VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Fidelity to Christ is the “secret” to every effective work of Christian charity, so every activity of outreach to the poor and suffering should be supported by prayer, Pope Francis said. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the “Circolo
ROME (CNS) — Sustainable development in rural areas is key to making poverty and hunger a thing of the past, Pope Francis said. In an address to members of the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s governing council Feb. 14, the pope
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sacred liturgy is meant to help the people of God conform their heart, mind and actions more closely to Christ, Pope Francis said. “We know that it is not enough to change liturgical books to improve the
Eight hundred years ago, in the midst of the Crusades, St. Francis of Assisi crossed battle lines in Egypt to see a Muslim ruler. In the Muslim encampment, he met the sultan, Malik al-Kamil, who, like Francis, sought peace between the
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis said his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates, while brief, was a new page in relations between Christians and Muslims at a time when conflict and violence threaten the goal of lasting peace. Recalling his
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (CNS) — Pope Francis told reporters he is more afraid of the consequences of not engaging in interreligious dialogue than he is of being manipulated by some Muslim leaders. He told reporters
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (CNS) — Meeting with tens of thousands of Catholics living in the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis urged them to be meek, peaceful and express their Christian identity by loving others. The UAE Catholic community, which numbers
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (CNS) — In an officially Muslim nation where Christians are welcomed as guest workers and free to worship, Pope Francis urged leaders of the world’s main religions to embrace a broader vision of freedom, justice, tolerance
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (CNS) — The sun had set long before Pope Francis arrived in Abu Dhabi Feb. 3, but Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince, and Egyptian Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, still went
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will have St. Francis of Assisi on his mind when he visits Abu Dhabi Feb. 3-5 and Morocco in late March. As he told ambassadors to the Holy See early in January, “These represent two important