By Courtney Mares Pope Leo XIV said he has "no fear" of President Donald Trump's administration and responded to Trump's criticism by telling journalists that his message to the US president is "the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the peacemakers." Speaking aboard the papal plane, a chartered ITA Airways flight en route from Rome to Algiers, Pope Leo said that he had seen Trump's rece...

Against the inescapable backdrop of global unrest, economic uncertainty, and mounting cost of living and social pressures, the joy of Easter has been fully embraced among the faithful with churches across the country - in both capital cities and regional centres - reporting excellent attendance across all services. Here in the Archdiocese of Perth, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has urged...

Australians have been urged to take up the invitation of Pope Leo XIV to pray for peace. Pope Leo will celebrate a prayer vigil for peace in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Saturday 11 April (6pm Rome time) and has invited all people of goodwill across the world to join him in prayer. “Let us continue to pray for the gift of peace for the whole world,” Pope Leo said. The call comes ami...

By Carol Glatz Appealing to those in power to end all conflicts through dialogue and not domination, Pope Leo XIV urged humanity to stop growing accustomed to wars and violence and announced a prayer vigil for peace on April 11. "We cannot continue to be indifferent! And we cannot resign ourselves to evil!" he said during the Easter Mass on 5 April, before giving his Easter blessing urbi...

By Bishop of Geraldton, Michael Morrissey “Peace be with you all!” With these words, Pope Leo XIV greeted the world after his election in 2025 and went on to say,“these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for God’s flock…a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us al...

As the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, Caritas Australia has said it is receiving increasingly grave reports from its partners across the region. In a recent update, Caritas Australia said Caritas Middle East and North Africa had expressed deep concern over the devastating humanitarian consequences for civilians, noting that communities already living in fragile conditions are now ...

By Junno Arocho Esteves , OSV News Pope Leo XIV has called for an end to the war in Iran and warned that the conflict could drag more countries in the Middle East into instability. Speaking to pilgrims after praying the Angelus prayer on March 8, Pope Leo said developing news from Iran and from across the Middle East has caused “deep dismay.” “Amid episodes of violence and devastation...

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year marking the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, highlighting the saint’s enduring message of peace, holiness, and care for creation. In a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary and announced by the Franciscan Friars, the Vatican declared a Year of St Francis that runs from 10 January 2026 to 10 January 2027. P...

Echoing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council’s theme, ‘Sent forth in strength and hope,’ the week emphasises unity and reconciliation through mutual respect and deep listening to First Nations peoples.

Speaking in an opinion column published in The Australian this week, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB highlighted that the fragile ceasefire of Israel and Hamas offers some hope that the worst of the violence might be behind us, but the repercussions from the horrors of 7 October will continue to play out for many years.