logo
Pope Leo XIV sends food to families in Ukraine's Kharkiv

Pope Leo XIV sends food to families in Ukraine's Kharkiv

Herald Malaysia17-07-2025
Donations from Pope Leo XIV, sent through the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, have been delivered to the residents of the bomb-stricken Ukrainian town of Staryi Saltiv and city of Shevchenkove. The Holy Father has also asked that concrete aid be sent to those suffering from Typhoon Danas in Taiwan. Jul 17, 2025
Aid packages are loaded aboard a truck to help suffering families in Kharkiv, Ukraine
By Salvatore CernuzioActivity for Pope Leo may slow down during the summer—but not his charitable outreach.
The rest period of Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo does not apply to the solidarity initiatives being carried out for populations whose lives and dreams, as he said last Sunday during Mass at the parish of St. Thomas of Villanova, 'are being destroyed by war.'
Through the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, also known as the Office of the Papal Almoner, the Pope sent food parcels to inhabitants of certain areas of Kharkiv, Ukraine, recently devastated by heavy missile and drone attacks.
Trucks depart from the Basilica of Saint Sophia in Rome
'The Holy Father asked us to do it as quickly as possible,' Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, told Vatican News, regarding the conversation he had with the Pope about the aid delivery.
'Charity never takes a vacation!' emphasized the Cardinal.
In recent days, trucks filled with canned food, along with oil, pasta, meat, fish, and tuna, departed from the Basilica of Saint Sophia in Rome, which since 2022 has become a hub of solidarity from the entire city toward the suffering Eastern European nation.
Included in the shipments were also basic necessity items, with their destination being the village of Staryi Saltiv and the city of Shevchenkove, both in the region of Kharkiv.
The food was provided by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, an organization that promotes spiritual, cultural, and charitable initiatives in accordance with Christian principles in Italy and around the world.
The Order also supplied several pallets needed to carry out this latest mission. This initiative follows a similar one in June, when cargo shipments of mattresses, food, and children's toys were sent to Ukraine from the same Basilica.
Delivered directly to families' homes
Everything was delivered directly to the families who survived the raids, without any mediation or distribution by other aid agencies.
On the white boxes, the inscription in Ukrainian and Italian reads: 'Gift of Pope Leo XIV for the people of Kharkiv.'
The photographs bear witness to the emotion of these people upon seeing that Pope Leo XIV, just like his predecessor Pope Francis, has not forgotten their suffering.
The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, also told journalists today that "Pope Leo was informed of the victims and damage caused by Typhoon Danas in Taiwan, that he is praying for those affected, and has asked the Office of Papal Almonry to provide concrete help to the population."--Vatican News
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence
Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence

Herald Malaysia

time14 hours ago

  • Herald Malaysia

Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence

Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence In a message to participants in Pax Christi USA's annual National Assembly, Pope Leo says 'efforts to promote nonviolence are all the more necessary' in a world facing the challenges including war, division, and forced migration. Jul 27, 2025 Pope Leo (file photo) By Christopher Wells 'In the midst of the many challenges facing our world at this time, including widespread armed conflict, division among peoples, and the challenges of forced migration, efforts to promote nonviolence are all the more necessary,' says Pope Leo XIV in a message to the National Assembly of Pax Christi USA. The US branch of the international Catholic peace movement is meeting in Detroit, Michigan, this weekend (25-27 July) for a conference focused on 'Reclaiming the power of nonviolence in a broken world'. In his message, which was read to participants during opening ceremonies on Friday night, Pope Leo invited participants to recall that 'after the violence of the Crucifixion, the Risen Christ's first words to the Apostles offered peace,' a peace that is 'unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering'. Jesus, he continued, 'continues to send His followers into the world to become creators of peace in their daily lives'. Therefore 'it is all the more important for a Church capable of reconciliation to be present and visible' in parishes, neighbourhoods, and especially on the peripheries of society. Pope Leo expressed his hope that the National Conference would inspire members of Pax Christi USA to work to make their local communities ''houses of peace' where one learns how to defuse hostility through dialogue, where justice is practiced and forgiveness is cherished'. By doing so, he said, 'you will enable many more people to embrace Saint Paul's invitation to live at peace with their brothers and sisters'. The Holy Father concluded his Message by entrusting the Assembly to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church and imparting his Apostolic Blessing to participants.--Vatican News

