greek catholic church

Devout regulars attending Athens's main Roman Catholic church that honours a first-century saint have discovered a 21st- their donation box is now hooked up to a digital payments system. "The first church donation box with POS: Tourists requested it, the Church made it happen", said an article on the protothema.gr news website.

Pope Leo XIV, in his early actions as pontiff, met with the head of the Ukrainian greek catholic church, reaffirming his call for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war. He received a list of prisoners held by Russia and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people, advocating for prisoner release and the return of children to their families.

With Christmas round the corner, the humming of carol singers can already be heard as one passes by churches in the city.

Christmas celebrations in Syria have been limited to prayers in solidarity with the suffering in Gaza. The main churches in Syria, including the Syriac Catholic Church, Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic patriarchs, have cancelled festivities and are only holding religious ceremonies. The ongoing conflict in Gaza, where more than 20,000 people have been killed, has dampened the Christmas spirit in Syria. Damascus, the capital, has a lone market and the Greek Orthodox Mariamite Cathedral has modest decorations. The gloom is further compounded by Syria's economic woes, including fuel shortages and daily power cuts.

Pope Leo XIV pledged to prioritize peace in the Middle East and Ukraine, emphasizing support for Eastern Rite churches facing persecution. He acknowledged the exodus of Christians from conflict zones and vowed Vatican assistance in reconciliation efforts. Leo also spoke with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, reaffirming his stance against Russia's actions.

Pope Francis expressed his hope that the upcoming synod at the Vatican would foster unity and fraternity within the Catholic Church, rather than causing further polarization. The synod, a month-long meeting, will discuss the future of the Church and has been a source of controversy. Supporters see it as an opportunity to give a greater voice to lay Catholics and marginalized groups, while conservatives fear it may erode traditional doctrine. The synod will include about 365 members with voting rights, including women for the first time.

Pope Francis has appointed 21 new cardinals, expanding the College of Cardinals and reinforcing his influence on the body that will elect his successor. The new appointees include the oldest, 99-year-old Monsignor Angelo Acerbi, and the youngest, 44-year-old Bishop Mykola Bychok. This selection emphasizes the Pope's commitment to diversifying the church's global representation.

Church doors will be shut and the Vatican sealed off when Pope Francis leads 1.3 billion Catholics in Easter Sunday celebrations held under a worldwide coronavirus lockdown. "We have to respond to our confinement with all our creativity," Francis said in an interview published by several Catholic newspapers this week.

A tech billionaire. A closed-door lecture series in the shadow of the Vatican. A theological argument that turns two thousand years of Christian thought inside out. This is not a culture war spat. It is something far stranger.

India's first home-grown Bible, meant to help Catholics understand their faith in the context of Indian culture and tradition has run aground ...

What a Pope signifies for Catholics is unique. No other religion is led by a figure of such stature. Part of the reason is that the prestige of the church was a result of imperial political strategy