Free Republic

In this video we discuss why all Christians should pray the Rosary.

CWN Editor's Note: In a June 18 address to the Conference of European Churches, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople strongly criticized a “’new ecumenism” that champions “traditionalistic values.” “Some American evangelical Christians, who had previously considered Catholic and Orthodox Christians as pagans worshipping idols, now appear willing to work with certain Catholic and Orthodox Christians in order to support these values,” he said. This ‘new ecumenism’ has even gone so far as to anoint President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation as its political champion, and Patriarch Kirill of the Orthodox Church of Russia as its spiritual leader.” “We see...

Israeli investigative reporter spat on, harassed in Jerusalem while dressed as a Catholic priestAmid cascading Jewish violence against Christians in Israel, a television journalist exposes the gravity of these crimes and law enforcement’s apparent complicity.Jewish extremists are attacking Christians in the Holy Land. With just a few clicks, tell your congressional representatives to condemn the violence TODAY.JERUSALEM (LifeSiteNews) — An Israeli journalist investigating “spiraling hate crimes against Christians in Jerusalem” dressed as a Catholic priest for one day and experienced being spat on and derided by Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem.Journalist Yossi Eli from local Channel 13 donned...

Pope: The Holy Spirit is our guide on the path to Christian UnityPope Francis receives members of the International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Disciples of Christ. Christian unity, he notes, is achieved by walking and praying together and with works of charity. By Michele RaviartThe Holy Spirit is the "memory and guide who opens new and unforeseen trails where we thought that the way was closed or cut off". This was reiterated by Pope Francis who received members of the International Commission for Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Disciples of Christ in audience.The...

Patriarch Bartholomew believes that actions against the Koran are an attack on the religious sphere as a whole.On June 18, 2023, during a sermon at a liturgy in the Tallinn Church of Sts Simeon and Anna, Patriarch Bartholomew spoke about the importance of an ecumenical dialogue, reports fosfanariou. He recalled that "for more than a century, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has advocated ecumenical relations with other Christian communities and confessions." According to Patriarch Bartholomew, the ecumenical dialogue “is not really limited to the inter-Christian sphere, but goes beyond it, to the inter-confessional level”, where Phanar became a pioneer in communication “with...

Bishop Pain said that he decided to become a Catholic when reflecting on his future following his retirement A sixth former Anglican bishop has announced his decision to become a Catholic in just the last four years. Bishop Richard Pain, who retired as bishop of Monmouth in 2019, is the first Anglican bishop from Wales to join the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. He will be received into the full communion at the church of St. Basil and St. Gwladys, Rogerstone Newport, Wales, on July 2, by Msgr. Keith Newton, the leader of the Ordinariate. Msgr. Newton said:...

The delegation met with Vatican officials and prayed for the well-being of Pope FrancisA Thai delegation led by senior Buddhist monks visited the Vatican, which a Vatican official described as "a pilgrimage of friends.” The delegation met with top Vatican officials and prayed for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis during the two-day visit last week, Vatican News reported. The eighty-member delegation met with the representatives of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue at the Augustinianum Institute on June 15. The members of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, including Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso, Prefect of the Dicastery, and Monsignor Indunil...

A joint commission of Orthodox and Catholic theologians met in Alexandria, Egypt, for a week earlier this month, resulting in the adoption of the document, “Synodality and Primacy in the Second Millennium and Today.”Representing the Orthodox Church were Their Eminences Job, Metropolitan of Pisidia, Co-President of the Joint Theological Commission, Maximos Metropolitan of Silivria and Fr. Alexis Torrance (Ecumenical Patriarchate), Gennadios, Metropolitan of Botswana, Petros Metropolitan of Accra and Professor Gregory Liantas (Patriarchate of Alexandria), Archbishop Nektarios Anthidonos and Professor Theodoros Giagkou (Patriarchate of Jerusalem), Metropolitan Joseph of Western and Southern Europe and Fr. Patriciu Vlaicu (Patriarchate of Romania), Metropolitan...

Patriarch Bartholomew sent a warm letter to Pope Francis.On June 8, 2023, Patriarch Bartholomew sent a letter of support to Pope Francis, who had undergone an intestinal surgery the day before, Romfea reports. The head of the Phanar assured the pope of his ardent prayers and noted that modern Christians should not seek worldly success, but demonstrate fidelity to the Gospel. Patriarch Bartholomew is sure that Catholics and Orthodox should move towards complete unity. “I am sure that as they walk this path together, Catholics and Orthodox will gain a deeper understanding of the ties that already bind them in...

After disagreements on the Russian war against Ukraine, relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Vatican were "practically frozen". Now dialogue has been resumed.

