President Biden’s turnabout on the Paris climate accords was cheered by environmental activists in Africa, a continent that contributes a tiny amount to the problem of global warming but stands to suffer mightily because of climate change.
International
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Delays, corruption and misinformation thwart Covid-19 vaccination efforts across Amazon region
Covid-19 immunization campaigns must overcome enormous difficulties in reaching remote indigenous groups, isolated riverside communities and the villages of quilombola people, the descendants of African slaves.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Brazil plunges into Covid chaos while church fights the ‘hunger pandemic’
In Brazil under its Covid-19 lockdown: “At first, only the most vulnerable were starving, but the hunger queue is growing each day. It’s a hunger pandemic.”
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
The former gang member who negotiated a truce in Mexico’s third largest city
The gang truce in Querétaro was modeled after a similar pact among dozens of gangs in Monterrey. A nonprofit called Nacidos Para Triunfar played a crucial role in bringing gang members and civic authorities together.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis spoke out against oppression in Myanmar. Why is he silent on China and Hong Kong?
This is the second installment of a three-part series of interviews with Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
‘Stop blaming Trump’: Immigration advocates call on Biden to address the border crisis
Some things have changed on the southern border, but a lot of things remain the same, according to Catholic humanitarian groups on the ground.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Cardinal Bo issues strong denunciation of Myanmar’s military junta in homily for peace
With the Myanmar military taking a more direct role in efforts to suppress protests, the death toll rose quickly on Sunday.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Pope Francis celebrates 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines
Pope Francis recalled that when the Christian message first arrived, “You received the joy of the Gospel: the good news that God so loved us that he gave his Son for us. And this joy is evident in your people.”
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
It’s official: St. Patrick’s Day is canceled in Ireland
There will be no parades in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, and the government has warned that people who try to organize parties to celebrate the day will face fines and criminal prosecution.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Interview: How Pope Francis is transforming Catholic-Muslim relations
While churches and mosques have been built for centuries in close proximity to each other, the relationship between those who worship God inside these sacred houses of prayer has not always been as close.