International News

BALTIMORE -- The U.S. Church today is called more than ever to carry out its centuries-long evangelizing mission at a time of spiritual awakening rising from “under the clouds of the pandemic” and the country’s uncertain future, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told his fellow prelates.

For the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of Canada congregation at St. Mary Cathedral in Toronto, prayer vigils for peace in their homeland have been ongoing for the past 30 years.

ANKAWA, Iraq -- Nahla and Valentina like to stop and pray at Mar Elia Chaldean Catholic Church in the centre of this small majority Christian community. The grounds of the church once sheltered several hundred Christians who were forced to flee their homes in 2014 when Islamic State militants attacked Mosul and surrounding villages some 80 kilometres away.

WARSAW, Poland -- Poland's military archbishop urged security forces to prevent the illegal entry of refugees and migrants, as the country's bishops' conference announced a nationwide collection to help those amassing on the frontier with Belarus.

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Ethiopian government forces raided a centre run by the Salesians of Don Bosco in Addis Ababa Nov. 5 and arrested 17 people, including priests, religious brothers and employees.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis condemned a drone attack on the Iraqi prime minister's residence as a "vile act of terrorism" and expressed his hope that all people in the country would pursue peace through dialogue.

LOURDES, France -- France's Catholic bishops have unveiled new measures to counter sexual abuse by clergy after an October report by an independent commission estimated more than 330,000 children had been abused since the 1950s.

ROME -- Pope Francis "is a man who has a great empathy. He's a man who understands that part of his Christianity is to reach out and forgive," U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters in Rome Oct. 31.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis and U.S. President Joe Biden had an unusually long meeting at the Vatican Oct. 29, talking about the climate crisis and poverty, among other issues.

YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar's military has arrested seven workers from the Catholic Church's social arm who were on a mission to provide aid for internally displaced persons in conflict-stricken Kayah state.