International

Holy See: Ukrainian children must return to their families

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations continues its efforts, including through Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, for the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia.

Holy See highlights 'the human face of the climate crisis' at COP30

The head of the Holy See’s delegation to COP30 addresses environment ministers from around the world, stressing the need to strengthen multilateral cooperation and not lose sight of “the human face of the climate crisis.”

Cardinal David at COP30: We must not make it so easy to abuse nature

On the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Cardinal Pablo David of the Philippines brings the voice of all Filipinos, suffering first hand the horrific consequences of climate change.

Pope to COP30: ‘If you want to cultivate peace, care for creation'

In a message delivered by Cardinal Parolin at the UN Climate Conference in Belém, the Pope calls for urgent action and an “ecological conversion” rooted in responsibility, justice, and solidarity.

Cardinal Parolin: Time is running out to act on climate

In an interview on the sidelines of the Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, ahead of COP30, Cardinal Parolin speaks to Vatican News of the Church’s commitment to offer an ethical response to Climate Change, warning that environmental crises now displace more people than wars.

Holy See: When development loses sight of people it descends into crisis

Monsignor Daniel Pacho, Under-Secretary for Multilateral Affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State, speaks about the importance of confronting the development crisis at a Ministerial Conference of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Vitae Fest Rome 2025 to join music and art on behalf of reconciliation

The Vitae Fest 2025 is set to take place in Rome on October 25 to join music, art, and reconciliation under the theme: &ldquoDon&rsquot burn bridges, become one.&rdquo

Holy See: Eliminating nuclear weapons is an urgent moral imperative

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See&rsquos Permanent Observer to the United Nations, urges the international community to work towards preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, while speaking at the UN&rsquos General Assembly.

ACN Religious Freedom Report: 5 billion people face violations

Aid to the Church in Need&rsquos 2025 report on religious freedom around the world points out how persecution is on the rise as almost 5.4 billion people live in countries with serious violations of religious freedom.

Cardinal Parolin: Holy See is full of hope for success of peace plan for Gaza

Speaking to journalists at the launch of Aid to the Church in Need's Religious Freedom Report, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin decries the violence in the Middle East, attacks on Christians, and the intimidation of the free press.

Archbishop Mourad: Interreligious dialogue is a necessity in Syria

Archbishop Jacques Mourad, Metropolitan of Homs in Syria, receives the St. John Paul II Award in the Vatican in recognition of his dedication to peace and reconciliation, despite spending five months in captivity at the hands of the so-called Islamic State.

8 years after ISIS, two historic churches in Mosul reopen their doors

In the heart of Mosul&rsquos Old City, politicians, clergymen and members of the faithful gather to reinaugurate the Mar Toma and Al-Tahira churches, which had been vandalised and destroyed by so-called Islamic State.

Patriarch Pizzaballa: A new language and new witnesses for a narrative of peace

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem reflects on the historical moment in the Holy Land following the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, and affirms: &ldquoWe have a duty toward our communities &mdash to help them look ahead, positively and serenely, toward a different future.&rdquo

Holy See: Structural causes must be identified to eradicate poverty

Addressing a United Nations Committee in New York, the Holy See Permanent Observer to the UN marks World Food Day, noting that structural causes need to be identified and addressed in order to eradicate poverty and hunger.

Holy See at UN: Build lasting peace through development, not military spending

In 2024 global military spending reached $2.7 trillion, while the funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains at $4 trillion per year. For every dollar invested in peace, two are spent on war. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations tells the UN that: “Every increase in military spending represents resources that could have been used to meet people’s basic needs and to establish a lasting peace.”

Cardinal Pizzaballa welcomes Gaza agreement as ‘first step towards hope

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem expresses joy for the news of an agreement between Israel and Hamas describing it as a necessary first step that brings an atmosphere of trust and hope to the people of the region.

Parolin on October 7, Gaza: Human beings are not collateral damage

The Holy See Secretary of State speaks to Vatican Media on the second anniversary of Hamas's 'inhuman' attack on Israel, which unleashed the destruction of the Gaza Strip. He says that what is happening in Gaza is 'inhuman', and that he's struck by the turnout at peace marches. He adds that antisemitism is a cancer that must be eradicated.

'Never again war!' Pope Paul VIs unheeded and still urgently relevant appeal

Sixty years ago Pope Paul VI addressed the United Nations.

Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem urges hope and prayer as ceasefire talks advance

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa welcomes signs of a possible ceasefire, calling them “a long-awaited first step,” while urging hope, prayer, and realism. He highlights ongoing suffering and invites the faithful to join a day of prayer for peace on 11 October.

Holy See urges action on youth empowerment, health and mental well-being

Addressing the United Nations’ General Assembly, the Vatican is highlighting the need to do more for young people and to step up efforts to fight non-communicable diseases and mental health challenges.

Holy See says arms race ‘unacceptable’ and risks ‘nuclear catastrophe

In his two speeches at the United Nations, the Holy See Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations urges the ratification of a treaty banning nuclear tests, and expresses concern about an artificial intelligence 'arms race'.

