“The Church should not see “with anxiety” that “many churches, until a few years ago needed, are now no longer necessary, for lack of faithful and clergy, or for a different distribution of the population in cities and rural areas”, but welcome this change “as a sign of the times that invites us to reflect and requires us to adapt”. The Pope emphasized this in a message to the participants at the conference: “Doesn’t God dwell anymore?

Pope Francis concludes his catechesis on the Ten Commandments during the Wednesday General Audience, reflecting on the Ten Commandments in the light of Christ. The official summary in English follows.

Despite being the smallest state in the world, when it comes to diplomacy the Vatican plays in the big leagues. Today, it’s actively involved in peace talks in Africa, from the Central African Republic to Ethiopia, in mending past wounds with Cuba and North Korea, and in promoting welcoming policies for immigrants in the world and especially the West.

Three days ago I was reading one of the Catholic newspapers we receive, the National Catholic Register, and one of the articles highlighted the Christians who were preparing to celebrate Christmas in Qaraqosh in Iraq.*

There was a photo of their burned church, and someone posted it on our bulletin board.

Just reading that article stirred me to read a few things online about this Christian city that was so devastated by ISIS.

Crown Him with many crowns,

The Lamb upon His throne.

Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns

All music but its own.

Awake, my soul, and sing,

Of him who died for thee,

And hail him as thy matchless king

Through all eternity. — Crown Him With Many Crowns hymn

This Sunday, November 25, sends off Ordinary Time with a solemn celebration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Established by Pope Pius XI in 1925, it was meant to counter secularism as a denial of Christ’s kingship.

Stories of coexistence between the faithful of the two religions. The school that educates to fraternity, founded by Combonian missionaries, that is committed to interreligious dialogue.

It’s hard to imagine a better location than St. Peter’s Square for a Russian art exhibit that aspires to build a bridge not only between the Vatican and the Kremlin, but also between the individual and the universal.

Located in the Charlemagne section of the colonnade surrounding the famous square, the exhibit called Pilgrimage of Russian Art, From Dionysius to Malevich opened to the public Nov. 20. It showcases 54 masterpieces from the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow in a place that’s accessible to all.

In November 2016, at the end of the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis announced that from now on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, the penultimate Sunday of the liturgical calendar, would be dedicated to the poorest people in the world.

Sunday Nov. 18 is the International Day of the Poor. This is not a celebration of poverty equated with that type misery that should be eradicated, but of poor women and men who cannot be eradicated, because they are people. Christ told us the poor will always be with us. But why?

We sometimes justify ourselves by saying, "I only told the truth!" "Maybe, but you've revealed personal or confidential facts. How many chatters destroy communion through inconvenience or lack of sensitivity!

His Majesty King Abdullah delivered a speech at a ceremony in Washington DC as he accepted 2018 Templeton Prize on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. His Majesty underlined Jordan's historic privilege as the land of prophets and its role in maintaining and defending their message of peace and goodness.

Following is the full text of the speech:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Thank you, all.