… The French were the third-largest slave traders in Europe, after the British and the Portuguese.Pope Leo XIV last month issued an apology for the Catholic Church's centuries-long delay in condemning slavery, calling it "a wound in Christian memory". …
Ahead of World Cup kickoff, pope says life is 'played as a team' By AFP June 11, 2026 08:01 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby as he leaves after meeting with Diocesan charity and w …
Pope to address Spanish parliament, meet abuse victims By AFP June 08, 2026 07:56 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Pope Leo XIV looks on after delivering a speech during the meeting “Building networks with t …
Audio By VocalizeThe crowd packs Alcala street as Pope Leo XIV walks holding the monstrance containing the sacred host during the Corpus Christi procession following the Holy Mass held in the Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, on June 7, 2026. …
Pope Leo urges leaders to temper divisions at start of Spain trip By Reuters June 07, 2026 12:48 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd during the weekly general audience at St Pete …
Pope apologises for Vatican role in justifying slavery By AFP May 25, 2026 04:20 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost addresses the crowd from the main central loggia b …
Pope urges 'disarming' of AI in major manifesto By AFP May 25, 2026 04:18 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Pope Leo XIV speaks as he attends a meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic c …
Pope to release major artificial intelligence manifesto By AFP May 25, 2026 06:53 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. …
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 24 — Pope Leo XIV is set to publish his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, on Monday, May 25, marking a major moment in the Catholic Church’s engagement with artificial intelligence and the protection of human dignity in a rapidly evolving technological er …
The 21st Plenary Assembly of AMECEA, underway in Nairobi, has made young people central to the regional Church's agenda, with bishops from nine member countries proposing youth as their pastoral priority for the next four years. Religious leaders have called for renewed trust in young people as agents of transformation and emphasized the need for sound formation and faith education.
The 21st Plenary Assembly of AMECEA, underway in Nairobi, has made young people central to the regional Church's agenda, with bishops from nine member countries proposing youth as their pastoral priority for the next four years. Religious leaders have called for renewed trust in young people as agents of transformation and emphasized the need for sound formation and faith education.
Vatican Cardinal Michael Czerny called on young people to build "bridges of hope" through faith and action rather than succumb to global despair, speaking at the 21st Plenary Assembly of AMECEA at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi on July 19. Drawing on Jesus' parables, Czerny urged youth to embrace hope as a force for renewal and to view the present as an opportunity for personal and collective conversion rather than a fixed destiny.
The United States celebrated its 250th birthday on Saturday with parades, flyovers and fireworks, with President Donald Trump organizing campaign-style events during the Fourth of July holiday. The celebrations took place amid a severe heat wave affecting some 160 million Americans.
Pope Leo XIV visits Italy's Lampedusa island on July 4, a major port for African migrants crossing to Europe, in a message to US and EU leaders. The Chicago-born pontiff has clashed with the Trump administration over migrant treatment and made migrant defence central to his papacy.
The ultra-traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X consecrated four new bishops on Wednesday in defiance of Pope Leo XIV, who had warned against the "schismatic act." The Vatican subsequently excommunicated all six bishops of the society and warned that lay believers who "formally adhere" to the SSPX would face the same fate.
Pope Leo XIV visited Italy's Lampedusa island, a major entry point for migrants from Africa, calling on Europe to protect and integrate migrants while developing long-term strategic plans and assisting developing countries to prevent forced emigration.
An opinion piece argues that the June invasion of All Saints' Cathedral, in which hired goons assaulted civil society participants during a post-budget dialogue, exposed a deeper question about the Church's public witness and moral authority as Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election. The author contends that the incident's relative lack of public outrage indicates the Church should undertake introspection about its role as the nation's moral compass.
The death toll from twin earthquakes in Venezuela more than doubled to 589, interim president Delcy Rodriguez announced Friday, as international rescue teams joined local efforts to find survivors beneath collapsed buildings in the earthquake zone west of Caracas.
Twin earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitudes struck northern Venezuela on Wednesday night, killing at least 188 people and injuring 1,520, with residents searching for survivors trapped in collapsed buildings.
An opinion piece argues that despite fears AI will lead to secularism, the technology's advancement will ultimately awaken human consciousness and draw people closer to God. The author contends that AI represents a profound cognitive evolution distinct from past industrial revolutions, and when grounded in moral reflection, can solve humanity's pressing problems.
