Vatican & World News

-   Residents of the last Christian village in the West Bank have launched a civil case against the Israeli settlers -   Pope Leo stresses shared responsibility in the face of social, economic and technological challenges                                  -   The World Catholic Association for Communication awards its Film Prize to a Japanese film about friendship

-   25 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, the Archbishop of New York speaks about the impact of the tragedy -   The UK Parliament votes against proposed assisted dying legislation, which the Bishops of England and Wales had warned was “dangerous and flawed” -   We speak to Jack Matika, a member of Kenya’s Koinonia Association, which helps young people sleeping rough on the streets of Nairobi

-   Pope Leo XVI invites new bishops to keep their hearts open to everyone amid rapid global change -   A North-South socio-environmental dialogue promoted by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America offers a multilateral response to the major transformations occurring in the Americas -   On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 11 September attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre, the New York Fire Department Chief of Operations at the time honours those who lost their lives with an initiative to “Give Back”

-   In his General Audience, Pope Leo stresses that the dignity of every human person is a permanent gift of God’s love that we must defend. -   A summit on “Artificial Intelligence and Human Sense”, held in Bali as part of the 11th International Congress of Scholas Chairs concludes. -   The President of the French Bishops’ Conference, along with other bishops, present details of the Pope’s upcoming apostolic journey to France.

 - Pope Leo XIV urges young people in Africa to live as a message of love, justice, and peace to the world  - Catholic aid organizations continue to assist the Ukrainian people facing daily attacks from Russian air strikes  - Middle Eastern religious leaders gather in Rome for talks dedicated to peacebuilding and interreligious dialogue

-   Pope Leo renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine during his Angelus as new peace talks begin with the US, Ukraine, and Russia. -   Cardinal Pizzaballa launches a new initiative to explore Jerusalem’s universal vocation for peace and reconciliation. -   Pope Leo returns to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano to celebrate the vigil Mass for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  

-   Pope Leo points to St. John Henry Newman as an example of the inseparability of faith and reason -   Almost a month after the earthquake, the Church in Colombia continues to help those affected -   Bishops from Mexico, Canada and the United States come together in Mexico to reflect on their different realities

-   The International Theological Commission issues a document noting that the way we care for Creation reveals and shapes our relationship with God -   The Holy See renews its appeal to end nuclear testing and strive towards a nuclear-free world -   In a time marked by tensions, conflicts and change, Pope Leo XIV begins a new series of catecheses focused on Vatican Two documents dedicated to the Church in the modern world

-   For the month of September, Pope Leo invites everyone to defend and pray for equal access to water, as Christians celebrate the Season of Creation. -   A Canadian Bishop of the Military Ordinariate speaks about the new instructions barring chaplains from offering faith-specific prayers at certain events. -   September 1 marks the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and the beginning of the Season of Creation.

 - Search and rescue operations in Nepal continue, with more than 4000 people still missing after last week’s deadly floods  - The United States and Iran trade strikes as fighting in the Middle East escalates once again  - The Church prepares to celebrate the Season of Creation beginning on Tuesday with the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

 - In a new motu proprio, Pope Leo grants Eastern Synods the faculty to remove Patriarchs when communion is impaired  - The Dicastery for the Service of Charity provides aid to relief operations in Nepal after deadly flooding  - Pope Leo is set to take part in traditional Marian procession at Castel Gandolfo

-   Pope Leo meets with a delegation from the St. Vincent de Paul Society of the United States of America. -   The Executive Director of Caritas Nepal shares how the Church's local humanitarian organization is supporting those displaced by the devastating flash floods that struck the north of the country. -   The Holy See Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations finishes his weeklong visit to Russia.

-   Pope Leo prays for the victims of the devastating Nepal floods. -   A climate scientist reflects on the disaster in Nepal. -   The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem calls for more diplomacy to stop the violence in the Middle East.

-   The Vatican’s foreign minister meets with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, for the first in person talks between the two states in five years -   Hundreds are feared dead following flash flooding in Nepal -   In a meeting with Norway’s Lutheran bishops, Pope Leo urges Christians to work together to promote peace and justice in our turbulent times.

