I am grateful to Monsignor Pasotto for his kind words offered on behalf of the Latin, Armenian and Syro-Chaldean communities. I greet Patriarch Sako and the Chaldean Bishops, Monsignor Minassian and also those from neighbouring Armenia, and all of you, the beloved faithful from the various regions of Georgia. I thank the Authorities, the beloved friends of the ...read more

Among the many treasures of this magnificent country, one that stands out is the importance of women. As Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, whom we commemorate today, wrote: “they love God in much larger numbers than men do” (Autobiography, Manuscript A, VI). Here in Georgia there are a great number of grandmothers and mothers who unceasingly defend ...read more

A year has passed since Pope Francis trip to Cuba and the United States. In the 4 days spent on the island, the pontiff visited several cities: Havana, Holguin and Santiago, leaving a message of hope everywhere. The contribution the Holy Father made to the re-establishment of relations between Cuba and the United States after 50 ...read more

At the end of the afternoon the Holy Father Francis traveled by car to the Church of St. Simon Bar Sabbae Tbilisi for the meeting with the Assyrian-Chaldean community. It is the first time that a Pope visited a place of the Assyrian-Chaldean worship. Upon arrival, at 18.00, Pope Francis was welcomed by the Patriarch ...read more

At 16:30, the Holy Father traveled by car to the headquarters of the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate for the meeting with His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia. Upon arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the Patriarch. After the presentation of the delegations, Pope Francis and His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II ...read more

The plane carrying the Holy Father left this morning at 9:15 am from Rome-Fiumicino Airport, and is expected to land at 15:00 local time (13:00 Brussels time) at the Tbilisi International Airport, after four hours of flight. Upon arrival Pope Francis was welcomed by the President of Georgia, Mr. Giorgi Margvelashvili and wife, as well ...read more

“Pax vobis – peace to you,” taken from chapter twenty of John’s Gospel, is the motto of Pope Francis’s apostolic visit (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) to Georgia and “You are all brothers” chapter 23 of Matthew’s Gospel is the motto for his visit in Azerbaijan. This trip represents the second phase of Francis’s trip to Caucasus, ...read more

It was October 27, 1986 when St. John Paul II gathered in the same place with the religious leaders of the world to promote peace in the name of dialogue. No more than 100 people gathered, a number which today has multiplied by five. The meeting was attended by 50 representatives of Christian Churches, including ...read more

This week, the Council of Cardinals ended their 16th plenary meeting and the Commission for the Protection of Minors provide procedures to prevent abuse in the Church. ...read more

At 17.15, the participants of different religions met in Piazza di San Francesco in Assisi for the closing ceremony. The Holy Father arrived on stage together with Rabbi Abraham Skorka, Rector of the Rabbinical Seminary Marshall Meyer (Argentina); Professor Abbas Shuman, Vice-President of Al-Azhar University (Egypt) and the Most Venerable Gijun Sugitani, Supreme Advisor of ...read more