Covid-19 Special: Beyond the Crisis

04/05/2023

Pope tells Catholic educators to forge open and humane minds

Pope Francis encourages Catholic educators to help form young people who are able to transcend ideologies and cultivate the common good.

27/03/2023

Vatican ‘counts down to launch’ Pope’s message of hope in Spei Satelles

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication teams up with the Italian Space Agency to launch Pope Francis’ message of peace and hope into orbit aboard the Spei Satelles, or ‘Guardian ...

10/01/2023

Egyptians grapple with rampant inflation

Like many countries in the Middle East, Egypt is dealing with the effects of intense inflation, and, as ever, it is the poor who are hardest hit.

20/12/2022

Covid: families, workshops of solidarity

The Pandemic and the Magisterium of Francis: a series of videos in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Vatican's Covid-19 Commission ...

16/12/2022

Pope’s peace message: a singer, an economist, a nun, and a cardinal reflect

At a press conference in the Vatican, a diverse group offer their reflections on the Pope’s 2023 World Peace Day message, and the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic.

30/11/2022

Covid: the Elderly and 'the Right to Frailty'

The Pandemic and the Magisterium of Francis: a series of videos in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Vatican's Covid-19 Commission ...

15/11/2022

Covid: A thousand lights of generosity for the poor

The Pandemic and the Magisterium of Francis: a series of videos in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Vatican's Covid-19 Commission ...

12/09/2022

Covid: The sick - Christ's most beloved flesh

The Pandemic and the Magisterium of Pope Francis: the fourth in a series of videos created by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Vatican's Covid-19 ...

12/08/2022

Covid: Vaccines are an act of love to save us together

The Pandemic and the Magisterium of Pope Francis: the third in a series of videos created by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Vatican's Covid-19 ...

10/08/2022

South Africa: Bishops alarmed by the country’s neglect of rural areas and indifference to inequalities.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) say they are concerned with what is happening to South Africa’s economy and how households are sinking into debt and deep ...

15/07/2022

Covid: Doctors and nurses, 'angels' at the side of the helpless

The Pandemic and the Magisterium of Francis: a series of videos in collaboration with the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Vatican's Covid-19 Commission ...

13/06/2022

Covid-19 vaccine: Caritas calls for waiver of trade related property rights

As the WTO meets for a Ministerial Conference, Caritas Internationalis issues an appeal for the waiver of trade-related Covid-19 vaccine intellectual property rights for developing ...

25/05/2022

Africa Day 2022 and the continent’s food crisis.

The African continent commemorates Africa Day on 25 May under the shadow of soaring food prices due to Covid-19, climatic disorders, and the conflict in Ukraine. The AU Chairperson ...

02/05/2022

Pope tells Catholic pharmacists they play a crucial social role

Meeting with members of the International Federation of Catholic Pharmacists, Pope Francis highlights the crucial role this professional category plays in society, which has been ...

28/03/2022

Statio Orbis, the mosaic of a "universal" prayer

The intense images of the Pope's prayer for the pandemic, on the evening of March 27, 2020, were filmed and creatively reworked in various videos produced by ecclesial and media ...

19/03/2022

Kenya: Churches to resume full capacity as Interfaith Council lifts restrictions.

As Kenyan authorities lifted remaining coronavirus restrictions, the Interfaith Council on Covid-19 also announced that places of worship could now resume full capacity. The ...

11/02/2022

World Day of the Sick: Card. Bo urges healing of Myanmar with mercy

Myanmar’s cardinal marked World Day of the Sick at the national Marian shrine of Nyaunglebin, urging Christians to be merciful and “stewards of good health”.

10/02/2022

Pope to Patriarch of Constantinople: χρόνια πολλά!

Pope Francis sends a video message congratulating Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I on thirty years of ministry as Archbishop of Constantinople, and wishing him "many years" - ...

31/01/2022

Brazil: Many dead in floods and landslides

Brazilian authorities say at least 19 people have lost their lives and hundreds more have been forced to flee their homes, as widespread damage in battered areas has also blocked ...

28/01/2022

ILO: Myanmar lost 1.6 million jobs under coup and pandemic in 2021

A report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows the military coup has battered Myanmar’s labour market that was already weakened by the impact of Covid-19, with women ...

