Ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Athletica Vaticana encourages the athletes in fraternal friendship and reiterates Pope Francis’ appeal for an Olympic Truce.

“The Olympics and Paralympics can be strategies for peace and antidotes to war games.”

That was the message conveyed by Athletica Vaticana, the Holy See’s official sports association, in an open letter sent to the athletes participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris… Read more »

A new report issued by the UN’s Children’s Fund, UNICEF, reveals that nearly 400 children were killed in 2021, alone, across Europe and Central Asia, as drastically-increasing temperatures threaten the lives of the youngest and most vulnerable.

An estimated 377 children were killed in 2021 by rising temperatures across Europe and Central Asia.

This was the disturbing finding revealed today, 24 July, by UNICEF in a new analysis of data from 23 countries… Read more »

Cardinal Parolin and President Zelensky 
Photo: Vatican News

The institutional meetings held in recent days by Cardinal Pietro Parolin with Ukrainian leaders culminated on Tuesday morning in Kyiv with the meeting between the Cardinal Secretary of State and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Following the meeting, in a post on X, the Secretariat of State announced that the Cardinal reaffirmed “the Pope’s solidarity and the commitment to finding a just and lasting peace for war-torn Ukraine.”

Zelensky had already received a papal envoy in June last year… Read more »

On Sunday 21 July 2024, the SDC Centre of Ruiru (Kenya) celebrated the Ceremony of Candidates of Thomas Njuguna and Jacob Mukhamia. Superior General Roberto Zammit who is currently on an official visit to this SDC Centre was present for this important event. Pio Farrugia shared a reflection about the significance of this ceremony. The good number of Religious, parents, members of the St. George Preca Group and many children and young people who attended this occasion was encouraging… Read more »

Photo: Bernard Cachia

The BOV Volleyball Marathon ended at midnight Sunday but not before raising the sum of €466,688. 40 players went through 53 hours of volleyball in searing hot weather. It officially started at six in the evening on Friday in the presence of the President of Malta, Dr Myriam Spiteri Debono and continued non-stop since then.

Fr Martin Micallef, Director of Id-Dar tal-Providenza, thanked the people of Malta and Gozo, that once again responded with so much generosity to the call for fundraising for the Home through the Volleyball Marathon… Read more »

On Friday 19 July 2024, H.E. Dr Myriam Spiteri Debono, officially inaugurated the 14th edition of the BOV Volleyball Marathon in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza. Forty players, selected from a total of seventy applicants, started the challenge of fifty-three hours of non-stop volleyball for a noble cause.

In his welcome speech, Fr Martin Micallef while greeting the President of Malta, on her first visit to Dar tal-Providenza, said that the commitment of the players and volunteers sends a positive message to Maltese society that it is rewarding to give.  He added that it is wonderful to see young people filled with a great sense of generosity and altruism, who are ready to commit themselves in favour of initiatives in favour of people who need some kind of support, solidarity, or help… Read more »

This year Rev. Anġ Seychell turned 91 years old and Newsbook Malta visited him to find out more about his work with Caritas, the Clergy House, and the Nazareth Foundation for people with disabilities, which he established in his own home.

In a bed surrounded by hundreds of large books, next to the office he used in his home in Żejtun, Dun Anġ spoke to us about his life and what books mean to him… Read more »