'Potato king' myth in Germany's popular Sanssouci Palace debunked
'Potato king' myth in Germany's popular Sanssouci Palace debunked

The Star

time2 days ago

  • The Star

'Potato king' myth in Germany's popular Sanssouci Palace debunked

Generations of Germans believe Frederick the Great brought the beloved potato to Germany. The legend is this: King Frederick II of Prussia wanted his subjects to eat potatoes, introduced to Europe in the 16th century from South America. But the people of Prussia, which later became part of a united Germany, wouldn't touch the tuber. So the 18th-century monarch resorted to trickery. He placed royal guards and soldiers along the edge of his palace garden – thus creating the illusion that potatoes were a rare and valuable crop reserved for the royal family and its aristocratic friends. But the guards withdrew from their posts each night, creating an opportunity for enterprising locals to sneak in and 'steal' the spuds. Thus began Germany's love affair with the humble kartoffel and Frederick's rebranding as Der Kartoffelkonig or the potato king. Except it's all fake. Bogus. Phony. Or Falsch, as the Germans would say. And debunking it is a royal pain for Jurgen Luh, historian of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, even when history has receipts. Archives of royal menus show the king instead had a penchant for Italian food and French wine. 'He never ate it,' Luh said. 'Any potato. Not boiled, not fried.' A statue of King Frederick II of Prussia at the palace. What's true The unexciting truth is that the potato has been cultivated in Germany's Bavarian state since 1647, Luh said. Frederick's great-grandfather, Elector Frederick William, introduced it to the Brandenburg area of Prussia in the 1650s, but only because he liked the aesthetics of the plant's leafy greens. By the time Frederick the Great took the throne in 1740, the potato was grown in gardens throughout Prussia but not on a large scale. The king did actually issue royal decrees promoting the farming and production of potatoes, but his people ignored them. Potatoes did not become widespread in Prussia, in central and eastern Europe, until after the Napoleonic wars ended in 1815, after Frederick II's death in 1786. The guarded garden story, Luh said, is nonsense. And Frederick was more of a wannabe potato king than an actual one. But the fable has deep roots, and the myth makes money. To this day, visitors to Frederick's summer home of Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, outside Berlin, leave raw potatoes and paper crowns on the king's grave. The palace's gift shops sell potato merchandise, from postcards and children's books to a €35 (RM174) apron proclaiming the wearer as a Kartoffelkonig. Luh used to correct tour guides and visitors to the palace, but he's largely given up. Besides, he said, at least it means people are coming to Sanssouci and experiencing its rich history. 'The fact is that the legend has beaten the truth and the legend is just too beautiful,' he added. Luh has been educating tourists and even tour guides about the real history of potatoes in Germany. It's cultural Whatever its roots, the potato is undeniably part of the German cultural identity. At Biohof Schoneiche, an organic farm outside Berlin, workers will harvest roughly 2,500 metric tonnes of potatoes come the annual September harvest. 'In most parts of the world, potatoes are considered a vegetable. In Germany it's a staple food,' general manager Axel Boehme said. 'People cannot imagine having a meal without potatoes.' Regional recipes, passed down from every oma (grandmother) to each new generation, debate the merits of a vinegar- or mayo-based kartoffelsalat (potato salad). From boiled (salzkartoffeln) or pan-fried (bratkartoffeln) to dumplings and pancakes (kartoffelklosse and kartoffelpuffer), the versatile vegetable is intertwined with the country's emotional heritage. Anke Schoenfelder, project manager for German potato marketing company Kartoffel-Marketing, says her favourite tuber tradition is rooted in making 'Kartoffel-Karotten-Gugelhupf' (potato and carrot Bundt cake, recipe on the right) for family gatherings. 'Taste is memory, right? And when this is related to your family, this is even more part of your identity,' she said. The palace was once the summer home of King Frederick II of Prussia. Plus, Schoenfelder added, the potato can be used as a beauty product – the juice can be good for your skin, she says – or a household cleaner, for stubborn stains on the bottom of your oven. For now, Der Kartoffelkonig's legend lives on. As Luh was speaking to reporters in front of the king's grave, two tourists placed their offerings of potatoes on the tomb. One even took a selfie as she did so. 'I always think I should go here in the evening when I have no potatoes at home,' the historian joked. 'I could take them away and have a good meal afterwards.' – AP The potato and carrot Bundt cake or kartoffel karotten gugelhupf is often served during Easter in Germany. — Kartoffel-Marketing/ Potato and carrot Bundt cake recipe One 10-cup Bundt pan Time: 90 minutes Serves: 12 Ingredients: 250g high-starch potato (such as Russet and Maris Piper) 250g carrots 50ml carrot juice 50ml sunflower oil 4 eggs (medium-sized, room temperature) 200g sugar 1 packet vanilla sugar 125g almonds, ground 125g all-purpose flour melted butter to grease the mould 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs Wash the potatoes and boil them in salted water for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Let them cool slightly, peel them, and then press them through a potato ricer into a bowl. Wash and peel the carrots and grate them finely with the potatoes, using a vegetable grater or a mandolin. Generously grease the Bundt pan with oil or butter. Coat the pan with some breadcrumbs. Preheat oven to 200°C on the fan setting. Add carrot juice, sunflower oil, eggs, vanilla sugar, sugar, flour, baking powder and ground almonds to the mashed potatoes and grated carrots and mix with a hand mixer for about four minutes until a dough forms. Pour the potato-carrot cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes until cooked through (if necessary, cover the pan with aluminium foil after half an hour to prevent the cake from burning). Let the cake cool completely (you can also do this on a balcony or terrace) before decorating it with icing. This is important, because otherwise the icing will seep into the cake. In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar and a little lemon juice until thickened. Pour the icing over the cooled cake and decorate with your preferred toppings like chocolate chips, for example. Let it rest a bit to allow the icing to set.

