Press reports have indicated that the world’s biggest Christ statue, a 121-foot-tall giant of concrete placed on a 20-foot-high platform, will shortly be unveiled in a small city in the south of Brazil.

Such a step indicates that the religious dynamics in Brazil, which is thousands of miles away from the Holy Land and the birthplace of Lord Jesus, can never be deciphered. This religious dynamics is always present in the hearts and minds of those who are suffering from mundane problems and do not find a way out.

Pope Francis' words at the Mass for the feast of Corpus Domini indicate the source of every authentic ecclesial journey.

Our world has all the time been an arena of conflicts, wars, and violence. It is a place where virtue and evil have all the time been at loggerheads. With evil prevailing most of the time, it is triggered by people’s lust for power, wealth, and fame at the expense of oppressed people. Yet no matter how evil prevails, virtue is the triumphant in the end.

Peace has not taken root so far in the nascent state of South Sudan. It is a wish that the South Sudanese people have been aspiring to bring about since the attainment of independence.

The South Sudanese people including Christians, who account for 60 per cent of the population, anxiously look forward for the long-awaited Pope Francis’ visit to their country, in the hope that such an important visit would entrench peace in this country where damage has been wreaked following years of wars and instability.

The fifth of June is the World Environment Day, and societies worldwide have been celebrating it since its establishment in 1972. This day presents a common basic vision on how to meet the challenge of preserving and enhancing the human environment under the supervision of the United Nations.

The Catholic Church has all the time served as a sublime model to be emulated with regards to the verbatim application of the divine teachings of Lord Jesus, as stated in the Holy Bible, which call for love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness.

Prayer is one of the most important things Christians can do. It is a time when they communicate with the Prince of Peace, Lord Jesus Christ, and experience the joy of being in the company of their Savior who cares for them, alleviates their suffering, and heals their diseases.

Praying is an opportunity to spend time with the Lord and to hold dialogue with Him using simple words that express the warmth of love, faith, closeness, and reliance on Him.

His Holiness Pope Francis paid a visit to the Dicastery for Communication on Monday, May 24, on his first-ever visit to the Holy See’s historic Radio station.

During the visit the Pope prayed saying, “Lord, teach us to come out of ourselves, and to set out in search of the truth. Teach us to go and see, teach us to listen, not to cultivate prejudices, not to draw hasty conclusions.…” 

Every time I discuss Independence Day, I get a rush of pride that stems from the many accomplishments of our nation, especially in aiding humanity in our region. It’s the kind of pride that does not reflect arrogance, but a passion that should not be limited and should be encouraged, since it has a positive effect and influence on the one nation.

Pope Francis significantly widened the scope of the next planned meeting of the world's Catholic bishops, postponing the event by one year to allow for periods of consultation in every local diocese and at the continental level before the opening of the usual Vatican gathering of prelates.

In an unexpected announcement May 21, the Vatican said the pontiff had chosen to take the move so that the next Synod of Bishops would better involve "listening to all of the baptized."