1. Preamble Caritas Internationalis, created in 1951, is the social and justice arm of the Catholic Church. It is at the same time a confederation of 165 national organisations present in 200 countries and territories and a central entity of the Holy See. Serve, accompany and defend the poor: its mission is to promote a ...read more

I thank God for this joint commemoration of the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation. We remember this anniversary with a renewed spirit and in the recognition that Christian unity is a priority, because we realize that much more unites us than separates us. The journey we have undertaken to attain that unity is itself a ...read more

The program in the Malmo Arena consists of several moments. Following the word of welcome, found individuals representing, India, Colombia, Burundi, and the Olympic Refugee Team will offer personal testimonies. These testimonies will be followed by by a “Call to Action” which consists of questions and answers led by Michel Roy, Secretary General of Caritas ...read more

On October 31, 2016, the Joint Ecumenical Prayer Service took place in the Lutheran Cathedral of Lund. Upon His arrival in the Cathedral, Pope Francis was welcomed by the Primate of the Church of Sweden, Archbishop Antje Jackelen, and the Catholic Bishop of Stockholm, S.E. Mons. Anders Arborelius, both of whom accompanied the Holy Father in ...read more

During the Joint Ecumenical Prayer Service in the Lutheran Cathedral of Lund, Sweden, Pope Francis and Bishop Munib Yunan, President of the Lutheran World Federation, signed the Joint Declaration. The text is found below: Lund, 31 October 2016 «Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself ...read more

At 17:30, Pope Francis traveled by car to the “Heydar Aliyev” Mosque in Baku for the private meeting with the Sheikh of Caucasus Muslims, Allahshukur Pashazadeh. Upon arrival at 17.45, the Pope was greeted at the entrance of the Mosque by the Sheikh who accompanied him into the building. At the “Mihrab” (semicircular niche in ...read more

This afternoon, the Holy Father Francis traveled by car to the Presidential Palace at Ganjlik for the official protocol ceremony of welcome. Upon arrival at 15.30, the Pope was welcomed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Heydar Aliyev at the entrance of the courtyard of the palace. After playing of the ...read more

Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Sunday at the Salesian centre in Baku, the central event of his 10-hour visit to Azerbaijan. The Pope’s homily, delivered to the congregation gathered in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, centred on the Lord’s call for Christian’s to live in faith and in service. Below, please find the official ...read more

At 17:45, the Holy Father Francis traveled by car to Mtskheta for the visit to the Patriarchal Cathedral Svetitskhoveli, the spiritual center of the Orthodox Church of Georgia. Upon arrival, at 18.15, the Pope was greeted by His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia, who accompanies the shrine of St. Sidonia ...read more

Pope Francis met Catholic charity workers in the Georgian capital and encouraged them in their work, saying “the poor and the weak are the ‘flesh of Christ’ who call upon Christians of every confession, urging them to act without personal interests, following only the prompting of the Holy Spirit.” The meeting took place in the ...read more