Ghana hosted a global conference seeking to translate political support for slavery reparations into practical commitments following a UN resolution adopted in March that declared the transatlantic slave trade "the gravest crime against humanity." The resolution, which garnered support from 123 UN member states, calls on nations involved in the slave trade to engage in "restitution" and "compensation."
Addressing World Cup fans in Barcelona, Pope Leo XIV said life, like football, should be "played as a team" and that people must learn to run together; he added that individual stars who never pass the ball prevent others from entering the game.
Pope Leo XIV will give an unprecedented address to the Spanish parliament on Monday and meet with victims of sexual abuse by clergy, though the closed-door meeting has drawn controversy after some major victims' associations said they were not invited.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air mass in Madrid's Cibeles Square on Sunday, drawing a jubilant crowd numbering more than 1.2 million people according to organisers. The pontiff called for an end to "polarising narratives" during his week-long state visit to Spain, which is expected to focus on migration and social issues.
Pope Leo XIV opened a week-long tour of Spain by urging global leaders to reject polarizing narratives and "sterile simplifications" used to gain popularity, calling instead for dialogue and respect for human dignity. The Pope, who has previously criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies, plans to meet homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands during the visit.
Pope Leo XIV is visiting Spain for seven days with a focus on immigration and social justice during a politically turbulent period for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The trip includes papal visits to Madrid and Barcelona, a planned meeting with victims of clergy sexual abuse, and meetings with migrants in the Canary Islands.
Pope Leo XIV issued an unprecedented apology for the Vatican's role in justifying slavery, calling the delay in condemning it "a wound in Christian memory." He stated that Church institutions owned slaves until the Middle Ages and that the Apostolic See intervened to regulate and legitimize enslavement of "infidels" in the early modern period.
Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," calling for the "disarming" of artificial intelligence and warning against a race for more powerful algorithms driven by geopolitical or commercial dominance, which he said could create "new forms of slavery."
Pope Leo XIV will release an encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas" addressing ethical and social challenges posed by artificial intelligence, with experts including Anthropic's co-founder present at the Vatican presentation. The Pope has previously denounced the militarization of AI, warning against delegating life-and-death decisions to machines.
Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, on May 25, focusing on safeguarding human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence and outlining the Church's moral and ethical position on AI's influence in society, labour, and human relationships. The document was signed on May 15, the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum novarum, and was formally presented at the Vatican with senior Church officials and international experts in attendance.
Pope Leo XIV will travel to France for an official state visit from September 25 to 28, the first papal state visit to France since Benedict XVI in 2008. The first pope from the United States will visit Paris to see UNESCO headquarters as part of a broader engagement with historically Catholic but increasingly secular European countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Vatican officials on Thursday amid sharp tensions between the White House and the Vatican. The tensions stem from Pope Leo XIV's criticism of Trump's anti-war stance and US foreign policy in the Middle East.
Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope, initially adopted a measured and discreet style focused on social priorities like poverty and artificial intelligence risks, but has recently moved toward a confrontational tone with US President Trump over policy disagreements.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Rome to meet Pope Leo XIV and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to discuss the Middle East situation and mutual interests, the State Department confirmed. The visit comes weeks after Trump criticized Pope Leo over his calls for peace in the Middle East.
Spain will deploy more than 13,000 police officers and Civil Guards to manage security during Pope Leo XIV's visit to Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands from June 6 to 12, the interior minister said, citing multiple potential threats including terrorism and social movements.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV during a trip to Rome this week, following Trump's recent criticism of the pontiff's anti-war stance. Rubio is also scheduled to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian officials, amid a widening transatlantic rift over Middle East policy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican this week, weeks after President Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV over his anti-war stance. Italian media reported Rubio, a Catholic, would meet the Pope on Thursday to "thaw" relations, and is scheduled to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Rome and the Vatican this week to meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, following tensions between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff's anti-war rhetoric and Trump's immigration policies.
Cameroon's defence ministry said its security forces killed 14 people it called "terrorists" in the town of Ndzerem-Nyam in the northwest on Sunday, claiming soldiers responded to heavy fire and seized weapons and explosives. An NGO, African Conscience, disputed this, characterizing the killings as "brutal killings of at least 14 persons mostly unarmed civilians" after military forces interrupted a cultural ceremony.