28/01/2022

Pope to Catholic media: Check facts but always respect people

Pope Francis meets with members of the International Catholic Media Consortium, and urges journalists to remain faithful to the truth by always checking facts and respecting ...

27/01/2022

School closures inflict long-term damage to children’s wellbeing

A new report on the impact of Covid-19 school closures says children from low- and middle-income countries have been the hardest hit.

21/01/2022

Pandemic as an 'opportunity to help build ecumenical dialogue'

“Ecumenism in a Time of Pandemic: From Crisis to Opportunity” is the title of a working document presented by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and which is the ...

16/01/2022

Netherlands partially lifts Europe’s toughest lockdown

The Netherlands government has only partially lifted Europe's toughest coronavirus lockdown, prompting protests with bars and other businesses reopening despite prohibitions.

13/01/2022

Pope: Parents who face challenges for their children's sake are heroes

Pope Francis grants an interview to Vatican Media on being parents during the Covid-19 pandemic and the witness of Saint Joseph, calling him an example of strength and tenderness ...

13/01/2022

Pope Francis: ‘Economy must serve people and planet, not profits’

Pope Francis urges participants in a Vatican conference on the post-pandemic future to make concrete commitments to putting the global economy at the service of people and the ...

11/01/2022

Pope thanks South Korean faithful for Covid relief fundraising

Pope Francis sends a message of gratitude to the Archdiocese of Seoul for the South Korean faithful's generous contribution to its ‘Vaccine-Sharing Campaign’, which supports the ...

10/01/2022

Pope Francis, building bridges in the name of fraternity

In his address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis reiterated the Church’s impartial passion for humanity, especially wounded or humiliated humanity. ...

05/01/2022

Sr Balatti: 'Christmas in South Sudan has brought concrete gestures of peace'

Sr Elena Balatti, a Comboni missionary working in South Sudan, describes the peace process and how Christmas has renewed hope for an end to conflict in the country.

30/12/2021

WHO warns of a 'tsunami' of Covid cases

The World Health Organization chief says the combination of Delta and Omicron variants is driving a dangerous tsunami of Covid-19 cases that could put immense pressure on ...

23/12/2021

New anti-Covid measures for entry to Vatican and Curia offices

A general decree, signed by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, extends existing anti-Covid measures.

23/12/2021

Bartholomew I Christmas message: Science is a priceless gift from God

In his 2021 Christmas message, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople reminds the faithful of the meaning of Divine Incarnation and invites everyone to gratefully ...

22/12/2021

Vatican urges support for family-based care for children amid pandemic

The Covid-19 Vatican Commission releases a document urging national governments and Church-run institutions to promote children’s rights and family-based care amid the ongoing ...

20/12/2021

Archbishop Longley: Christmas a time to listen, reflect and pray

As Christian communities prepare for the birth of Our Lord at Christmas, Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, in England, speaks about the challenges at this time of year due ...

17/12/2021

Michael Haddad: Hope is a seed which must be preserved

Michael Haddad, paralysed from the chest down, is presented with a book blessed by Pope Francis which he will carry with him across the globe to Norway’s seed bank, in hope of ...

17/12/2021

Pope to Ambassadors: Vaccines for all a question of justice

Pope Francis receives letters of credentials from seven new Ambassadors to the Holy See, and invites the international community to further “a ‘culture of encounter’ in service of ...

11/12/2021

Cyprus records first Omicron cases

Cyprus has detected its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

09/12/2021

Irish Bishop: The deeper pandemic of domestic abuse in lockdown

The President of the Irish Church’s Marriage Care Service, Accord, Bishop Denis Nulty speaks of the “deeper pandemic” of domestic abuse which has worsened during lockdown.

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07/12/2021

Pope Francis: the pandemic calls for a culture of care

In an interview with OSA, an Italian Social and Work Cooperative that provides social and health welfare services, the Pope offers his encouragement for the help it offers to many ...

06/12/2021

Vatican conference explores new technologies in post-pandemic world

The conference promoted by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and other organizations is slated for 9 December. The event will gather experts to contribute to ...

