Pope Francis, who died at age 88, leaves behind a legacy of advocacy for marginalized communities, including Black people, through actions like appointing the first African-American cardinal and condemning racism as a sin. His inclusive leadership reshaped the Catholic Church’s global power dynamics and opened the possibility for the election of the first Black pope.
Category: INTERNATIONAL
International News / Items from Around the World
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88
Pope Francis, the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, died on April 21 at age 88, leaving behind a transformative yet polarizing legacy marked by his humility, compassion for the marginalized, and progressive reforms that challenged conservative Catholic traditions. While he inspired many with his focus on social justice, interfaith dialogue, and a “poor church for the poor,” his papacy also stirred controversy over his approach to sexual abuse scandals, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and church doctrine.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
A Pentecostal church in South Africa holds mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous
A Pentecostal church in South Africa celebrated Easter Sunday with a mass wedding ceremony for about 3,000 people, many entering into polygamous marriages as part of the church’s traditions. The International Pentecost Holiness Church, which blends Pentecostal beliefs with African customs, held its largest wedding event yet at its 60,000-seat headquarters near Johannesburg.
Posted inU.S. Government
First signs of hope — Sen. Van Hollen meets with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador
Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s in-person meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador confirms that the Maryland resident is alive and well, bringing renewed hope to those demanding his safe return. The moment has sparked a call to action, urging the public to amplify awareness, pressure lawmakers, and stand united in defense of justice and democracy.
Posted inMaryland News
Fight over return of wrongfully deported Maryland man heats up
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said in an April 14 news conference that he will not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father wrongly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison last month. The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered the government to facilitate his return, but officials in both countries continue to pass off responsibility on who should initiate Abrego Garcia’s trip back to America.
Posted inNEWS
At least 100 people killed in attacks on famine-hit camps in Sudan’s Darfur, UN official says
Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces launched a brutal two-day assault on famine-stricken displacement camps and the city of el-Fasher, killing over 100 people—including 20 children and nine aid workers—and forcing thousands to flee. The attack marks a deadly escalation in the country’s ongoing civil war, which has created the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with half the population facing extreme hunger.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
The US has revoked visas for South Sudanese while civil war threatens at home
The Trump administration has revoked all U.S. visas for South Sudanese nationals, citing the country’s failure to accept deportees—an action South Sudan criticized as unfair and based on a mistaken identity. This move threatens to return individuals to a nation facing renewed civil unrest and underscores the stark shift in U.S. policy toward a country it once helped to independence.
Posted inCommentary
Why does America keep punishing Haitians for wanting freedom?
The U.S. has a long history of unfairly targeting Haitian immigrants with harsh policies, rooted in anti-Blackness and fear of Black liberation, and the latest attack on Haiti’s TPS is a calculated move to criminalize and deport nearly 500,000 Haitian migrants.
Posted inNational News
Markets plunge after China retaliates against White House tariffs
Wall Street suffered its worst week since the COVID-19 pandemic as escalating U.S.-China trade tensions sent the S&P 500 tumbling 6 percent and deepened fears of a global recession, despite strong U.S. job numbers. China’s retaliatory tariffs, combined with uncertainty over future Fed rate cuts and inflation concerns, triggered widespread market losses, with nearly all S&P 500 companies falling and key stocks with ties to China hit especially hard.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
A river ‘died’ overnight in Zambia after an acidic waste spill at a Chinese-owned mine
A Chinese-owned mine in Zambia has caused an acid spill into the Kafue River, contaminating the waterway and potentially affecting millions of people, with the Zambian government deploying the air force and speed boats to try to counteract the damage.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Why White House is singling out South Africa and accusing it of being anti-White and anti-American
The Trump administration expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, accusing him of being anti-American and supporting Hamas, while also imposing sanctions on the country over its domestic and foreign policies. The move escalates tensions between the two nations, which were already strained under the Biden administration due to South Africa’s stance on Russia and its accusations against Israel at the UN’s top court.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
US bans flights to Haiti’s capital until Sept. 8 as UN expert says gang violence is more dire
By Edith M. LedererThe Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States on TMarch 11 extended its ban on flights to Haiti’s capital until Sept. 8 because of escalating gang violence, which the U.N.’s human rights expert on the Caribbean nation said is more dire than ever. The Federal Aviation Administration’s announcement extends a […]