It is not unheard of for non-Catholics to visit Catholic churches and shrines. It is less common to have non-Catholics visit those sites, pray alongside the faithful and claim to have received graces through the experience. Sri Lanka’s Madhu Shrine is such a site, and it had a profound effect on Pope Francis. The shrine ...read more

Welcome message of Bishop Gabriel Reyes, Bishop of Antipolo and President of the Episcopal Commission for the Family, during the Encounter of Pope Francis with Filipino families on January 16, 2015. Most Holy Father, Welcome home! This is your home. We are your children and you are our father. The families of the Philippines are ...read more

On Friday, January 16, 2015, Pope Francis arrived at the Manila Cathedral in Manila, Philippines for Mass with Bishops, Priests and Religious. Before Mass, Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, welcomed Pope Francis to the Philippines. Below you can find the full text of his address, along with the full text of Pope Francis’ homily during ...read more

  On Friday, January 16, Pope Francis me with the Authorities and Diplomatic Corps of Manila in Malacañang Palace. Below you will the full text of his address: Dear Colleagues and Friends, Address of His Holiness Pope Francis Meeting with Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps Manila, Malacañang Palace January 16, 2015 Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank ...read more

Welcome to S+L’s Weekly News Round-Up, where we search, summarize and present to you interesting Catholic News from around the world. As the Director of Marketing and Communications here at S+L, I am exposed to many interesting Catholic news stories and articles on a daily basis. Some of them we cover on our different programs and ...read more

Shortly after arriving in Sri Lanka, Pope Francis attended an Interreligious and Ecumenical Gathering. Below you will find the Holy Father’s full address during the meeting, along with a welcoming address, given by Bishop Cletus Chandrasiri Perera OSB, chairperson of the Interreligious and Ecumenical Gathering. Dear Colleagues and Friends, Greeting by Bishop Cletus Chandrasiri Perera OSB, ...read more

Upon arrival at the International Airport in Colombo this evening, and after an airline flight of almost ten hours from Rome, the Pope was welcomed by the newly elected President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Maithripala Sirisena, along with several government authorities, Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, bishops of Sri Lanka, a group ...read more

This week, Pope Francis is set to make his first apostolic journey of 2015, a year when he will travel extensively. He begins Monday in Asia, the world’s most populous continent, by visiting a pair of island nations: Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Both nations have in recent years been the site of incredible human suffering and social upheaval. ...read more

“How I want a poor church; a poor church for the poor” – these were the words that Pope Francis used at the start of his pontificate to make clear his plans for the church. His decision to visit Sri Lanka and the Philippines is confirmation of his view of the church. Beginning January 13, ...read more

Vancouver’s Archbishop Michael Miller and Bishop Jean Louis Plouffe of Sault Sainte Marie visited the Philippines to personally witness the post-typhoon rebuilding projects assisted by Development & Peace. At the same time Vancouver’s vice-chancellor Barb Dowding was in Fredricton, taking the reigns as national president of the Catholic Women’s League. Dowding spoke to S+L earlier ...read more