The Vatican has officially confirmed that this coming April, Pope Leo will visit Algeria, making this the first-ever visit from a current pope. Leo XIV, who is an Augustinian by formation, will visit Algiers and Hippo Regius – the historical name of Annaba – following in the footsteps of St. Augustine. In this interview with …
Tag archives: Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV echoes Cuban bishops’ warning that fuel blockade could cause “chaos and social violence”
“Cuba needs reforms, and these are increasingly urgent, but what it does not need is more anguish and pain. No more loss of life or mourning within Cuban families,” say the island’s bishops. During the recitation of the Angelus, on Sunday, February 1, Pope Leo said he has been following “the troubling news regarding an …
Apostolic Vicar of Istanbul: “Our community awaits the arrival of Pope Leo XIV with profound joy and anticipation”
This year, the Church commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, an important anniversary for the entire Christian world. This November, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Turkey, where the council was held, fulfilling the commitment made by Pope Francis before his death. International Catholic charity Aid to the Church in …
“Just like St. Peter, I was freed by a ‘miraculous earthquake,’” says Pakistani Christian
Shagufta Kausar was sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy and spent over eight years in prison. She recently shared her story at the launching of the Religious Freedom in the World Report, in Rome. In the summer of 2013, a mob broke into the simple house where Shagufta Kausar lived with her paralyzed husband, Shafqat …
Pope Leo XIV calls for renewed commitment to defend religious freedom and stand with persecuted Christians worldwide
The Holy Father receives Aid to the Church in Need in private audience This morning, October 10, 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International in a private audience at the Vatican, marking 25 years of the charity’s continued mission to defend the right to religious …
Pope thanks children who prayed for peace in ACN campaign
This was the 20th edition of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN’)’s One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign. Pope Leo XIV kept up the tradition of his predecessor, Pope Francis, by promoting the One Million Children Praying the Rosary campaign, organized by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), on social media,with a …
Continue reading “Pope thanks children who prayed for peace in ACN campaign”
Gaza: A first step towards peace after 733 days of war
As indirect talks continue in Egypt between Israeli envoys and Hamas, a cautious hope for the beginning of peace is taking root in the Diocese of the Holy Land. The parish priest of Gaza’s only Catholic parish shared with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) the heavy toll of two years of war. “Two …
Continue reading “Gaza: A first step towards peace after 733 days of war”
Church clings to life amid chaos in Gaza
Aid to the Church in Need echoes Pope Leo’s call for peace The Gaza Strip is currently going through one of the darkest periods of its recent history. Yesterday a United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide against the population of Gaza, denouncing crimes against humanity in the conflict …
Memory of the Martyrs: The Vatican Shares the Stories of 1,624 Christians murdered for Their Faith
An ecumenical memorial tribute will be held this Sunday in Rome, but the names will not be released at this time. (Banner photo: some of the victims of the church attacks in Pakistan in March 2015). A Vatican commission comprising historians, theologians, and other experts has documented the stories of over 1,600 men and women …
Christian clergy in Gaza defies evacuation orders to remain with their flocks
In a joint statement, the Latin Catholic and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem call on both parties to end hostilities and allow families on both sides to begin to heal the wounds of war. (Photo of the banner: Already in 2024, people in Holy Family Parish were praying for peace.) Both the Catholic and the …
Continue reading “Christian clergy in Gaza defies evacuation orders to remain with their flocks”