Religious groups are reacting strongly to President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. The United States is now one of three nations – the others are Syria and Nicaragua – not committed to the voluntary restrictions outlined in the agreement. Many worry about the effect Trump’s Read more
Melania Trump confirmed a little known fact after meeting Pope Francis last week: she is a practising Catholic. The American First Lady said it was a meeting she will never forget. Francis blessed her rosary beads during the audience which she, her husband President Donald Trump, first daughter Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attended. After her Read more
It’s an odd sight to see the Pope Francis – with his anti-war, anti-corruption, anti-violence and pro-environment beliefs – greeting President Trump whose policies are not those of the Western people he claims to represent says Robert Fisk. “After two days lecturing a collection of head-choppers, dictators, torturers and land thieves, Donald Trump at last Read more
In the course of their meeting Pope Francis gave President Trump a signed copy of his 2017 peace message entitled “Nonviolence — A Style of Politics for Peace,” and a copy of his 2015 encyclical letter on the need to protect the environment from the effects of climate change. “Well, I’ll be reading them,” Trump Read more
Proir to the meeting between Pope Francis and President Trump Bishop Steve Lowe of the Hamilton Diocese, said he was optimistic about the meeting even if they did not agree on the common issue. It seems Lowe’s optimism was not misplaced. According to a statement released by the Vatican Press Office, the discussions, which lasted about Read more
A battle between good and evil, rather than between religions is behind the global war on terror, President Donald Trump says. It is not a war between “different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations,” he said in a speech to leaders from Arab and Muslim-majority nations. Read more
American Cardinal Joseph Tobin has criticised President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. He has called on American Catholic leaders to resist the Trump administration’s views. He says “you really have to believe in inflicting cruelty on innocent people to choose to support the policies we’ve seen in recent months.” Read more
President Donald Trump says he will be nominating Callista Gingrich to be the next ambassador to the Vatican. Gingrich is the president of Gingrich Productions. She has produced a number of documentaries, including one about Pope St John Paul II. Her husband Newt Gingrich is the US former Speaker of the House. Read more
Pope Francis says he hopes he will be able to “open doors” when he meets with US President Donald Trump at the Vatican on 24 May. Francis told reporters he will listen to the President’s views before making judgements about him. Read more
Pope Francis has spoken out about the name “mother of all bombs” saying the word “mother” shouldn’t be used for a weapon. Speaking to a group of students visiting the Vatican on Saturday, Francis told them how ashamed he is of the bomb’s name. Mothers give life, not death, and suggesting a bomb could also Read more