Catholic Fire

Msgr. Pietro Parolin welcomed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for a very brief meeting at the Vatican. Now, I'm headed to Kuwait to do a major conference for Syrian refugees. The short visit underscores the pivotal role Pope Francis has gained in international affairs since taking office. John Kerry made the pit stop in Rome to discuss the peace process between Israel and Palestine. In the past months, he pushed for negotiations, but with no success so far. Thank you so much for arranging this, and thank you so much for doing this on s hort notice. With Pope Francis visiting the Holy Land in May, the United States sees the Pope as a key ally in pushing both sides to the negotiating table. The meeting lasted an hour and forty minutes. Both two secretaries also talked about Syria, South Sudan, and the healthcare reform in the U.S., a big sticking point between the government and American bishops. Before saying goodbye, Kerry introduced some of his staff. His assist...

On Monday morning, Pope Francis co-celebrated Mass at Casa Santa Marta with Ibrahim Sidrak, the Coptic Catholic Patriarch of Alexandria. The two prayed for peace in the Middle East region. POPE FRANCIS "For the first time, I have the joy to welcome as Bishop of Rome a new Patriarch that has come to complete an important act of communion with the Successor of Peter.” Pope Francis asked all Christians to be creative in order to achieve peace, and to never stop searching for opportunities for encounter.