Catholic Fire

The high-profile meeting between Pope Francis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lasted just 25 minutes. - Good morning. - It's a pleasure and an honor to see you. But it was a major step forward in building relations between these two states, so intricately tied to their religious nature. By-passing the chit chat, the two leaders spoke about re-starting negotiations, for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Another main topic was the Pope's confirmed visit to Israel in 2014. The Vatican said the dates wouldn't be announced until after a special advance team traveled to the Holy Land to assess the logistics. -Your Holiness, a pleasure to meet you. I heard so many good things about you. After the meeting, Netanyahu introduced his 13-member delegation, including his wife Sara. -My wife's father was a great biblical scholar. He also introduces several government ministers and staff from the Israeli embassy. With Hanukkah endin...

April 22, 2013. (Romereports.com) The Custodian of the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, sent an urgent message asking for emergency donations to help support Syrian families. The ongoing violence is escalating among rival groups, and already hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes. One year since the civil war started, Syrian families lack food or work because all industries have been destroyed. This past week, renewed fighting southwest of Damascus killed more than 550 people, mostly women and children. The Custodians of the Holy Land are active in many Syrian cities like Damascus, Aleppo, Latakia and Orontes. Inside the Franciscan convents, medical dispensaries have turned into shelters for anyone, without religious or ethnic affiliations. They've received Alawite and Sunni Muslims, Christians, as well as injured government and rebel troops. For this reason, the Custodians of the Holy Land ask for direct assistance to help keep up their chari...