The Holy See has a project underway related to peace between Russia and Ukraine, but Pope Francis told reporters he could not talk about it yet." There is a mission underway that is not public yet; when it is public, I will
The life of faith is not a game, but it does require commitment and training, Pope Francis told thousands of Hungarian young people gathered in a sports arena in Budapest.
"How do we win in life?" the pope asked the young people gathered
The vestibule of the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was decorated with children's drawings for Pope Francis -- many of them depicting him with a Ukrainian flag, praying for peace.
There also were several that showed the pope wearing his zucchetto and
Paying homage to Hungary's history, culture and location in the heart of Europe, Pope Francis pushed against the notion that the country needed to insulate itself to protect its identity.
As expected, in his first speech in Hungary -- to government and civic
Pope Francis confirmed he will travel to Mongolia in September, becoming the first pope to visit the Asian nation, which is home to a cardinal and some 1,300 Catholics.
In an audience April 14 with executives and staff of ITA Airways, the airline
Pope Francis will travel to Hungary April 28-30 where he will meet with government officials, refugees, academic scholars and young people in Budapest, the Vatican announced Feb. 27.
The pope will arrive in Budapest April 28 and will meet with Katalin Novák, president
Pope Francis told Jesuits working in Congo that he had taken seriously the promise he and all Jesuits make to not seek offices of authority and power in the church and, in fact, he twice declined becoming a bishop.
But, he said, in
Pope Francis' visit to Congo and his ecumenical pilgrimage to South Sudan put a face -- actually, thousands of faces -- on the horror of war.
But he also seemed energized by the enthusiasm of the crowds in Kinshasa, Congo, Jan. 31-Feb. 3
At the end of six days in African countries bloodied by war and conflict, Pope Francis said that "the biggest plague" afflicting the world today is the weapons trade.
Tribalism with its ancient rivalries is a problem, he told reporters Feb. 5, "but
Looking out at tens of thousands of smiling faces, Pope Francis told South Sudanese Catholics that the only way the country will get out of the darkness of violence is with the light of their faith and their commitment to peace.