Coptic Pope Tawadros II arrives in Hungary

The leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church was greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen at Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc Airport. Archbishop of Veszprem Gyorgy Udvardy, Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Austria Anba Gabriel, Coptic Orthodox Bishop of Central Europe Ava Giovanni and Mohamed Ibrahim Abdelkhalek Elshinawy, Egyptian ambassador to Hungary, were also present to welcome Pope Tawadros II.
 
Pope Francis unites his voice with the Bishops of Niger appealing for peace in the country, and offers his prayers for the efforts of the international community to find a peaceful solution for the good of all the people of Niger and the Sahel region.
 
As Christians in Pakistan hold a day of prayer in the wake of mob violence against Christian places of worship in Jaranwala, Archbishop Joseph Arshad grants an interview to Vatican News and appeals for prayers for the community and for those who perpetrate violence to be brought to justice.
 
Pope Francis writes the preface to the Italian edition of Dorothy Day's autobiography, entitled, “I found God through His poor. From atheism to faith: my inner journey" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana-LEV). Dorothy Day (1897-1980), founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, journalist, writer, pacifist and activist, is remembered for her commitment to the poor and social justice.
 
In the district of Faisalabad, 21 places of worship and the homes of Christians were devastated by a mob fueled by Islamic extremists. Hundreds of people were forced to flee. The Christian accused of writing outrageous phrases against the Koran is actually an illiterate, The president of the Pakistani bishops Mgr Arsad: "Our people are not safe. A transparent investigation into this violence to re-establish the primacy of law and justice'.
 
Pope Francis remembers the 41 victims of a shipwreck off the Italian island of Lampedusa where a boat carrying migrants sank last week. He called on every political and diplomatic effort to rescue and assist migrants and to prevent these tragedies, calling them an "open wound of humanity."
 
On the UN International Youth Day, Pope Francis urges young people to dream big and promote a culture of care by becoming “champions of fraternity”. to attain long-term peace in the region.
 
As the seven-month blockade of the Upper Karabakh Armenian enclave continues, European Churches call for international action to reopen the Lachin corridor, urging sustained dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
 
‘No member of the team that met the archbishop on Saturday held any official position in the parish administration’.
 
The statement released by The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development anticipates Pope Francis’ call “for an open dialogue on the meaning of these new technologies, endowed with disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.”
 
In Beryslav, for nine months occupied by the Russian army and now depopulated, more than 100 people receive a hot meal every day on tables set up in front of the altar. Fr. Oleksandr: The situation is terrible but we try to live as a family.
 
A small cohort of young people from Estonia begin their pilgrimage toward World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, entrusting their spiritual journey to God and the Estonian Servant of God Eduard Profittlich.
 
If you’re an American, you might not know much about a decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two small countries located in the Caucasus region, where Europe and Asia meet.
 
In two papal telegrams, Pope Francis offers his spiritual closeness and prayers for victims of severe storms and wildfires that have hit Italy and Greece. The Pope thanks the emergency workers who have come to help them.
 
Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) - "In recent months, attacks on Christian clergy, churches and holy places have roused the anxiety of many of our Christian faithful, particularly in Jerusalem and Haifa", says a statement sent to Fides by the Justice and Peace Commission Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land. 
 
Archbishop Viktor of Artsyz, Vicar of the Diocese of Odesa, has sent a letter to Patriarch Kirill (Gundyayev) and all members of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the Russian attack on Odesa on Saturday night.
 
Pope Francis presides over Mass on the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, and praises intergenerational exchange as a means to learn the beauty of life and strengthen the life of the Church.
 
Pope Francis releases a brief video message for pilgrims destined for World Youth Day in Lisbon, and encourages them to journey together filled with the joy of encountering Christ.
 
The interlocutor of the agency recalled that the pontiff had repeatedly spoken about his readiness for meetings with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, as well as for trips to both capitals.
 
ROME – In 2011, the last time an Israeli Foreign Minister came calling in the Vatican, there was hope the encounter might lend momentum toward an agreement to stabilize the tax and fiscal status of Church-owned properties in the Holy Land, as an addendum to the 1993 Fundamental Agreement launching diplomatic relations between the two states.
 
I sat down with Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich at the Jesuit Curia in Rome on the afternoon of June 30. The following article, based on that conversation, is the second part of that interview. The first part can be found here.
 
Cardinal-elect Agostino Marchetto has worn many hats during decades of service to the Church and to the Holy See. In an interview with Vatican Radio, he expresses his view that Pope Francis has chosen to give him the red hat thanks, above all, to years of service at the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
 
In a statement at the 53rd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council on the recurrent desecration of the Quran in some countries, Vatican representative Monsignor David Putzer reaffirms that freedom of expression must never be used as an excuse to despise others.
 
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, speaks at a presentation of a new book in Italian entitled "Ukrainian Lessons", and highlights Pope Francis' efforts to foster peace, especially in Ukraine.
 

Brief biographies of 21 future Cardinals

As Pope Francis announces he will create 21 new Cardinals, we offer a brief biography of each of the future Cardinals who will be given 'red hats' on 30 September 2023.
 
The Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar presents the programme, logo and motto of the the Pope’s upcoming Apostolic Journey to Mongolia, remarking that it is an historic event for the young Church in the Asian nation.
 

Pope Francis appeals for Holy Land & Ukraine

Following his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis appeals for dialogue in the Holy Land, for prayers for war-torn Ukraine, and announces a consistory for the creation of new cardinals on 30 September 2023.
 
At the Angelus prayer on Sunday, Pope Francis urges us to allow ourselves to be “impressed” by the great things God accomplishes and the good deeds that silently change the world.
 
Pope Francis appeals to Christians not to forget the many conflicts and clashes that are wreaking death, suffering and damage across the globe, and asks us never to tire of praying, as “prayer is the gentle force that protects and sustains the world.”
 
The Holy See Press Office releases a communiqué to retrace Cardinal Matteo Zuppi's two-day mission to Russia as Pope Francis' envoy, and reports that “the results of the visit will be brought to the knowledge of the Holy Father, in view of further steps to be taken, both at the humanitarian level and in the search for paths to peace.”