Rome Newsroom, Apr 21, 2023 / 09:25 am The head of the Coptic Church is scheduled to offer the Orthodox Divine Liturgy in the Catholic Archbasilica of St. John Lateran in Rome on May 14. According to Father Martin Browne, an official at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, this liturgy will take place in the context of an official visit of Coptic Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria to the Vatican and “has been arranged following appropriate consultation.” In comments to the National Catholic Register on April 21, Browne drew a distinction between the Orthodox liturgy scheduled for May...

About 50 Anglican clergymen, who are not in communion with the Catholic Church, took part in religious services at the highest-ranking papal basilica in Rome on Tuesday, April 18. The Vatican later released a statement of regret, attributing the incident to a failure in communication. The clergymen, who were accompanied by Bishop Jonathan Baker of the Church of England, are part of the Anglican Communion, which broke away from the Catholic Church in 1534 amid King Henry VIII’s frustration that he could not receive an annulment for his marriage. The Catholic Church does not consider Anglican holy orders valid and...

from the Archbishop of Canterbury website: An Iftar is the meal that Muslims share, often with other friends and neighbours, at the end of each day of fasting in the month of Ramadan. Speaking before the breaking of the fast, Archbishop Justin expressed his appreciation for the good relations that Christians and Muslims enjoy in the UK, and spoke of the need of people of different faiths to stand together against the backdrop of terrible violence and suffering, particularly in the Middle East. “There is much that we need to talk about, and much that we can work on together;...

WCC, Roman Catholic Church underscore commitment to walking, praying, working togetherDuring a visit with Pope Francis in Rome on 23 March, a World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation and the Roman Catholic Church committed to walking, praying. and working together for justice, reconciliation, and unity.Those gathered noted that, as the WCC is entering a new phase of leadership, the global fellowship expresses gratitude for the message of Pope Francis to the WCC 11th Assembly, particularly the vision that a common mission as followers of Christ is to bring reconciliation to the world and to inspire churches to continue their journey...

The Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue praised the Muslim period of Ramadan as 'important' to Christians in a message which contained no mention of Jesus Christ.VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican has issued Ramadan greetings to Muslims, writing that the Islamic period of Ramadan is important also to “Christians.” In a message released March 24, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue addressed the Muslim world via a “congratulatory message” under the title “Christians and Muslims: promoters of love and friendship.” Dated March 3, the message was signed by the Dicastery’s prefect, Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J, and its secretary. “The...

Participants including Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, are seen following a multifaith prayer service as part of a worldwide fossil fuel Divestment Week of Action at St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta. Image: Michael O’Farrell/ARRCC/SuppliedOn Thursday 9 March, a multi-faith prayer service was held at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, as part of a worldwide fossil fuel Divestment Week of Action, initiated by the global Catholic Laudato Si’ Movement. Held during the season of Lent, the Week of Action is to encourage people of faith across the world and their organisations to consider divesting from fossil fuels as part of...

Denver, Colo., Feb 21, 2023 / 09:35 am The three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — now share a common place to worship in the predominantly Muslim United Arab Emirates with the opening of the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi. Such was the dream of Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb, who in 2019 signed a historic pledge calling for peace and brotherhood between religions and nations. Four years later a synagogue, church, and mosque sit opposite a secular visitor pavilion in an interfaith complex meant to encourage goodwill and understanding. Representing the pope for the...

As is well known, big-hearted Pope Francis doesn’t take sides in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. As far as he is concerned, both sides are equally guilty of unleashing violence against the other; both deserve to be chastised and their respective acts of violence equally deplored. But of course there is no moral equivalence between Palestinian terror groups, that plot to stab, shoot, and blow up with rockets innocent civilians, and the IDF, that seeks to defend the people of Israel by punishing and preventing such attacks. (snip) Note the order of things. The Pope first expressed his sorrow about the “dozens...

Pope Francis once again championed the notion of 'fraternity' through interreligious action in various ecumenical speeches over the weekend.JUBA, South Sudan (LifeSiteNews) –– Both in his ecumenical “pilgrimage of peace” and in his message for the International Day of Human Fraternity, Pope Francis recently called for religions to “increasingly intertwine” in the “service of brotherhood.” Over the past few days, Pope Francis has once more renewed his oft-spoken calls for increased interreligious dialogue and activity, reawakening concerns that leading prelates have made in the wake of such statements over the years. Religions must ‘increasingly intertwine’ to promote ‘fraternity’The first came...

Rome, Italy, Feb 5, 2023 / 11:35 am (CNA). Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s death was used by people in a self-serving way, Pope Francis said aboard the papal plane returning from South Sudan on Sunday. “I think Benedict’s death was instrumentalized by people who want to serve their own interests,” he said during an in-flight press conference Feb. 5. People who instrumentalize such a good and holy person, Francis added, are partisans and unethical. There is a widespread tendency to make political parties out of theological positions, he said. “I leave it alone. These things will fall on their own,...