Middle East

Continuing to illustrate the Ten Commandments, Francis stressed that in the words: " I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" there is the fact that "the love of God precedes the law and gives it meaning ".

Humanitarian aid, economic and financial issues, humanitarian principles to be respected are at the center of the meeting. Absent the main operating organizations in the field. It weighs the missed invitation to the Shiite militias, active part of the conflict. The Emirates reject UN peace plans that involve Houthi involvement.

"During the cordial talks - a Vatican statement informs - the good bilateral relations existing between the Holy See and France were underlined, and the contribution of religions to the promotion of the good was pointed out, with particular reference to the commitment of the Church. common".

Patriarch Sako will be created cardinal on 29 June. He appeals to Iraqi Christians who fled from the Islamic State to come back and those who remain to stay. “I never imagined that such terrible things could happen to our people," he said. Christians must help “Islam to open up, to help it develop a new reading of the sacred texts, a realistic reading that puts them in their historical and cultural context".

Largest national protests since 2012; the Grand Bazaar is brought to a standstill. Small business worried about the collapse of the local currency against the dollar. The police respond with tear gas, two arrests. The government is ready to intervene with concessions and access to credit.

"When we consign children to deprivation, the poor to hunger, the persecuted to war, the old to abandonment, are we not instead doing, the 'dirty' work of death? Where does the dirty work of death come from? It comes from sin ". Thinking about bioethics, not "starting from illness and death", but "from the profound conviction of the irrevocable dignity of the human person".

The Turkish president is elected in the first round of the vote with 53 per cent. Turnout was 87 per cent. In his first speech Erdogan pledges to fight terrorists, threatens the opposition. International observers faced obstacles during the poll. In Diyarbakir people celebrate pro-Kurdish party, which makes it into parliament.

Social media comments brand Francis as a "politician", as a "tool of soft power" against the United States, whose moves destroy the Church and the mission in China. But there is also appreciation for his continuing to hold open the door to dialogue, and for his esteem for Chinese culture. The Chinese Communist Party reiterates that religions must be "independent" and must not be influenced "from abroad". The foreign ministry spokesperson reiterates - as it has for years - the "sincerity" with which China dialogues with the Vatican. Card. Zen’s prayer for Pope Francis.

Tehran's chief of diplomacy re-launches efforts to save the JCPOA after the unilateral withdrawal of the United States. The government does not want to collapse a system built with difficulty, The flight of European companies in fear of US retaliation. The Iranian currency falls on the dollar.

At the Angelus, Pope Francis emphasizes that "the life of a person is a gift from God", even if today "we are led to plan everything, even the characteristics of our children". Every family "a sanctuary of life". Applause for beatification of "la Chiquitunga", the discalzed Carmelite girl Maria Felicia Guggiari Echeverrìa, yesterday in Asuncion (Paraguay).

Set for tomorrow, the general elections will renew parliament and choose the next president. The economy, war in Syria and Kurdish issue hot topics among voters. Analysts and experts speak of the "most important" vote in the modern history of the country. Erdogan focuses on nationalist leverage. The oppositions seek unity to stop the domination of the "sultan".

The solidarity of the whole Catholic world "has come to meet the emergencies of wars and migrations, but above all it has been able to guarantee the life of the Churches, pastoral and evangelization activities, social and welfare works". The distinctive identity and vocation of Jerusalem "must be preserved beyond the various tensions and disputes".