Papua New Guinea receives funds to continue bringing spirit of Laudato si' to life
Papua New Guinea receives funds to continue bringing spirit of Laudato si' to life

Herald Malaysia

time3 days ago

  • Herald Malaysia

Papua New Guinea receives funds to continue bringing spirit of Laudato si' to life

Boasting more than 5% of the world's biodiversity on 1% of land area, Papua New Guinea receives payment to continue its work of conserving its forests and reducing CO2 emissions. Jul 25, 2025 National Forest Inventory Botany team members tag and record plant specimens collected the previous day at the NFI camp near Kupiano, Papua New Guinea. (© UN-REDD Programme) By Kielce GussieAt the beginning of July, Papua New Guinea (PNG) became the first small island developing State in the world, and only the second country in Asia and the Pacific after Indonesia, to receive a results-based payment for the country's work in halting deforestation and conserving forests. This payment is part of the initiative REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation plus), which is focused on encouraging and rewarding developing countries for their effort in this area. In an interview with Vatican News, Serena Fortuna, Senior Forestry Officer at the FAO, explained Papua New Guinea's work, its importance, and how the country's mission to protect the planet ties into Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato si' . Small but (bio)diverse Papua New Guinea is a nation consisting of the mainland and around 600 offshore islands. Despite being roughly the size of California, the country boasts one of the highest rates of forest cover in the world - 78%. As Fortuna described, the island nation is a hotspot for ecological variety, housing 'over 5% of the planet's biodiversity, but on less than 1% of the Earth's total land area', as well as 'more than 13,000 documented plant species.' Since it's home to an important treasure trove of biodiversity and untouched green spaces, Papua New Guinea, in recent decades, has become a leading voice on forests and the fight against climate change. Together with Costa Rica, PNG first proposed the concept of a global initiative that rewards developing countries for efforts to stop deforestation. Preservation for the future REDD+ was created as a result of this proposal. The initiative is a chance to increase discussion across different sectors and encourage participation from different groups of people—local communities, indigenous peoples, governments—to reach their national climate and forest goals.--Vatican News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store