News/International

A protesters holds a sign saying "No to Communism" during a rally against Colombian President Gustavo Petro's security policies in Bogotá July 19, 2023.

In Colombia, priests and lay workers will help monitor ceasefire

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The Colombian bishops' conference has welcomed the beginning of a six-month ceasefire between the nation's military and the largest remaining rebel group in the country, and began to train dozens of priests and lay workers from different parts of the country on how to help monitor the truce.

The shells of burned cars are pictured amid the ruins of homes in the ravaged town of Lahaina, Hawaii, on the island of Maui Aug.15, 2023. Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva is urging the faithful of the diocese to "come together and provide unwavering support" to those who have lost everything in the Maui wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and damaged other communities Aug. 8 and 9.

'Miraculous' survival of Maui Catholic church seen as sign of hope amid wildfire destruction

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"For us, it's like a miracle," Msgr. Terrence Watanabe, the Honolulu Diocese's vicar of Maui and Lanai, said about Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in the town of Lahaina being seemingly untouched by the fierce Maui wildfires Aug. 8-9.

Smoke and flames rise in Lahaina, Hawaii, on the island of Maui Aug. 8, 2023 in this still image from video obtained from social media.

Catholics appeal for help as Biden declares Maui's deadly fires a federal emergency

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Catholic Charities Hawai'i in the Honolulu Diocese has appealed for donations to help the agency meet housing, food and other needs of what could be thousands of victims from wildfires raging on the island of Maui that wiped out an entire town and drove people to seek refuge in the ocean.

A view of a damaged building in a flooded area, following heavy rains, in Prevalje, Slovenia, August 6, 2023. Slovenia's Catholic bishops are calling for prayer and material support as floods have ravaged their nation in recent days, killing at least six and displacing thousands.

Slovenian bishops urge prayer, Caritas support as nation battles historic floods

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Catholics in Slovenia are rallying emergency aid and turning to prayer as record floods have ravaged that nation, killing at least six and leaving hundreds homeless.

A young woman and a priest from Ukraine give Pope Francis shards from their war-torn country during a private meeting Aug. 3, 2023, at the Vatican nunciature in Lisbon, Portugal. The Vatican said the pope spent half an hour with a group of Ukrainian pilgrims attending World Youth Day, listening to their stories and praying for peace.

Pope Francis meets WYD pilgrims from Ukraine, hears their stories

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Fifteen World Youth Day pilgrims from Ukraine, most of whom had lost a father or other close relative in the war, had a private meeting with Pope Francis Aug. 3.

Pilgrims wave prior to the opening Mass for World Youth Day at Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon, Portugal, Aug. 1, 2023.

Lisbon basks in joy as World Youth Day opens

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Joyful, singing crowds were walking through Lisbon long after the opening Mass of World Youth Day 2023 was over Aug. 1. The atmosphere surprised even those that lived in the Portuguese capital throughout their lives.

A woman lights a candle during a Christmas liturgy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church community in Berlin, Germany on January 7, 2023.

Ukraine officially moves Christmas to Dec. 25

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed into law a bill moving the official observance of Christmas Day to Dec. 25 from Jan. 7, when Moscow and the Russian Orthodox Church mark the holiday.

World Youth Day pilgrims arrive in Lisbon, Portugal, July 31, 2023. Pope Francis is scheduled to attend World Youth Day in Lisbon Aug. 2-6.

Catholics hope WYD will boost lay people’s involvement with Portuguese church

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With 80% of people identifying as Catholic, Portugal is among the countries with the highest church presence in Europe. The signs of the nation's intimate relationship with Catholicism are visible all across Lisbon, where thousands of youth have already arrived for World Youth Day. Pope Francis is joining them Aug. 2-6.

Debris surrounds the Transfiguration Cathedral, which was damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Odesa July 23, 2023.

Missile attack destroys Transfiguration Cathedral's central altar in Odesa, Ukraine

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A Russian attack on a key Ukrainian port city has partially destroyed a historic Ukrainian Orthodox cathedral and UNESCO World Heritage site, prompting international outrage and pledges to rebuild.

Pope Francis greets Archbishop Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla of Juba, South Sudan, as the pontiff celebrates Mass at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba Feb. 5, 2023. The pope announced during his July 9 Angelus that Archbishop Ameyu Mulla will become a cardinal.

Cardinal-designate from South Sudan seen as peacemaker in ethnic conflicts

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When the next consistory convenes at the Vatican on Sept. 30, a South Sudanese archbishop -- whose installation met stiff resistance -- will be among the 21 recipients of the red hat.

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, on a peace mission to Moscow on Pope Francis' behalf, speaks with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow at the patriarch's residence at the Danilov monastery in Moscow June 29, 2023.

Papal envoy gives Biden letter from Pope Francis, urges U.S. leaders to support peace

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Cardinal Matteo Zuppi hand-delivered a letter from Pope Francis to U.S. President Joe Biden as part of his three-day papal mission to help promote humanitarian efforts and open avenues of peace in Ukraine.

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