International News

News from outside of Canada.

Irish bishop seeks to discuss ordaining of married men

June 11, 2015

DUBLIN - An Irish bishop urged his colleagues to establish a commission to discuss the possibility of ordaining married men. Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore also wants the Irish bishops' conference to empower the commission to further study female deacons.

Pope Francis meets Putin for a diplomatically difficult talk

June 10, 2015

A serious-looking Pope Francis on Wednesday (June 10) spoke with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, in a meeting focused on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East that pose complex and contrasting diplomatic challenges for the two leaders.

U.S. diplomat calls on Francis to take tough tone with Putin

June 10, 2015

VATICAN CITY - In the wake of international criticism over Moscow’s role in ongoing violence in Ukraine, the United States has called on Pope Francis to take a stronger stance on the conflict in his meeting with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, today.

Chaldean Tariq Aziz, top official in Saddam's regime, dead

June 10, 2015

WASHINGTON - Tariq Aziz, a Chaldean Catholic who represented Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein's government on the world stage as foreign minister and deputy prime minister, died June 5 after suffering a heart attack.

Pakistani church office calls for mercy as Christian faces execution

June 9, 2015

KARACHI, Pakistan - The human rights body of Pakistan's Catholic Church pleaded with President Mamnoon Hussain to grant clemency to a Christian death row convict who was a juvenile at the time of the alleged crime.

Climate encyclical expected to send strong moral message to the world

June 9, 2015

LIMA, Peru - Pope Francis' upcoming encyclical on ecology and climate is expected to send a strong moral message -- one message that could make some readers uncomfortable, some observers say.

AP: Number of abortions in U.S. has gone down since 2010

June 8, 2015

WASHINGTON - An Associated Press survey of abortion in the United States this decade has revealed that the number of abortions has gone down by 12 per cent since 2010.

Islamic militants announce plan to transform Mosul church into mosque

June 8, 2015

VATICAN CITY - One of the largest churches in Mosul, Iraq, will be transformed into a mosque.

Philippine bishops urge voters to reject 'corrupt' politicians in 2016

June 8, 2015

MANILA, Philippines - The country's Catholic bishops urged voters to reject "notoriously corrupt" politicians running in next year's national elections in a pastoral letter sent to parishes.

Fight conflict, cruelty with tenderness, sacrifice, Pope tells Catholics

June 8, 2015

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Conflict and cruelty must be fought with tenderness, forgiveness and bearing Christ's cross, Pope Francis said.