Author: Pilgrim Kompass Team

Welcome to Italy’s Workers’ Day Celebration! Mark Your Calendars: Workers’ Day in 2025! Italy gears up to celebrate Labour Day – known as the Festa dei Lavoratori or Festa del Lavoro – with a national public holiday on 1 May every year. And in 2025, this special day falls on a Thursday, giving Italians the perfect opportunity to enjoy a long weekend by taking Friday off work. The annual event, observed in over 80 countries worldwide, pays tribute to the labour movement and the remarkable social and economic accomplishments made by trade unions on behalf of workers. In Rome, the…

By AC Wimmer CNA Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 21:48 pm Archbishop J. Michael Miller, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vancouver, British Columbia, is calling for prayer after a deadly car-ramming attack claimed at least 11 lives during a Filipino heritage celebration in the Canadian city. “I was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic events that took place yesterday during the Lapu-Lapu Day celebration in Vancouver,” Archbishop Miller said in his April 27 statement. “What should have been a joyful gathering to honour Filipino heritage has been overshadowed by sorrow and shock.” A man drove an SUV into…

By Victoria Cardiel Rome Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 21:29 pm The six-kilometer journey that transported Pope Francis’ body from St. Peter’s Basilica to St. Mary Major featured profound symbolism and emotion. Here are some of the more significant moments: Departing through “the door of his home” After the funeral Mass, pallbearers carried the coffin not through St. Peter’s Square but via the Perugino Door, steps from Casa Santa Marta — the Pope’s Vatican residence throughout his 12-year pontificate — from which he often “escaped” for surprise visits around Rome. The Mexican popemobile as hearse In a gesture rich with…

By Hannah Brockhaus Rome Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 17:45 pm In a heartfelt video message released posthumously, recorded in January, Pope Francis imparted wise words of advice to young people, urging them to focus on mastering the art of listening. Shared by the Italian magazine “Oggi,” the video surfaced just a day following the funeral service of Pope Francis, who passed away at the Vatican on April 21. The video captured a moment from January 8 when Pope Francis engaged with a group of teenagers and young adults participating in “Listening Workshops,” an initiative started by the Italian Luca…

As dawn breaks, the line is already long. Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the rector who opens the Holy Door at 7 am, the entrance to the basilica where Pope Francis is buried, greets the first faithful, moves barriers, and gives instructions to his staff. His face shows surprise and a smile at the overwhelming affection for the Pontiff who chose Santa Maria Maggiore, in the heart of Esquilino, one of Rome’s most multicultural neighborhoods, as his final resting place. Video Pope Francis among the faithful visiting the tomb at S. Maria Maggiore A coincidence that resonates so coherently with Francis’ style.…

Carissimi ragazzi e ragazze, una delle cose più importanti nella vita è saper ascoltare. Quando qualcuno ti parla, è fondamentale aspettare che finisca di parlare per capire appieno il messaggio e rispondere con attenzione. L’arte dell’ascolto è essenziale. Il Papa Francesco ha condiviso questo invito ai giovani in un video registrato l’8 gennaio da un ospite a Casa Santa Marta. Il messaggio, diffuso dal sito del settimanale Oggi e ripreso anche da Vatican News, era rivolto ai partecipanti ai Laboratori dell’ascolto, un’iniziativa ideata da Luca Drusian che coinvolge giovani e adulti su diverse tematiche, offrendo a molti l’opportunità di sperimentare…

Welcome to the Sede Vacante 2025: A Time of Prayer and Reflection In the solemn setting of the Sede Vacante 2025, on April 27th, the second day of the Novendiali, a series of Masses in suffrage for the soul of the deceased Pope, was celebrated. St. Peter’s Basilica once again became the spiritual center of the Catholic world, where the College of Cardinals, along with faithful from all over, joined in an intense prayer of thanksgiving and hope. The celebration was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, who in his homily recalled the…

Welcome to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where members of the esteemed College of Cardinals recently gathered to pay homage to Pope Francis. This special visit was followed by a moving prayer session of Second Vespers. Vatican News On the evening of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, the College of Cardinals came together at the historic Basilica of Saint Mary Major to honor Pope Francis. His tomb, open to the public since early morning, was the focal point of their visit. As the Cardinals paid their respects, the atmosphere was filled with reverence and solemnity.…

By Valerie Joy Escalona Manila, Philippines, Apr 27, 2025 / 06:00 am The Philippines is set to make history on April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday, as it becomes the first nation in the world to consecrate itself entirely to Jesus through divine mercy. This groundbreaking event will mark a significant moment for the country and its people. In 2016, at the Pan-African Congress on Divine Mercy Sunday in Rwanda, bishops in Africa consecrated the entire continent to divine mercy. However, the Philippines will be the first singular nation to take this remarkable step towards spiritual renewal. Father James Cervantes of…

By Kristina Millare Rome Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 09:45 am Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin presided over the solemn Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday held in St. Peter’s Square, highlighting the need for the Church to follow in Pope Francis’ footsteps as “instruments of mercy for humanity” in the world today. “Only mercy heals and creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred and violence: this is the great teaching of Pope Francis,” Parolin said in his Sunday homily. “Pope Francis was a shining witness of a Church that bends down with tenderness towards those…