International News

News from outside of Canada.

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

July 20, 2023

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.

Biden discusses war, humanitarian concerns in Ukraine with Pope Francis' envoy

July 19, 2023

President Joe Biden met July 18 with Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Pope Francis' special envoy, to seek a peaceful resolution to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Iraq president revokes decree that formally recognized Cardinal Sako as country's Chaldean patriarch

July 17, 2023

Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Cardinal Louis Sako has left his patriarchal residence in the capital, Baghdad, relocating to a monastery in the northern Kurdistan region after the president of Iraq recently revoked a decree that formally recognized him as Chaldean patriarch in the country.

Pope Francis' envoy to meet Biden as part of mission to help Ukraine

July 17, 2023

Pope Francis has sent Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, his special envoy, to Washington as part of his ongoing humanitarian efforts to help Ukraine.

U.S. to provide Ukraine cluster munitions opposed by the church as 'inhumane'

July 12, 2023

U.S. President Joe Biden defended what he called a "very difficult decision" to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion of that country, weapons the Vatican opposes.

Russia launches 'barbaric attack' on civilians near Ukrainian Catholic University

July 6, 2023

A Catholic university community in western Ukraine is reeling from a July 6 missile attack on the city of Lviv, located less than 80 km from the Polish border.

Food aid stoppage brings hunger 'beyond human imagination' in Ethiopia's Tigray region

July 4, 2023

Stopping food aid in Ethiopia from the United States and United Nations caused severe hunger that has killed hundreds of people in the northern Tigray region in recent weeks, and one local bishop said the situation is "beyond human imagination."

Pope Francis' ambassador: Staying in Ukraine during war a 'big, big grace' amid fears, frustrations

July 4, 2023

As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine hit the 493-day mark June 30, OSV News sat down with Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, papal nuncio to Ukraine, to discuss his experiences of the war. Based in Kyiv, Visvaldas was visiting Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv for a conference and commencement exercises.

Our churches must serve peace, Russian Orthodox leader tells cardinal

June 30, 2023

The Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches should join efforts to promote peace before threats of a "major global armed conflict," the head of the Russian Orthodox Church told Pope Francis' envoy on a peace mission to Moscow.

McCarrick not competent to stand trial

June 30, 2023

Disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial in Massachusetts on charges that he sexually abused a teenage boy nearly 50 years ago, according to the prosecution's expert brought in to examine the now 92-year-old.