International News

News from outside of Canada.

Pope, Saudi king hold historic meeting

November 8, 2007

VATICAN CITY - Interreligious dialogue, peace in the Middle East and the life of Christians living in Saudi Arabia were on the agenda of an historic meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and King Abdullah Aziz of Saudi Arabia.

Pakistani archbishop concerned by political crisis

November 6, 2007

NEW DELHI - The head of the Pakistani Catholic bishops' conference expressed concern over the imposition of emergency rule that has led to widespread protests and a crackdown by the military regime of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president.

Globalization more than economic progress

November 2, 2007

TORONTO - When Jesuit Father Peter Henriot arrived in Zambia 19 years ago life expectancy in the landlocked, southern African country was a rather dismal 52 years. Today Zambians can expect to be dead by 37.

Spanish martyrs ‘heroic witnesses’ to faith

November 2, 2007

VATICAN CITY - Just minutes before Pope Benedict XVI prayed that the example of newly beatified Spanish martyrs would spur Catholics to work for reconciliation and peaceful co-existence, a small fight broke out across town in front of a church run by Opus Dei.

Beatified Austrian refused to fight for Hitler

October 30, 2007

VATICAN CITY - A Vatican cardinal beatified Franz Jagerstatter, an Austrian farmer who was beheaded in 1943 after he refused to fight in Hitler's army.

Collection tells the legend of the Knights Templar

October 25, 2007

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is publishing a collector’s edition of documents on the Knights Templar, the medieval crusading order that became the focus of legends and mysteries.

Christian-Muslim peace = world peace

October 19, 2007

WASHINGTON - For the first time, more than 100 senior Muslim leaders from around the world sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI and other Christian leaders proposing theological similarities as a basis for peace and understanding.

Pope names 23 new cardinals

October 17, 2007

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI named 23 new cardinals at the end of his weekly general audience Oct. 17 and said he would formally install the cardinals during a special consistory at the Vatican Nov. 24.

Canadian Jewish leaders condemn meeting with Iran president

October 16, 2007

OTTAWA - Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) executive director Karen Hamilton grilled the Iranian president during a recent meeting in New York, telling him his threats to wipe Israel off the face of the map were “unacceptable.”

Catholic-Anglican text encourages realism over divisions

October 12, 2007

VATICAN CITY - Anglicans and Roman Catholics should witness to the faith they share and work together to promote Christian values in the world, but they also must be realistic about issues still dividing them, said a recent document by Anglican and Catholic bishops.