29/11/2021

Cardinal Parolin: Fraternity and hope are keys to finding way out of crises

In an interview with Vatican News, the Vatican Secretary of State speaks about issues such as the Church’s social doctrine, the pandemic, assisted suicide, and the synodal process. ...

25/11/2021

Pope to persons with disabilities: “The Church is truly your home"

The Vatican on Thursday released the message of Pope Francis for the UN's International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3 December.

24/11/2021

FAO report: 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report for 2021 stresses the need to make agri-food systems more resilient to shocks and ...

22/11/2021

Kenya to limit access to government services to non-vaccinated

In the country where only 8.8 % of people are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the Kenyan government announces it will require people seeking government services to be fully ...

22/11/2021

Pope: 'Light of Christmas shines all the brighter amid darkness of pandemic'

Pope Francis meets with participants in the upcoming Christmas Contest, a Christmas concert in which young people compete with original Christmas music, and tells participants that ...

21/11/2021

Fresh Covid unrest erupts in Netherlands injuring several people

More unrest has erupted in the Netherlands and protests elsewhere in Europe against new lockdown rules amid rising COVID-19 cases across the continent. Dutch police said several ...

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13/11/2021

Pope to Christian entrepreneurs: Grow in creativity

In a video message to the International Christian Union of Business Executives (UNIAPAC), the Pope says that entrepreneurs are called to make their contribution for development in ...

11/11/2021

Covid-19: Italy offers over 40’s booster shots amid rising cases in Europe

With COVID-19 cases rising in Europe, Italy is offering booster shots to people aged 40-60 in order to keep infection rates down.

11/11/2021

Peace Forum: Pope calls for ‘responsible hope’ to emerge from pandemic

Pope Francis sends a message to the 4th edition of the Paris Peace Forum calling for “responsible hope” to improve the world and emerge from the pandemic. He also writes that ...

29/10/2021

G20: World's richest countries gather to discuss existential issues

The leaders of the world's major economies are arriving in Rome to gather, this weekend, for the first in-person G20 summit since the pandemic began.

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29/10/2021

Pope: Crises present us with the opportunity to build together

Pope Francis invites listeners during the BBC "Thought for the Day" radio column on Friday to join efforts for the protection of our common home through a renewed sense of shared ...

16/10/2021

Pope to Popular Movements: You create hope and forge dignity

In a video message, Pope Francis invites participants in the IV World Meeting of Popular Movements to dream and work together through solidarity and subsidiarity in order to build ...

15/10/2021

Post-Covid ongoing formation for priests in England and Wales

“Emerging from Covid for the better” framed a 2-day conference for people responsible for the ongoing formation of priests in England and Wales.

13/10/2021

Archbishop Urbanczyk: Pandemic has led to increase in poverty, exploitation

The Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Archbishop Janusz Urbanczyk, tells a security conference in Vienna on ...

01/10/2021

Australia to ease international border restrictions

Australia announces it will lift an international border ban in November which was put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

28/09/2021

Covid-19: decree on rules for entry into the Vatican published

A General Decree signed by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, lays down rules for entry into Vatican City State in times of pandemic. The document concerns ...

28/09/2021

Archbishop Paglia: We are all interconnected, for better or for worse

Speaking at a Press Conference presenting the Pontifical Academy for Life's upcoming Plenary Assembly, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia talks about the importance of global equality in ...

27/09/2021

Pope urges choices that ensure food, healthcare, living conditions for the poor

Pope Francis on Monday addressed a group of participants in the general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is discussing, “Public Health in Global Perspective“.

26/09/2021

Cardinal Parolin to UN General Assembly: Peace must be grounded in fraternity

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin sends a video message to the UN General Assembly, and touches on topics ranging from the pandemic, the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow, and war ...

24/09/2021

Pope sends condolences on death of Cardinal Urosa Savino

In a telegram, Pope Francis remembers the archbishop emeritus of Caracas, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, who died late Thursday at the age of 79. The Venezuelan cardinal had been ...

24/09/2021

UN rights office: Myanmar junta's violence amounts to crimes against humanity

The UN rights chief urges the international community to redouble its efforts to restore democracy in Myanmar before it is too late.

