Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul’s famed Blue Mosque early on Saturday, on the third day of his trip to Turkey. It was the first time the American pope, elected in May as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, visited a Muslim place of worship since taking over from his late predecessor, Francis. The Blue…
Pope Leo XIV called on Sunday for the release of over 300 hostages taken from the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri in the Agwarra local government area of Niger state. “I learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon,” he said. The…
Leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has stated that both Christians and Muslims “have been slaughtered” in Nigeria, linking the violence to extremist activities as well as economic and land-related tensions. The Pope’s remarks came amid heightened international attention on Nigeria’s worsening security situation. The Pope made the comments in a video…
The United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa will on Thursday, November 20, 2025, hold a high-profile open hearing to examine President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations. If upheld by the US Senate, the CPC label empowers Washington to impose targeted…
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Edward Daleng, an Augustinian priest, as the new vice-regent of the prefecture of the pontifical household. The Vatican announced Daleng’s appointment on Monday. The prefecture of the papal household is one of the Vatican’s oldest and most vital offices. It oversees the pope’s engagements and ensures that they proceed with…
Bells rang out Sunday over St Peter’s Square as Pope Leo XIV created seven new saints, including the first from Papua New Guinea, an archbishop killed in the Armenian genocide, and a Venezuelan “doctor of the poor.” Also canonised during the solemn ceremony, under sunny skies in the vast plaza on World Mission Day, were…
Pope Leo XIV declared Carlo Acutis the first saint of the millennial generation, marking his first act as pope in the canonisation of a modern digital figure on Sunday. This took place in a momentous ceremony at St. Peter’s Square. Tens of thousands—especially young Italians—filled the square to bear witness. Acutis, who succumbed to leukaemia…
As tensions between the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other, threaten to escalate into a full-scale regional war, Pope Leo XIV has issued an impassioned plea for peace, warning that conflict only fuels greater suffering and leaves lasting scars on generations. In a message shared on his verified X…
Pope Leo XIV has said a prayer for the people of Benue over the recent killings in the state. On June 14, over 100 people were reportedly killed in attacks by suspected herdsmen in Yelewata and Daudu communities, in Guma LGA of Benue state. The attack comes less than 48 hours after the killing of…
A Facebook user claims that Pope Leo XVI and other bishops have pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kalu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from detention. The claim by @NgoziCommedy was accompanied by a video showing Tinubu in conversation with some bishops. The two-minute, 29-second video has…