Pope Francis seems to be recovering nicely from his July 4 surgery, when the 84-year-old pontiff underwent a three-hour procedure for diverticular stenosis. But even with the best prognosis, age is catching up to Francis. Barring a miracle, he will only be expected to continue as pope for five or six years. We may look Read more
Throughout his pontificate, Francis has highlighted the plight of refugees. But he is not the first to do so. This year, as we observe World Refugee Day, America Magazine is testing reader’s knowledge of papal refugee statements. Read more Related Posts:More refugees bound for Timaru in AugustFirst refugees in NZ since border closed complete…Biden to raise refugee Read more
In four years participants in a Caritas campaign have logged about 600,000km in symbolic solidarity walks with migrants and refugees. The global “Share the Journey” campaign aims to build “bridges of hope between islands separated by fear,” says Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, president of Caritas Internationalis. Although the campaign has formally ended, its message continues. Read more
Refugees bound for Horowhenua are stuck in Ecuador due to a lack of international flights and safe travel routes. The quota programme started again in early February after borders around the world were closed due to Covid-19, and the first group of 35 quota refugees arrived within the week. The 90 refugees bound for Levin Read more
The first batch of refugees to arrive in the country since the border closed have now completed managed isolation. The 16 asylum seekers were prioritised as emergency cases because of a perceived high risk of death, jail, or expulsion from their own countries. As many as 1000 more refugees, approved to come to New Zealand Read more
In the Gospel of Matthew, there is a scene where the Pharisees and Sadducees, in their desire to test Jesus, ask him to show them a sign. In reply to them, Jesus says that in the morning when the sky is red and threatening you say that today it will be stormy. “You know how Read more
The number of refugees in the world may decline this year, but not for a good reason. Today, there are about 70 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, of whom 41 million are internally displaced in their own countries and 26 million are refugees, forced to flee their homelands. Refugees and displaced persons live under conditions Read more
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated Uzbekistan on the passage this week of legislation set to end statelessness for some 50,000 people in the Central Asian country. In a statement issued late Thursday evening by his spokesperson, the UN chief said that in granting nationality to those who previously had none, Uzbekistan is “profoundly Read more
In a motel’s car park in the balmy air of two-seasons tropical Port Moresby, I had an invigorating conversation with a man who asked me about snow. ‘Does it snow in Melbourne? I have not seen snow in six years. Where I am from there are seasons, and a foot of snow in the winter.’ Read more
Last month I joined with Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) to speak at a series of public forums around the country to discuss the future for asylum seekers who remain in limbo in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. So far I have spoken in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart and Launceston, Adelaide, Perth and Benalla in Read more