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Dear brothers and sisters, Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace... In the context of the 2003 Iraq war crisis, Saint John Paul II, a tireless advocate for peace, said with deep emotion: “I belong to that generation that lived through World War II and, thanks be to God, survived it. I have the duty to say to all...

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, My heart is heavy as I look toward Lebanon – a land long marked by faith, suffering, and perseverance. Lebanon is not merely another nation in conflict. It is home to one of the oldest and largest Christian populations in the Middle East, where the name of Jesus Christ has been professed continuously since the earliest centuries of the Church. In that sacred land stands the shrine of St. Charbel Makhlouf, a humble monk whose life of prayer, penance, and Eucharistic devotion has borne extraordinary fruit. Known as the “miracle monk of Lebanon,”...

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again Wednesday in response to Israeli attacks against the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon, casting doubt over whether an already precarious ceasefire to end more than a month of war will hold. The United States and Iran both claimed victory after reaching the agreement, and world leaders expressed relief, even as more drones and missiles hit Iran and Gulf Arab countries. Israel also intensified its attacks in Lebanon, hitting several commercial and residential areas in Beirut without warning. At least 112 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in one of the deadliest days...

Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government... Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools...

I urge everyone to accompany this moment of delicate diplomacy with prayer, in hopes that a willingness to dialogue may become the means to resolve other conflict situations in the world as well. #PrayTogether #Peace

Pope Leo XIV used his first Easter speech Sunday to deliver a resounding call for peace in times of renewed war, declaring, “Let those who have weapons lay them down!” On Palm Sunday, Leo said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.” He quoted Isaiah 1:15: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen — your hands are full of blood.”

There are several instances in the Old Testament (and one or two in the N/T) where we read that David was not allowed to build a temple for God: 1 Chronicles 22:8: "But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me." And this: 1 Chronicles 28:3: "But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name because you are a man of war and...

The latest media palpitation about Donald Trump concerns his just-announced “Board of Peace.” Unveiled as an initiative to manage the introduction of tranquillity and physical reconstruction of that pile of rubble formerly known as Gaza, the Board of Peace seems to be filling all the empty space in the parking lot reserved for international relations. Think Big! The BoP now seems to take as its mandate international conflict more generally. Reporting on the fledgling enterprise, a story on ABC News mournfully told the world that “Critics and government leaders are decrying the board, saying it undermines the United Nations.” Is...

A permanent seat on US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts will cost countries $1 billion each, according to its charter. Invited world leaders include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. US President Donald Trump's government has asked countries to pay $1 billion for a permanent spot on his "Board of Peace" aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter, seen Monday by AFP. The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier...

A Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States for talks Saturday on a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the nearly 4-year-old war as Russian attacks again took aim at Ukraine's power grid, cutting electricity and heating in freezing temperatures. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, said he arrived in the U.S. to discuss "the details of the peace agreement." Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Budanov said he, together with Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Davyd Arakhamia, would meet with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. Zelenskyy...

The US president is expected to chair the board, which is to oversee a Palestinian committee charged with managing war-ravaged Gaza as the peace plan enters its second stage. Since the plan came into effect in October, Israeli attacks have continued in the enclave, where key questions remain over withdrawal and disarmament. US President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 16, announced the formation of a Gaza "board of peace," a key phase two element of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. "It is my great honor to announce that the board of peace has been...

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia agreed with ⁠President Donald Trump that it was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, not Russia, who was holding up a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Trump's assessment in an interview with Reuters contrasted that of European allies, who have consistently argued that Moscow has ‍little interest in ending the fighting and wants to take as much ‍territory as it can while seeking to stave off further Western sanctions. "I think he's ready to make a deal," Trump said ⁠of Putin when speaking to Reuters in the Oval Office on Wednesday....

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top adviser ⁠hailed "concrete results" on Wednesday as talks in Paris on peace and security guarantees for Ukraine entered their second day, vowing Kyiv's national interests would be protected. Ukraine is seeking strong backing from allies in the event of a ceasefire with Russia while also pushing ⁠back on a Kremlin demand that it give up its eastern Donbas region in exchange ​for peace. "Not all information can be public, but there are already concrete results, (and) our work continues," Kyrylo Budanov, who was appointed head of Zelenskyy's office last week, said ⁠on the Telegram app. "Ukrainian...

The leaders of the United Kingdom and France signed a declaration of intent on Tuesday to deploy “coalition of the willing” troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, providing security guarantees for Kyiv.Following a meeting in Paris of American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, European leaders, and top Ukrainian officials, British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a declaration of intent to deploy a multinational military force in Ukraine to enforce a potential ceasefire with Russia.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she would “certainly love” to personally give President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity that Venezuelans believe Trump deserves to share the honor for his role in the collapse of Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Machado made the remarks during a Monday night appearance on Hannity, following U.S. air strikes over the weekend that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

KYIV, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday Kyiv was discussing with Washington a possible presence of U.S. troops in Ukraine as part of security guarantees, and also raised what he called a faked attack on Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence. Zelenskiy told the media in a WhatsApp chat that Kyiv was committed to continuing talks on how to end the war triggered by Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion and he was ready to meet Putin in any format.U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he and Zelenskiy were "maybe very close" to an agreement to end...

The United States has declared it is ready to take part in postwar security guarantees for Ukraine, including the possible deployment of American troops once a peace deal with Russia is reached, Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, has said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not confirm Tusk’s comments, telling journalists on Tuesday: “These are the troops of the United States, and only the U.S. makes such decisions.”

President Donald Trump on Sunday said Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed and suggested access to cheap energy could be part of a future settlement. He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying that his recent conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin left him believing Moscow is interested in a stable and prosperous Ukraine, even as Russia's war against the country continues. "I believe Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed," Trump told reporters, adding that economic incentives — including access to low-cost energy — could help underpin...

War may be a boon to politicians and bankers, but it is life-or-death for everyone else. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is returning to the White House on January 28 to discuss the Russia-Ukraine War. The visit ostensibly concerns a proposed twenty-point “peace plan” that European Union “elites” have constructed to counter President Trump’s ongoing peace negotiations with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. Given that the European proposal essentially denies Russia any of its stated military objectives, Zelensky’s efforts appear to be little more than another theatrical scene designed to demonstrate to the world his (insincere) willingness to sue for peace....

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday he believes both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin truly want peace, as he welcomed the “brave” Ukrainian leader for talks at his Florida resort.“The two leaders want it to end,” Trump said at the outset of the meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Before Zelenskyy arrived, Trump spoke with Putin by phone for more than an hour, and planned to speak with him again soon after.Greeting Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said of him: “This gentleman has worked very hard, and is very brave, and his people are very brave.”Zelenskyy,...