Ruadhán JonesThe international community must cooperate to advance disarmament rather than embrace the “false security” offered by nuclear weapons, the Vatican’s foreign minister said.
Vatican roundup
Category: World Report
Focus on migration during Pope’s time in Marseille
Carol Glatz MARSEILLE, France – Pope Francis arrived in the ancient port city of Marseille September 22 for a two-day visit that was to focus on the plight of migrants and other opportunities and threats facing the Mediterranean Sea and the nations along its shores. It was his 44th apostolic journey abroad. Riding in a…
Woman arrested for silent prayer at UK abortion clinics gets police apology
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the woman twice arrested for silent prayer outside UK abortion clinics, has received a police apology and confirmation that she will not face charges for violating a local ‘buffer zone’ protection order. Though Ms Vaughan-Spruce said she would return to the clinic to pray, she warned that her treatment has implications for the…
Experts warn of ‘destruction’ of ethnic Armenians
The “destruction” of an enclave of 120,000 Armenian Christians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is imminent, warns Siobhan Nash-Marshall, a US-based human rights advocate. “The impact of the recent attacks and subsequent disarmament will almost certainly result in the destruction of the people of Artsakh,” Ms Nash-Marshall told CNA. In 2011, Ms Nash-Marshall founded the Christians…
Legal group pleads on behalf of imprisoned Bishop Álvarez
A Christian legal group has filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on behalf of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who is serving a prison sentence under the regime of President Daniel Ortega for criticising the dictatorship’s human rights violations. Bishop Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa, began serving a 26-year, four-month prison…
Russian official: Papal envoy to return to Moscow after Beijing in peace efforts
After meeting with a Chinese official in Beijing to discuss paths toward peace in Ukraine and ensuring grain exports from the country, Pope Francis’ special envoy is expected to return to Moscow, Russia’s foreign minister said. “The efforts of the Vatican, whose envoy is going to visit once again, are continuing,” Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign…
Church offers prayers after deadly quake kills thousands in Morocco
A powerful earthquake struck Morocco the night of September 8, killing more than 2,000 people, with the numbers expected to rise as rescuers continue to search through the rubble. Search and rescue teams continue their attempt to reach those in remote villages closer to the earthquake’s epicentre. The deadly quake’s epicentre was reported to be…
Pope encourages small Mongolian flock in faith, hope and unity
In a land bordering both Russia and China, and having deep ties with both, Pope Francis told Mongolian leaders their country can play “a significant role in the heart of the great Asian continent and on the international scene,” particularly in peacemaking.
Nicaragua dictatorship revokes Jesuits’ legal status and confiscates property
The government of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, August 23, revoked the legal personhood of the Society of Jesus and ordered the transfer of all its assets to the state. The move by the dictatorship takes place amid a growing wave of harassment against the religious order. According to ministerial agreement 105-2023-OSFL, published August 23…
US Carmelites may be excommunicated after public rejection of bishop’s authority
Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth, Texas, said August 19 that a community of Carmelites in his diocese, and their prioress in particular, may have incurred excommunication after posting a letter online on August 18 saying their community no longer recognises his authority, claiming that he has interfered with and humiliated them since initiating…