Pope Francis participated in a prayer service at the Tzitzernakaberd Memorial to the Metz Yeghern, or ‘Great Evil’, in Armenia on Saturday morning, offering an intercessory prayer and extensive silent prayer for the dead. The ecumenical prayer service, held in memory of those fallen in the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915, ...read more

Pope Francis landed in Armenia this Friday for a weekend visit that includes a stop at the Armenian Genocide Memorial, his participation in a Divine Liturgy in the Armenian rite, and a visit to the Khor Virap monastery not far from the Turkish border. The first item on the papal itinerary was a visit to ...read more

On Friday, June 24, following his visit to the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, Pope Francis met with the President of Armenia in Yerevan. After his private meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan, the Holy Father gave the follow address to the civil authorities and the diplomatic corps. Mr President, Honourable Authorities, Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Dear ...read more

On Friday, June 24, Pope Francis arrived in Armenia for his 14th Apostolic Visit, the first one to Armenia. Below, find the official translation of Pope Francis’ speech in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral: Address of His Holiness Pope Francis Visit to the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral Etchmiadzin, 24 June 2016 Venerable Brother, Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians, Dear ...read more

Today in Oslo, Norway the VI World Congress Against the Death Penalty opens, organized by the NGO “Ensemble contre la peine de mort” and the “World Coalition Against the Death Penalty,” which includes about 140 organizations from around the world. Pope Francis sent a video message for the occasion. The English transcription of the original ...read more

This blog post is part of a 6-part series on World Youth Day. Read them all: Deacon-structing WYD: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 Often, when I speak to young people, I’ll start by asking where they are from: Is there anyone here from Ottawa or Quebec? How about ...read more

Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato Sì: Reflecting One Year Later In May 2006, former US Vice President Al Gore released the groundbreaking documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” While climate change debate has continued ever since, while concrete solutions seem to drip slower than maple sap in March. The question remains: are we willing to deal with this ...read more

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a letter today to the bishops around the world on “the relationship between hierarchical and charismatic gifts in the life and mission of the Church”. Photo Courtesy: CNS/Paul Haring ...read more

Reflecting on the Fifth Chapter of Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, ...read more

At 10:30 am on Sunday, June 12, 2016, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in St Peter’s Square on the occasion of the Jubilee of the sick and disabled people. The Scripture readings were proclaimed by persons with different disabilities and translated in the language of international signs. Pope Francis decried the pursuit for perfect bodies, saying ...read more