Pope Francis reminds armed forces only to act for defence and always respect international laws
Vatican City AP Pope Francis on Sunday told soldiers, police and other law enforcement officials from around the world that armed force can only be used for legitimate defence and must always respect international law. The pontiff reappeared in public for the first time since he was diagnosed with bronchitis on Thursday to celebrate an […]
Pope lists tragedies of children in war and trafficking at a rights summit
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis convened a high-level summit Monday to demand that children be protected from war, forced labour, trafficking and exploitation, throwing his moral authority behind a global initiative to uphold children’s fundamental rights despite the Catholic Church’s own poor record in protecting them from sexual abuse. Queen Rania of Jordan opened the […]
One in seven global Christians faces ‘high-level’ persecution: Open Doors report
United States RNS Driven by Islamic extremism, authoritarian regimes and war, high-level persecution and discrimination impacted 380 million Christians around the world in 2024, according to the annual World Watch List report by the evangelical non-profit Open Doors released on Wednesday. The World Watch List ranks the 50 countries where Christians experienced the most persecution […]
Essay: Band Aid sang ‘feed the world’ 40 years ago – where is hunger still an issue today?
RACHEL NORMAN, in an article first published on The Conversation, says that decades after the release of the hit song, there are many regions of the world where people are still suffering from acute food insecurity…
Essay: Finding hope amid the rubble of our world is not naive. It is necessary
Quaker and peace advocate, BRIDGET MOIX, in an article first published on Religion News Service, says that the work of advocating for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world will need to be continually renewed, not just this year but for many years ahead…
Essay: Food and fighting – five ways that conflict causes hunger
HEATHER KEITH, of Baptist World Aid Australia, looks at the connection between conflicts and food crises around the world…
UN adds Ukraine, Ethiopia, Mozambique to children killing inquiry
United Nations Reuters UN officials will investigate the killing and wounding of children in Ukraine, Ethiopia and Mozambique, UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday in a report that found 2,515 children were killed and 5,555 maimed in global conflicts in 2021. The annual Children and Armed Conflict report also verified the recruitment and use of […]
Essay: Ukrainian refugees might not return home, even long after the war eventually ends
In an article first published on The Conversation, SANDRA JOIREMAN, Weinstein Chair of International Studies and professor of political science at the University of Richmond, looks at what history shows about people displaced as a result of conflicts…
Offering “spiritual help”: Burkina Faso’s army chaplains tested by extremist conflict
SAM MEDNICK, of Associated Press, reports from West Africa on the challenges facing military chaplains amid ongoing conflict…
Vaccine barriers: Insecurity, suspicion will mar COVID-19 inoculation programs in Africa war zones
NITA BHALLA and MOHAMMED OMER, writing for Thomson Reuters Foundation, report on the barriers to distributing COVID-19 vaccines in war-torn parts of Africa…