Pope Francis has warned that a return of 1930s era nationalism and populism is undermining the hard-won peace and international alliances of the post-war period.
A report by the British All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief said the rise of nationalist "Hindutva" ideology — which defines 'Indian' as exclusively Hindu — has led to an increase in religious oppression in the country.
The birth of Jesus teaches Christians that love is more valuable than anything else and is what will change the world, Pope Francis said. "In Bethlehem, we discover that the life of God can enter into our hearts and dwell there. If we welcome that gift, history changes, starting with each of us," the pope said in his homily at Mass Dec. 24 in St. Peter's Basilica.
Every Christmas Eve, hundreds of people from all over the world crowd outside the octagonal-shaped chapel in Oberndorf, Austria, to sing along to one of the world’s most-beloved Christmas carols: Silent Night. It’s a scene especially poignant this holiday season, as 24 December 2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the song’s humble origins in Oberndorf.
The Vatican’s Secretary of State has told delegates at the UN Climate Summit that climate change is caused by humans and that we all bear responsibility to protect and value creation. Speaking at the COP-24 conference on Tuesday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the international community also has a moral responsibility to address climate change.
Just once in a while, in the middle of a complex and difficult political muddle, there can come a moment when the voice of common sense can be heard above the clamour, ringing with the blessed clarity of a bell from a church steeple. “What I want,” said the plaintive voice of a woman on the radio this week, “is for all this nonsense to stop.”
Shortly after the 2016 referendum, a friend of mine, an experienced diplomat, said of Brexit that it could best be understood as a type of cult, played out on a vast – and therefore catastrophic – national stage. We both knew of the likely range of disastrous consequences that would flow from the “decision” that the “people” had supposedly then just taken.
Former Pakistan cricket star Imran Khan has pledged to help the weakest in society after declaring victory in what is being perceived as the country's most controversial general election.
In a world where national egotism is growing stronger, fraternity still has something to offer. The concept has formed part of the France's motto of “liberty, equality, fraternity” since 1848. Now, France’s Constitutional Council has ruled that fraternity “must be respected as a constitutional principle by the legislator and may be invoked in legal hearings.”
Lord (Chris) Patten, the former Conservative party chair, has launched an attack on fellow Tories, “right-wing English nationalists” and elements of the press who are seeking to drive through Brexit having used immigration to win the referendum two years ago.