A Holy See delegation at a Sept. 11-14 meeting of nations that are parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions urged nations that have not yet done so to sign the treaty, which “prohibits under any circumstances the use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions.”
Vatican
Be ‘beggars for peace,’ pope says
In a message to religious and political leaders gathered at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, Pope Francis pleaded with ordinary citizens and governing officials to have the “audacity of peace.”
Cardinal Zuppi visits China as envoy promoting peace in Ukraine
Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who said Pope Francis tapped him not to mediate but to encourage dialogue that could end Russia’s war on Ukraine, flew to China Sept. 12, Italian media reported.
Pope sends prayers after flooding kills thousands in Libya
After a severe storm set off flooding that breached dams in eastern Libya, leading to the deaths of thousands of people, Pope Francis sent his condolences and prayers.
Pope calls out corporate ‘carewashing,’ covering up violations with charity
Workers are human beings, not machines or “spare parts” to be used to drive production and profit at all costs, Pope Francis told members of an organization that advocates for and protects the rights of those seriously injured or disabled on the job.
Responding to Zelenskyy adviser, Vatican bank denies Russian investments
After an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that a financial relationship exists between the Vatican and Moscow, the Vatican bank said Sept. 9 that it “does not receive nor invest money from Russia.”
Pope prays Ulma family will inspire people to care for those in need
Risking and ultimately losing their lives to shelter Jews persecuted by the Nazis, “the martyrs Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their seven children” were models of “evangelical love,” Pope Francis said.
Don’t spread gossip or point fingers when wronged, pope says
Rather than engage in petty gossip which leads to scandal, Christians are called by Jesus to be direct yet loving in offering help to an errant friend, Pope Francis said.
Church in Morocco, pope offer prayers, after deadly quake kills nearly 2,500 people
Rescuers continue to search through the rubble in the hopes of finding survivors after a powerful earthquake struck Morocco the night of Sept. 8, killing close to 2,500 people and causing widespread destruction.
Vatican offers details on how synod will work, media access
Any limitations and rules regarding media access and communications during the upcoming Synod of Bishops are rooted in the “essence” of a synod and meant to help participants in their process of discernment, said the head of the synod’s communication committee.
Pope calls for literacy in peacemaking, care for the environment
If people can learn how to inflict suffering on others with ever more deadly weapons, they also can learn to stop doing so, Pope Francis said.
Document found detailing convents in Rome that hid Jews from the Nazis
Catholic and Jewish institutions announced Sept. 7 the discovery of a previously unpublished list of several thousand people, mostly Jews, who were hidden in Catholic convents and monasteries in Rome during the Nazi occupation of the city.