 - Pope Leo urges participants in Italy’s National Liturgical Week to put the liturgy at the centre of Christian formation  - This year’s Season of Creation will be inaugurated with a Mass for the Care of Creation celebrated by the Holy Father  - The Office of Papal Charities is supporting efforts to feed Ukrainians affected by the ongoing war

-   Pope Leo XIV begins his pastoral visit to the fifth smallest country in the world, San Marino. -   Our correspondent on the ground in the Italian city of Rimini, Francesca Merlo, speaks with the Prior General of the Augustinians. -   The Pope encourages participants in the Rimini Meeting to learn from Jesus' example of promoting peace in times of conflict and injustice.

-   Pope Leo addresses the International Catholic Legislators Network, urging them to protect human rights and human dignity. -   The first day of the 47th edition of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples opens in the Italian city of Rimini. -   80 priests in Colombia offer ‘spiritual first aid’ to families impacted by the earthquake which hit the country earlier this week.

- Pope Leo expresses his condolences for the Polish pilgrims involved in a bus accident in Hungary - Colombia continues facing a humanitarian emergency after the August 10 earthquake - Pope Leo reflects on the importance of sacred music during the Wednesday General Audience

-   Pope Leo mourns victims of a ferry disaster in Zimbabwe, which claimed the lives of more than 80 people. -   In a Mass dedicated to St. Agatha, Cardinal Parolin invites everyone to pray for the many Christians persecuted around the world. -   The Pope's garden next to the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican Gardens is now 100% organic.

 - In a message for the upcoming World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Leo focuses on the suffering of migrant children  - Mass is once again being celebrated in a monastery in war-torn southern Lebanon  - Church leaders are meeting in Peru to develop proposals to respond to the challenges facing the country

-   Pope Leo sends a cheque to the dioceses in Colombia struck by a deadly 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Monday -   The Holy See Press Office releases the schedule for the Pope’s upcoimg visit to the Republic of San Marino and the Italian city of Rimini -   At the General Audience, Pope Leo reflects on the liturgical year, describing Sunday as its “foundation and kernel” and urging Catholics to actively participate in the Eucharist

-   Aid groups warn of dire consequences for civilians as Sudan’s army opens new offensives against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces  -   The UN Secretary-General condemns attacks on civilian areas in both Russia and Ukraine -   Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, joins a group of young people from across the Mediterranean for five days of encounter, prayer and reflection dedicated to peace

-   Pope Leo will travel to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in September – repeating the first outing he made as pontiff last year. -   The President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar reflects on synodality in the Church in Africa at the the first preparatory seminar for the 2028 Ecclesial Assembly. -   Caritas Cuba continues to provide access to food and basic necessities to the most vulnerable during an ongoing economic crisis in the country.

-   Pope Leo carries out a pastoral visit to Assisi, telling the thousands of young people gathered there to make courageous lifelong commitments -   Cardinal Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, decries the current situation of “neither war nor peace” in the Holy Land -   We speak to President of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference about Pope Leo’s upcoming Apostolic Visit to the country

-   Pope Leo urges Catholic communicators to shape a digital culture that serves the truth and defends human dignity  -   The Catholic Church in Tangier gets to work helping Moroccan migrants returning from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta -   An Indonesian Vatican official returns to his native village with relics from Rome, in a quest to turn it into a center for prayer and pilgrimage.

-   Pope Leo will meet thousands of young Europeans in Assisi on Thursday to mark the end of a Franciscan gathering centred on peace, forgiveness and vocation. -   The organizers of the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea release the event’s official hymn. -   Zanzibar gears up to host the 6th edition of the International Kitesurf Race, dedicated to bringing people together from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds.

-   Pope Leo releases his prayer intention for August, dedicated to praying "for evangelization in the city." -   As the one-year countdown to World Youth Day Seoul 2027 begins on August 3, the Local Organizing Committee shares its progress in preparing the city to welcome young pilgrims from across the world. -   The Diocese of Cádiz and Ceuta in Spain steps its response to the migration emergency unfolding, after an unprecedented surge in arrivals from neighbouring Morocco.

-   In an interview with an American broadcaster, Pope Leo XIV highlights the importance of immigration in the history of the United States -   The Holy See Press Office releases the programme of the Pope’s visit to Assisi on 6 August -   Local churches in Spain and France support thousands who have lost their homes in wildfires devastating the European continent