International News

News from outside of Canada.

Pope Francis doing well after abdominal surgery, asks for continued prayers

June 9, 2023

Among the many messages Pope Francis has been getting over the course of his first full day recovering from abdominal surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital, his favorite, so far, was a large card from a Peruvian family he met during his last hospital stay.

Pope Francis will never give up hope for peace, says papal envoy back from Ukraine

June 8, 2023

When it comes to peace in Ukraine, Pope Francis is not giving up hope, said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the papal envoy recently returned from the war-torn nation.

Pope Francis to undergo surgery for hernia, expected to remain in hospital

June 7, 2023

Pope Francis was scheduled to undergo surgery at Rome's Gemelli hospital June 7 to treat a hernia that had developed at an incision of a previous operation, the Vatican said.

Papal envoy meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv

June 6, 2023

Pope Francis' peace envoy to Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, was finishing his two-day visit to Ukraine June 6. He met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid breaking news of the destruction of a critical dam and hydroelectric power plant along the front lines in southern Ukraine that Zelenskyy blamed on "Russian terrorists." The Russian side accused Ukrainian forces of blowing up the dam. Ukraine accused Russians of committing what it called "ecocide."

Ballplayers criticize Dodgers’ plan to honour controversial drag group

June 1, 2023

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Trevor Williams, known for his devout Catholic faith and prominent tattoos, expressed his disappointment with the Los Angeles Dodgers' decision to re-invite and honour a controversial group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Ukrainian church leaders cite lack of information on Vatican initiatives

May 29, 2023

Ukrainian church leaders have voiced skepticism over a planned Vatican "peace mission" to their war-torn country and have complained of being left in the dark about Rome's intentions.

Under surveillance, government pressure, China needs prayers, observers say

May 23, 2023

When Pope Benedict XVI instituted the Day of Prayer for Catholics in China in 2007, Aloysius Jin Luxian was bishop of Shanghai. That year, an article in The Atlantic monthly described Bishop Jin as "arguably the most influential and controversial figure in Chinese Catholicism of the last 50 years."

Pope Francis asks Cardinal Zuppi to lead peace mission for Ukraine

May 23, 2023

Pope Francis has asked Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna to lead a mission "to help ease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine," the Vatican press office said.

Pope Francis wants to send peace envoys to Kyiv, Moscow: report

May 19, 2023

A popular blog that closely monitors the Vatican has reported that Pope Francis wants to send envoys to Moscow and Kyiv to begin discussions about achieving a truce.

Gaza priest helps calm traumatized community

May 17, 2023

Even before the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad had been called on the evening of May 13 after five days of fighting, Fr. Gabriel Romanelli of Gaza Holy Family Parish was already tentatively going over travel details for a trip to Egypt with some of the Catholic Scouts youth leaders, which had been long in the making.