Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, began a three-day visit to Slovakia on January 30 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the basic agreement, or concordat, between the Holy See and Slovakia.

Ukrainian Muslim leaders joined the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the presentation of the first Ukrainian translation of the Document on Human Fraternity.

The Pontiff also expressed hope that the Olympics “will be a favorable opportunity to promote the authentic values of sport: loyalty, respect, team spirit and sacrifice, as well as social inclusion and the joy of encounter.”

The January 30 papal telegram to Cardinal Cantoni followed a similar telegram to the archbishop of Milan.

With the headline “Un anno di dolore e violenze” (A year of pain and violence), L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent front-page article in its January 30 edition to the plight of the people of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, following the conquest of much of the area by the March 23 (M23) Movement.

“We are deeply concerned about the plight of our Haitian brothers and sisters living in the United States who will soon have their legal status and work authorization revoked due to the Administration’s termination of TPS for Haiti,” said Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, and Maronite Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of Los Angeles. “There is simply no realistic opportunity for the safe and orderly return of people to Haiti at this time.”

“The Trump Administration still has the opportunity to do the right thing—to safeguard human life, to uphold the law, and to promote greater stability for people in this country and beyond,” Bishops Cahill and Zaidan added. “We urge the Administration to act accordingly by extending this vital relief for Haitians.”

The bishops concluded:

Most importantly, we reaffirm the U.S. Church’s solidarity with our Haitian brothers and sisters, wherever they may be. We turn to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Patroness of Haiti, for her intercession; may she always be a source of strength and comfort for the Haitian people.

The intentions were released on January 30, the day that the Pontiff met with leaders of the Network, praised its work, and encouraged its leaders to invite young people to participate.