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 Last week I shared a bit of my WYD experience and how this event can (and does) change so many people’s lives. But many are ...read more

On Saturday, June 25, 2016, following the conclusion of Mass, Pope Francis attended an Ecumenical Prayer Vigil for Peace in Yerevan. Below, find the full text of his address: Venerable and Dear Brother, Supreme Patriarch-Catholicos of All Armenians, Mr President, Dear Brothers and Sisters, God’s blessing and peace be with all of you! I have greatly ...read more

On Saturday, June 25, 2016, Pope Francis continued his first Aposotlic Visit to Armenia with the celebration Holy Mass in Gyumri. Below, find the full text of his homily: “They shall build up the ancient ruins… they shall repair the ruined cities” (Is 61:4). In this place, dear brothers and sisters, we can say that ...read more

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

CNS photo/Art Babych Euthanasia comes to Canada  “There are two ways, the way to life and the way to death, and there is a great difference between them.” These wise words from an ancient Christian writer come to mind as we mark Parliament’s enactment of the law implementing the Supreme Court’s decision on euthanasia and assisted suicide, which ...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