21/09/2021

Intl. Day of Peace - UN calls for equitable, sustainable world

The United Nations is marking International Day of Peace on Tuesday, with the UN chief calling for a 24-hour ceasefire and urging all people to choose peace for a better future for ...

20/09/2021

Green Pass required for access into Vatican from 1 October

The Governorate of Vatican City State issues a decree stipulating added measures to be taken as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 within Vatican City State.

20/09/2021

UNICEF: Students have lost 1.8 trillion hours of in-person learning to Covid-19

As the UN General Assembly kicks off on September 21 in New York, UNICEF urges governments to reopen schools, saying at least 131 million schoolchildren have lost out on in-person ...

03/09/2021

US Bishops advocate for a more fraternal world in Labor Day statement

Chairman of the US Bishops’ Domestic Justice and Human Development Committee, Archbishop Paul Coakley, urges common efforts in order to re-emerge from the Covid-19 crisis “with an ...

27/08/2021

Covid-19: Mexico grapples with deadly surge

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Institute for Statistics and Geography in Mexico calculates that over 1.4 million people have died from Covid-19 since the outbreak last ...

27/08/2021

Philippine diocese's 40-day fasting, penance amid Covid-19

The spiritual campaign in Zamboanga Archdiocese, October 13 to November 21, will help the faithful come closer to those who are hit by the pandemic and its effects.

26/08/2021

Pope names Sr. Smerilli as secretary of Dicastery for Human Development

Pope Francis appoints Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, as the interim Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and as a delegate of the Vatican Covid-19 ...

24/08/2021

WHO chief calls for moratorium on Covid-19 booster shots

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus is calling on wealthier nations to temporarily suspend administering Covid-19 booster shots for two months, expressing concern that they ...

23/08/2021

Myanmar cardinal: Those in power earn legitimacy from serving the people

In his Sunday's homily, Card. Charles Bo of Yangon assesses the nation’s current situation and the legitimacy of those holding power against the values of the Gospel.

19/08/2021

Pope: 'Personal responsibility key to improving post-pandemic world'

Pope Francis sends his well-wishes to participants in the Rimini Meeting for Friendship amongst Peoples, calling them to be courageous in seeking Christ-filled paths to start again ...

18/08/2021

Southeast Asia battles world’s highest Covid-19 deaths

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is calling on richer nations to “urgently share their millions of excess vaccine doses with countries in ...

18/08/2021

Pope Francis urges people to get vaccinated against Covid-19

Pope Francis launches a powerful appeal for people to get vaccinated with approved Covid-19 vaccines, calling it “an act of love.”

16/08/2021

Archbishop Paglia: Some end-of-life care resembles new form of eugenics

In an interview marking five years as President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia laments a creeping “youth- and health-focused concept of life” which ...

13/08/2021

Pope lends support to fight against Covid-19 in Eswatini

Pope Francis makes a donation of ventilators and medical supplies to a hospital in Eswatini in Southern Africa to bolster local efforts to combat the pandemic.

12/08/2021

Australia and New Zealand continue strict Covid measures

The Australian city of Canberra announces a snap lockdown due to a new case of COVID-19, while New Zealand says it’s won’t be re-opening just yet.

11/08/2021

UN envoy: Myanmar military attempting to legitimize itself

In a video press conference on Tuesday, UN Envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, said the situation in Myanmar “is still very worrisome”, amid a “severe” third wave of ...

10/08/2021

Impromptu tales of a rebirth rooted in the earth

Thanks to the "Libere Tenerezze" vegetable garden project dedicated to Pope Francis' Laudato si', since the Spring of 2020, vegetables have been growing in the grounds of a prison ...

09/08/2021

Australia: New survey highlights plight of asylum seekers amid pandemic

Asylum seekers in Australia are undergoing rough times as they face high levels of homelessness and financial hardship amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. A survey by Jesuit ...

09/08/2021

US bishops advocate respect for due process, protection of migrants' dignity

US Bishops call for the protection of the human dignity of migrants, as US authorities extend a policy that blocks migrants from entering the US without recourse or due process.

06/08/2021

Myanmar cardinal offers Requiem Mass for victims of Covid-19

While remembering the dead, Cardinal Charles Bo drew strength from Christian faith and hope, and urged Catholics to continue on the path of Christian charity saying, “We cannot ...

