International
The pope proclaims Father Manuel Ruiz López and six other Spanish Franciscans saints
Pope Francis proclaimed saints this Sunday the Spanish Manuel Ruiz López and seven other Franciscan friars, six of them Spanish, murdered in Syria in 1860, during a year of persecution and massacres against Christians.
Francis used the Latin formula as usual to proclaim his holiness and ask that they be inscribed in the books of the saints of the Church.
“We continue the work of Jesus in the world. In this light we can remember the disciples of the Gospel who are canonized today. Throughout the eventful history of humanity they were faithful servants, men and women who served in martyrdom and joy, like Brother Manuel Ruiz López and his companions,” said the pope at the canonization ceremony in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, in the presence of faithful.
Manuel Ruiz (Burgos, 1804) was murdered in the city of Damascus in 1860, when Christians in Syria and Lebanon suffered massacres by members of the Druse community.
At that time he was superior to the convent of San Pablo and was the victim of the fury of a multitude of Druss who on the night of July 9, 1860 broke into the Christian mud of Damascus. A few 30,000 people lived there, thousands of them were massacred and some took refuge in the monastery of Ruiz and the rest of the minor friars.
With him they beheaded seven Franciscans today also canonized, including the Spaniards Carmelo Bolta, Nicanor Ascansio, Nicolás María Alberca, Pedro Nolasco Soler, Francisco Piñazo Peñalver and Juan Fernández, and the Austrian Engelbert Kolland.
The religious received a proposal from the Ottoman governor of the time to take refuge in his residence, but they rejected it when they did not want to leave the people who sought to protect themselves in the convent alone.
Other canonized
The Maronite lay Francesco Massabki, Mooti Massabki and Raffaele Massabki were also canonized at the ceremony. They were three brothers from Damascus closely linked to the community of the Franciscans who were in the convent of St. Paul along with the rest of the friars, where they also died murdered in the same massacre.
This Sunday, the Italian priest Giuseppe Allamano (1851-1926), founder of the Institute of the Missionaries of Consolata and the Missionary Sisters of Consolata, was also proclaimed saints, the Italian Elena Guerra (1835-1914), founder of the Congregation of Oblates of the Holy Spirit – known as the Sisters of Santa Zita-, and the Canadian Marie-Léonie Paradis (1840-1912), founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.
Among those attending the ceremony were authorities such as Félix Bolaños, Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Spanish Government’s Courts.
International
Argentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
Empowered by his midterm election victory, Argentine President Javier Milei is relaunching his administration and opening dialogue with other political forces, focusing on three major reforms: tax, labor, and pension systems, which form the core of his ultra-liberal agenda.
The government approached the legislative elections amid financial turbulence, which eased following Milei’s triumph. It now faces the challenge of reviving a stagnant economy while consolidating its political project.
The first step will be negotiating the country’s first budget law in two years, with the vote likely postponed until December, when the government expects to have more favorable numbers in Congress.
Milei’s party will have an expanded bloc, but it will not gain full control of the legislature. Preliminary results indicate that, starting December 10, the administration will hold around 100 of 257 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 19 of 72 seats in the Senate.
To advance his so-called “second-generation reforms” in 2026, Milei has called for dialogue with provincial governors and other political parties.
International
Melissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
Hurricane Melissa caused significant damage and widespread flooding in Cuba on Wednesday (October 29, 2025), following its devastating passage through Jamaica as the strongest storm to make landfall in the island in 90 years.
After striking Jamaica as a Category 5 hurricane with violent winds and torrential rains, the Jamaican government declared the country a disaster zone. In Haiti, the cyclone has already caused 20 fatalities, although authorities expect the number to rise due to an unknown number of missing persons.
In Jamaica, there were three deaths, the same number reported in Panama, and one death in the Dominican Republic.
Melissa then made landfall in eastern Cuba with slightly reduced strength and maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h. “It has been a very difficult night. Significant damage has occurred, and Hurricane Melissa is still over Cuban territory,” said President Miguel Díaz-Canel in his first assessment of the situation.
In Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city in the eastern region, the storm flooded homes and streets and knocked down trees, utility poles, and power lines. Cuban authorities reported that around 735,000 people were evacuated, particularly in the provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Holguín, and Guantánamo.
International
Jamaica faces widespread destruction as hurricane Melissa hits the island
Jamaican authorities reported on Tuesday that Hurricane Melissa, which weakened to a Category 4 storm just hours after making landfall in Jamaica, caused damage to six hospitals and left roads flooded, along with downed power lines and fallen trees, according to preliminary data.
Videos shared by local media and social media users show strong gusts of wind impacting Kingston in the southeast and southern municipalities of the island, causing power outages and damaging the roofs of several homes.
Flooded roads and damage to several medical institutions have also been reported. The Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Kingston experienced blocked access after a utility pole fell onto its premises. Part of the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland also suffered severe damage when hurricane-force winds ripped off its roof.
Additionally, Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton reported on Tuesday that four hospitals sustained “significant damage” due to Melissa. The affected medical facilities are Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover, Black River Hospital in Saint Elizabeth, Cornwall Regional Hospital in Saint James, and Falmouth Hospital in Trelawny.
At Cornwall Regional Hospital, damage was limited to staff areas, which have since been repurposed for other uses. The Ministry stated that it is actively coordinating with the Southern Regional Health Authority and emergency services to stabilize hospital operations.
Argentina’s Milei opens dialogue with parties to push “Second-Generation Reforms”
Melissa leaves path of destruction in Caribbean, 735,000 evacuated in Cuba
Jamaica faces widespread destruction as hurricane Melissa hits the island
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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