Francis did not say whether this “compañero” was in fact among those killed, injured or taken hostage.
Gerard O’Connell
Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis calls for respect of human rights ‘above all in Gaza’
Pope Francis has called for the respect of “humanitarian rights…above all in Gaza,” as well as the guarantee of “humanitarian corridors” and the release of the hostages.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis calls for ‘the immediate release’ of all hostages taken by Hamas, expresses concern for Gaza civilians
Pope Francis today called for “the immediate release” of the more than 100 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza and, at the same time, expressed his deep concern at the “total siege” imposed by Israel on Gaza.
Posted inFaith, Synod Diary
Synod Diary: A synod doesn’t decide—it discerns
“The synod is not a council. It does not take decisions as a council does. Its task is to discern, not decide,” one synod member explained to me.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Poland’s new cardinal: Pope Francis’ critics behave ‘completely unjustly’
“We behave completely unjustly, unjustly toward the pope because the opposition to him is always based on one or two phrases taken out of context,” Cardinal Ryś said in an exclusive interview America.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis calls for end to conflict in Israel and Gaza: ‘Every war is a defeat’
As the death toll rises in Israel, Pope Francis prayer for the families of the victims and “for all those who are living through hours of terror and anxiety.”
Posted inFaith, Synod Diary
Synod Diary: What sets this synod apart? Prayer.
What strikes me most about the synod, now in its third day, is the climate of prayer that envelops it, Gerry O’Connell writes.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Interview: Pope Francis’ new cardinal in South Africa sees signs of hope despite ‘enormous’ corruption
Cardinal Stephen Brislin, 67, the archbishop of Cape Town, said he sees “enormous signs of hope” for South Africa today, notwithstanding the poverty and “enormous” corruption.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Analysis: The synod is not Vatican III. It’s Pope Francis’ implementation of Vatican II.
Pope Francis did not attend Vatican II, but from the beginning of his pontificate, he set out with determination to continue its implementation.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals from 16 nations on the eve of the Synod on Synodality
Pope Francis told the college of cardinals that it is called “to resemble a symphony orchestra, representing the harmony and synodality of the church.”