06/08/2021

Covid-19: REPAM rolls out vaccination campaign in Amazonia region

As the Delta variant of Covid-19 fuels a surge in cases across many parts of the globe, the Church in Latin America is kicking off a vaccination campaign to get jabs into arms in ...

05/08/2021

WHO appeals for Covid-19 vaccine booster moratorium

The chief of the United Nations health agency says high-income countries have administered almost 100 doses for every 100 people, while low-income countries have managed only 1.5 ...

04/08/2021

Indonesia’s Ursuline schools launch mobile vaccination drive

Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta on Tuesday blessed 8 vehicles that will be used to vaccinate poor communities in and around the Indonesian capital.

03/08/2021

Myanmar Church invites all religions to national prayer campaign

Amid a devastating spike in Covid-19 infections, Myanmar’s Catholic bishops are appealing to Catholics and followers of other faiths to pray in order to “melt the hearts of all ...

31/07/2021

UN: Six months after coup, Myanmar’s situation is worsening

Amidst Myanmar’s worsening humanitarian situation, with growing numbers of displaced people, a food crisis and a surge in Covid-19 infections, the United Nations has pledged its ...

29/07/2021

REPAM reports more than 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 in Amazonia

The Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM) publishes its weekly map of pandemic incidence rates in Pan-Amazonia as the death toll reaches 100,000 people. The report stresses that ...

27/07/2021

Vietnamese diocese blessed with 34 new priests

As Vietnam battles its worst surge in the Covid-19 pandemic, Vinh Diocese has been blessed with an abundance of priestly vocations, many of whom will be serving in other ...

26/07/2021

Card. Bo: God asks Myanmar people to reach out to others through their ‘five senses’

Myanmar Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon delivered a homily on Sunday, drawing an analogy between Jesus' miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and Myanmar’s dire situation.

26/07/2021

French Bishops criticise ongoing debate on covid health "pass"

Catholic Bishops in France say that comparing the new COVID-19 health pass to the Holocaust shows a "serious confusion of ideas”.

21/07/2021

US bishops express solidarity with Cuban Church and people

Following some of the biggest anti-government protests Cuba has seen in decades, US bishops have expressed support for the people and for the bishops of the Caribbean nation who ...

20/07/2021

Myanmar’s Loikaw Diocese provides health services where military has failed

Catholic dioceses across Myanmar continue to reach out to the suffering people as the 3rd wave of the Covid-19 pandemic wreaks havoc amid an ever-deteriorating crisis due to the ...

19/07/2021

UNICEF: Children without parental care more vulnerable amid pandemic

UNICEF highlights the increased vulnerability of children left without parental care due to challenges brought about by the pandemic and the massive Covid-19 global death toll.

19/07/2021

Card. Bo warns Myanmar: United we save lives; divided we will bury thousands

With the pandemic, a resumed conflict and a collapsed economy wracking the impoverished nation, Cardinal Charles Bo, yet again, is asking his people, especially the military, to ...

18/07/2021

Pope appeals for constructive collaboration in post-apartheid South Africa

Pope Francis decries the violence that engulfed Covid-struck South Africa in the past week with an appeal for constructive collaboration and assistance for those in need.

17/07/2021

Indonesia - Asia’s new Covid-19 epicentre

Indonesia on July 16 recorded 1,205 Covid-19 deaths, the nation’s highest since the start of the pandemic.

16/07/2021

WHO/UNICEF: Childhood vaccinations hindered by Covid-19 pandemic

Shortfalls in global routine vaccination efforts due to the Covid-19 pandemic move international agencies to raise concerns about the growing risk of the resurgence of ...

15/07/2021

Myanmar diocese reaches out to ease Covid crisis

Kalay Diocese has established an emergency response committee to provide much-needed oxygen tanks and medical help.

13/07/2021

UN: hunger, malnutrition worse in 2020 pandemic year

The number of people affected by chronic hunger in 2020, rose by more than in the previous five years combined. This was largely due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic

13/07/2021

Cuba: dozens arrested after anti-government protests

Scores of people, including civil rights activists and journalists have been arrested and are detained in Cuba after mass protests against the Communist government led by Miguel ...

Covid-19 Special: Beyond the Crisis

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