Cardinal Dolan, delegation continue Israel and Palestine visit following attack

JERUSALEM (OSV News) — Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said he and other members of a delegation traveling in Israel and Palestine “feel safe and secure” on April 14, after Israel defended itself overnight from Iranian drone strikes and missiles. The cardinal is traveling in Israel and Palestine April 12-18 as chairman of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which supports the Catholic Church in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe. Israel’s military reported that Iran launched more than 300 attack drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israel overnight April 13-14. Most were intercepted before they could reach Israel’s airspace, but some got through. Iran’s bombardment was in retaliation for an April 1 airstrike it blamed on Israel that killed two Iranian generals within an Iranian consulate in Syria.

Pope plans to travel to Asia in September

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis is planning to make the longest trip of his papacy in September, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, the Vatican press office announced April 12. During the 12-day Asian tour, he intends to visit: Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, Sept. 3-6; Port Moresby and Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, Sept. 6-9; Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, Sept. 9-11; and Singapore Sept. 11-13. The last papal trip announced by the Vatican — a visit to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 1-3 for the U.N. climate conference — was canceled three days before Pope Francis was scheduled to leave because he was suffering from bronchitis. The longest foreign trip Pope Francis has made was his September 2015 visit to Cuba and the United States.

Pope backs peasant farmers in land dispute with Catholic group

- Catholic News Service