Pope Francis’ 2014 pastoral visit to Korea in early August is met with much excitement and anticipation. While the focus of Pope Francis’ visit is to participate in the 6th Asian Youth Day, Korean Catholics welcomed Francis warmly to their country through the release of the official video for his pastoral visit. Korean Catholics recently ...read more

The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has issued a statement deploring the upsurge in violence in Iraq, calling on religious leaders, those involved in interfaith dialogue and on all men and women of good will, to unequivocally condemn terror in the name of religion. The Council also calls on religious leaders “to exercise their influence ...read more

Pope Francis has sent a video message to the people of Korea, broadcast on Korean television over the weekend and ahead of his Apostolic journey to Korea. In the message, the Holy Father begins by inviting the Korean people to pray with him that his upcoming visit will bear fruit for the Church and for ...read more

Prayer in Preparation for the Visit of Pope Francis to Korea and for the Beatification of Korean Martyrs Loving Heavenly Father,We thank you for the blessings you are bestowing upon the Catholic Church in Korea, a church begun without the help of missionaries.We thank you for the visit of Pope Francis, the apostle of peace, to Korea ...read more

Sebastian Gomes, Salt + Light  writer/producer/director of The Francis Effect, gives us a glimpse into filming the documentary: Before and during the 2013 conclave there was much talk about the possibility of an American pope. As unlikely as it may have seemed at the time, we can now say with a degree of certainty that the ...read more

Recently someone asked me why Pope Francis keeps mentioning the devil, as if the devil actually existed (see Fr. Rosica’s recent post, Why in the devil does Pope Francis speak so much about the prince of this world? )This person alleged that, just as ogres and leprechauns, devils do not exist. But the Catholic Church is ...read more

The focus of Pope Francis’ visit to Korea during the 6th Asian Youth Day, is to meet with the Asian youth, to celebrate the Beatification Mass for the 124 Korean martyrs and to celebrate a special Mass for Peace and Reconciliation.  During this historic visit, he will lead the Asian Catholic Community in celebrating the past, ...read more

Most of the 80,000 Iraqi Christians forced out of their villages in recent days and weeks have taken refuge around the churches in Ain Kawa, a Christian neighbourhood of Erbil, according to aid officials in Iraq. A member of the Sant’Egidio Community in Iraq reported to the Catholic Near East Welfare Association that Christian churches ...read more

New Film Aims to Change the Perception of the Priesthood Father Robert Barron releases stirring documentary titled “Heroic Priesthood” CHICAGO August 6, 2014 – According to Father Robert Barron, Rector of Mundelein Seminary and creator of the acclaimed CATHOLICISM film series, the Church is facing a crisis. “We’re currently experiencing the darkest period in the history ...read more

Statement of Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ regarding  the situation of Christians in Iraq August 7, 2014 The Holy Father is following with deep concern the dramatic news reports coming from northern Iraq, which involve defenseless populations. Christian communities are particularly affected: a people fleeing from their villages because of the violence that rages in these ...read more