Nuncio asks for prayers and action for war-torn Sudan

The closeness of the Pope and of the Church to the war-struck people of Sudan was at the heart of the Apostolic Nuncio‘s mission as he travelled to the suffering country to meet with the Catholic community there and engage with political authorities.

Holy See reaffirms need to combat all forms of violence against women and girls

The United Nations hosts a meeting in New York to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher points out the challenges that women and girls still face, and the need to defend their equal dignity and ability to fulfil their potential.

Women for Peace: Voices of hope and humanity

'Women for Peace' is a unique concept-concert that unites voices from around the world to promote reconciliation, hope, and solidarity and peace. The initiative blends opera and storytelling to highlight women as agents of peace. It uses music as a universal language capable of bridging cultures, inspiring reflection, and sending a clear message: peace is not a luxury, it is a human necessity.

UN Refugee Chief: Global human rights at risk

Speaking to Vatican News following a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says he is “tremendously encouraged” by the Holy Father’s support for his mission.

Pope: Religions are wellspring of healing, not source of division

Pope Leo XIV sends a message to the 8th Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in Kazakhstan, and invites the faithful of all religions to help build a future of peace, fraternity, and solidarity.

Beninese Bishop: Jihadist attacks aim at preventing Churchs activity

Following a recent attack by jihadists, the Bishop of N'Dali, Benin, Martin Adjou Moumouni, explains that the community is concerned about further violence as the militants 'have also made it clear that they want to prevent the Church from continuing its pastoral activities.”

Cardinal Parolin: From Europe to Middle East, theres risk of endless escalation

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, speaking on the sidelines of a Vatican conference on Thursday, expresses his concern over recent news of growing wars, stressing, 'If there isn’t a moment of reconsideration, there is a risk of the outbreak of a wider war.'

Bishops of the Global South urge UN to uphold 1.5°C Climate Goal

Bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean write to UN leaders calling for urgent action on the climate crisis ahead of COP30 that will be held in Brazil from 10 to 21 November 2025.

Bishops representing the Catholic Churches of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean have issued a strong appeal to world leaders gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly and the High-Level Event on Climate Action.

Smoke billows from a chimney at a combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Drogenbos, Belgium (REUTERS)

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, to the President of the 80th General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, and to Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Frameowrk Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the bishops express “good will and great concern” for the future of the planet, and urge leaders not to fall short of the 1.5°C limit agreed in Paris.

“We the Bishops of the Global South are honoured to bring to your attention the Message… on the occasion of COP30 – A Call for Climate Justice and the Common Home: Ecological Conversion, Transformation and Resistance to False Solutions” the letter states. The statement, they add, has already been presented to Pope Leo XIV and to local Churches, as a sign of “shared responsibility and commitment to our common home.”

A prophetic voice

Recalling the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ and Pope Leo XIV’s call for an integral ecology rooted in justice, the bishops stress that the urgency of the crisis leaves no space for delay or half-measures.

“The Church will not remain silent,” they write. “We will continue to raise our voice alongside science, civil society, and the most vulnerable, with truth, courage and consistency, until justice is done.”

The bishops underline that global warming, which reached 1.55°C in 2024, is not merely “a technical problem: it is an existential issue of justice, dignity and care for our common home.”

Rejecting false solutions

The letter denounces what it calls “false solutions” such as green capitalism, technocracy, the commodification of nature and extractivism, which, the bishops warn, “perpetuate exploitation and injustice.”

Instead, they call for policies that prioritise equity, justice and protection. “Rich nations must pay their ecological debt with fair climate finance without further indebting the Global South,” the bishops demand, insisting on the need for a just transition that does not leave the most vulnerable behind.

Demands to world leaders

In their appeal, the bishops urge governments to:

- Fulfil the Paris Agreement and commit to enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions in line with the 1.5°C target;

- Provide sufficient climate finance to support resilient communities in the Global South;

- Put the common good above profit and phase out fossil fuels;

- Protect Indigenous peoples, biodiversity and future generations.

Call for dialogue and cooperation

Addressing world leaders as they prepare for COP30 in Brazil, the bishops express confidence in the power of dialogue:

“We remain confident that genuine dialogue, grounded in truth and justice, can guide the international community towards the profound transformations required,” the letter reads. “The urgency of this moment leaves no room for delay, compromise, or half-measures.”

The statement is signed by Cardinal Jaime Spengler of Brazil, President of CELAM; Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao of India, President of FABC; and Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of Congo, President of SECAM.

Linda Bordoni
Source: vaticannews.va/en

The children of Gaza ask: ‘Where are we going next?’

Franciscan Friar Ibrahim Faltas of the Custody of the Holy Land reflects on the suffering of children in Gaza, forced into repeated displacement and uncertainty. He calls on educators, families, and societies to form new generations in a true culture of peace, urging all to “continue to believe, to pray, and to hope for peace.”