Tag: Pope Francis

‘Castro’s death won’t end repression of Cuban Church’

December 1, 2016 Cuba Fidel Castro, Havana, Latin America, Pope Francis, Raúl Castro

The death of Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro will not reduce the harassment and surveillance to which the Church is already subjected, an analyst at the charity Open Doors has warned. Following Castro’s death at the age of 90 on Saturday (26 Nov.), Paul Groen told World Watch Monitor: “Fidel’s . . . Read More

EU appoints first int’l religious freedom envoy

May 11, 2016 Europe, Jan Figel, Minorities, Pope Francis, Religious freedom

The European Union has appointed its first special envoy for religious freedom with a brief outside of the EU. Jan Figel, former leader of Slovakia’s Christian Democratic Movement and a former EU Education and Culture Commissioner, was appointed as by President Jean-Claude Juncker on 6 May. The President made the . . . Read More

Pope Francis meets Patriarch Kirill

February 12, 2016 Cuba Pope Francis

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CAR: Pope Francis calls for unity between Catholics and Protestants

December 2, 2015 Central African Republic Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou, Oumar Kobine Layama, PK5, Pope Francis, Seleka

Pope Francis has completed his two-day visit to the Central African Republic, the final stop of his first African tour, which also took him to Kenya and Uganda. Among the three countries visited by the Pope, his stop in CAR was by far the most challenging and attracted lots of . . . Read More

Special Report: Violence Against Women

November 26, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Pope Francis, Rape, Seleka, Trauma, Women

Pope Francis’ first pontifical trip to Africa concludes with a visit to the Central African Republic, where wholesale deadly violence against Christians in 2013 was largely characterised by attacks that singled out women. The first day of his trip to the continent, which beings in Kenya, is also the 17th . . . Read More

Pope in Africa says conflict ‘feeds on fear, mistrust and despair’

November 26, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country African Union, Al-Mourabitoun, Al-Shabaab, Bamako, Central African Republic, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, Kampala, Kenya, Nairobi, Nicolas Guérékoyamé-Gbangou, Oumar Kobine Layama, PK5, Pope Francis, Uganda, Westgate

For his first trip to Africa, Pope Francis is visiting Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic (CAR), from 25-30 November. The three countries all have predominantly Christian populations – Kenya about 80%, Uganda 85% and CAR 76% – with about 10% or so Muslim in each of them. But . . . Read More

Pope shares ‘worsening concerns’ over CAR

November 4, 2015 Central African Republic Bangui, Central African Republic, Pope Francis

Pope Francis has voiced great concern over a fresh outbreak of sectarian violence which has left many killed and thousands displaced in the Central African Republic (CAR), Fides reports. “The painful events that have worsened an already delicate situation in the Central African Republic in recent days are of great concern. . . . Read More

Report: Christianity contracting in MidEast, Africa

October 16, 2015 Global News -- No Particular Country Africa, Belarus, Boko Haram, China, David Cameron, Egypt, Eritrea, Europe, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Islamic extremism, Islamic State, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, London, Middle East, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pope Francis, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UK, Ukraine, Vietnam

Christianity is fast disappearing from entire regions, most notably a huge chunk of the Middle East, and could vanish from Iraq within five years, according to a new report by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Released in the UK’s House of Lords on Tuesday, the report, “Persecuted and . . . Read More

Pope angers Turkey over Armenia

April 13, 2015 Turkey Armenian Genocide, Armenians, Pope Francis, Turkey

Turkey has recalled its envoy to the Vatican after Pope Francis controversially described Turkey’s mass killing of Armenian Christians in 1915 as the “first genocide of the 20th century”. Next week will see commemoration events to mark 100 years since as many as one and a half million Armenians were . . . Read More

Give all religions a voice, Pope urges Sri Lanka

January 14, 2015 Sri Lanka Buddhist nationalism, Catholics, Colombo, Maithripala Sirisena, Pope Francis, Sri Lanka

Religious freedom must be central to Sri Lanka’s future, Pope Francis urges on his arrival in the capital, Colombo. In his arrival speech at Colombo’s airport, he said that followers of various religious traditions “have an essential role to play” in the process of the country’s reconciliation and rebuilding, adding: “For that process . . . Read More

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