the most significant aspects of the visit.

Sudan’s President Salva Kiir pardons 71 inmates who were serving different sentences. The act of clemency comes during Pope Francis’ pilgrimage of peace to the east African nation.

Fighting has killed 27 people ahead of Pope Francis' arrival in South Sudan for an ecumenical pilgrimage with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, in his welcome remarks, thanked Pope Francis for his closeness to the DRC and for “praying fervently for peace in the eastern region of our nation.”

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has this year been awarded to Shamsa Abubakar Fadhil, a Kenyan community organiser and activist, and the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay group.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees speaks about the far-reaching refugee crises in DRC and South Sudan, two nations waiting to welcome Pope Francis, and about lessons learnt by Europe in dealing with Ukrainian refugees. He also describes the "moral booster" he received from Pope Francis whom he met in the Vatican on Monday morning.

The second leg of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Visit to two African nations takes him to South Sudan, a country grappling with conflict and profound poverty. A humanitarian expert with years of experience in the east African nation hopes the Pope’s presence will trigger a conversion of hearts in the political leaders and respect for their people.

As the United States celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the late civil rights activist’s daughter, Dr. Bernice Albertine King, invites Americans to come together as a beloved community to transform systems that perpetuate injustice, saying religious leaders like Pope Francis can offer a positive message to promote nonviolence.

The Archdiocese of Delhi hosts an encounter of around 300 religious leaders to show solidarity with Christians in India who are currently being asked to renounce their faith or leave their homes.

Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum of Jerusalem decries the destruction of several gravestone in Anglican-owned cemetery on Mount Zion, saying it is a “clear hate crime” against Christians. The incident is recorded in a video shared on social media and has been reported to the police.

A group of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters and aunts of Ukrainian prisoners-of-war hand Pope Francis a traditional embroidered blanket, advocating for the protection and return of their loved ones.

Pope Francis sends a message to young people gathered in the German town of Rostock for the 45th Taizé European meeting.

Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, expresses his hopes that Ukrainians may celebrate Christmas in peace without the looming destruction of Russian missiles.