President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the A.N.C. remained steadfast in advocating for peace between Israel and Palestine. He said the A.N.C. stood with Palestine and its citizens, who have been oppressed for more than 70 years.

Pope Francis today called for the silencing of guns in Gaza and declared Oct. 27 a World Day of Prayer for peace.

Despite his public antipathy toward Catholicism, a number of Brian Moore’s novels dealt subtly and deftly with the profound emotional impact of struggles with faith.

From Brian Moore's earliest and best known novel, 'The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne,' to his last, 'The Magician’s Wife,' the mystery of belief has haunted his best fiction.

When asked whether the women in the synod hall felt they were being heard, Sister Pat Murray replied as any tough nun might: “We have been well able to make our point and use our time and space well.”

“It was a great blessing to be able to speak with him,” Sister Nabila Saleh said. “He gave us courage and the support of prayer.”

Until the early 20th century, the Catholic Church in the United States was “the recipient of help from the church in other lands,” recalls Anthony Andreassi, C.O., in his homily for World Mission Sunday. “Now it is our turn to reach out to support others so that this important work of evangelization can continue."

Francis did not say whether this “compañero” was in fact among those killed, injured or taken hostage.

Sandesh Gonsalves, who leads the Jesuit Refugee Service team in Afghanistan, reports that Afghans are struggling in the wake of a “massive” earthquake that struck on Oct. 7. According to U.N. sources, the humanitarian aid system in Afghanistan is already desperately overstretched and underfunded, with over 29 million Afghans in need of assistance.