Pope Francis has just launched a jubilee year
25 years after John Paul II during the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of Saint Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve. Placed under the sign of hope, this holy year will encourage millions of pilgrims to go to Rome. In 2000, on the occasion of the last ordinary jubilee, approximately 25 million faithful traveled to the Eternal City.
A close friend of the pope met the new Syrian leader on Tuesday
Ahmad Al-Charaa received in Damascus the vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land, Father Ibrahim Faltas, alongside representatives of the country’s Christian Churches. With several other Franciscan brothers, this close friend of Pope Francis went to Syria a few days ago to “ provide solidarity and support to the suffering Syrian people ».
The Secretary of State of the Holy See in Jordan
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin will represent the pope at the consecration of a church along the Jordan River. This is one of the sites recognized as possibly being the place of Christ’s baptism. The celebration will take place on January 10. The church, known as “Bethany beyond the Jordan“, is located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, nine kilometers north of the Dead Sea. The site was classified as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2015.
In Belarus, a Catholic priest was sentenced to 11 years in prison
After a closed trial, the Minsk Regional Court found Father Henrykh Akalatovich guilty of “treason against the state» for criticizing President Alexander Lukashenkocandidate for re-election in the presidential election on January 26. This conviction signals the hardening of religious repression in Belarus.
The diocese of Besançon has launched an architectural competition to restore a church
This is the church of Saint-François-d’Assise, to the southwest of the city. Built in the 1970s, the current building has become dangerous due to poor workmanship. Applications are open until March 17.
