World & Vatican

Chinese authorities arrested pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong and imposed new sanctions on American lawmakers August 10, as part of an apparent crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong.

ACCRA, Ghana — Women in Ghana and other West African nations have suffered disproportionately during the global COVID-19 pandemic in large part because they have been excluded from positions of power and decision-making, a Catholic sociologist said.

The Archdiocese of Mexico City urged people to take pandemic precautions more seriously, saying in an editorial that the country could not quell its COVID-19 contagion unless the population did its part.

Nigerian bishops want an end to violence in southern Kaduna state, where more than 170 people have been killed this year.

DUBLIN — Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, has hailed political leader John Hume as a “paragon of peace” for his key role in bringing an end to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis, the Catholic bishops of Poland released a reflection on the priests and nuns who ministered to the needs of the Polish people during the historic event.

Cardinal Leopoldo José Brenes Solorzano of Managua said Mass Wednesday at the entrance of the Blood of Christ chapel in his cathedral, which was firebombed last week.

​​​​​​​BEIRUT -- As Lebanon's Catholic leaders appealed for help for their country, international and U.S. organizations appealed for donations for Beirut, capital of a country already suffering from a severe economic downturn.

VATICAN CITY -- The drastic reduction in people's mobility because of the COVID-19 pandemic could be an opportunity for moving one's heart and mind instead -- and for finding other ways to be close to and supportive of those in need, the Vatican said.

A massive explosion ripped through Lebanon's capital, Beirut, injuring many people and blowing out windows in buildings in the city's port region.

The Philippine government issued new orders restricting movement in an effort to control a spike in COVID-19, resulting in 10 dioceses suspending public Masses.

In communities around the world, the social isolation that keeps elders safe from the coronavirus but precludes going to church is proving extremely difficult for many. In some remote areas, younger generations are helping their elders.

Hate crimes against Christians in India increased by 40% in the first half of 2020 despite a three-month nationwide lockdown, according to a new report.