Pope Leo XIV called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza with the release of hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid in his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff. “I too address the world’s great powers by repeating the ever-present call ‘never again war,’” Leo said from the […]
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USA Cardinal Robert Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV
USA Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday and has taken the name Pope Leo XIV a senior cardinal announced to crowds in St. Peter’s Square. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel on Thursday and the bells of St. Peter’s rang out, signalling that […]
Pope greets faithful for prayer from Rome clinic balcony
Pope Francis greeted supporters for prayers on Sunday from the 10th floor balcony of his hospital where he is recovering from colon surgery. “I am glad to be able to keep the Sunday Angelus appointment, even here” at the hospital, he said. “I have deeply felt your closeness and the support of your prayers. Thank […]
England’s Pope out until India series with thigh injury
England batsman Ollie Pope has been ruled out until at least the start of the Test series at home to India in August with a thigh injury, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Saturday. Pope suffered the setback when he injured his left leg batting for Surrey in a T20 Blast game against Kent […]
Pope’s ‘pain’ over bodies found at Canada’s church-run school
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis expressed his pain on Sunday over the discovery of remains of 215 children in a mass grave at a former indigenous boarding school in Canada run by the Church. But he did not go so far as to offer the apology that many people, including the Canadian government, have been calling […]
Sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church has been shaken by a string of child sex abuse scandals. In a bid to toughen its stance on paedophile priests and clergy, Pope Francis on Tuesday strengthened canon law on such crimes. Here are some high-profile cases from around the world: – United States – In 2019 Pope Francis […]
Turkish President Erdogan urges pope to help end Israel’s ‘massacre’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip on Monday urged Pope Francis to help rally the world to adopt sanctions against Israel for its “massacre” of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The phone call between Erdogan and the pontiff came as Turkey presses ahead with a furious diplomatic push to help end bloodshed that has claimed the lives […]
Pope warns of divisive ideologies in homage to Communist-era martyrs
Pope Francis warned against any new ideological attempt to sow fear or division in society on Sunday as he paid tribute to Christians in Romania killed or persecuted under Communism. Francis travelled to the central city of Blaj to beatify seven Communist-era bishops of the Eastern Rite Catholic Church who died in prison or as […]
Pope ‘begs for God’s forgiveness’ for sexual abuse scandal
Pope Francis in Ireland Sunday “begged for God’s forgiveness” for the child sexual abuse scandal rocking the church but faced accusations by a former Vatican official that he had personally ignored allegations against senior clergy. Francis is due to speak in front of some 500,000 faithful in Dublin’s Phoenix Park as part of his two-day […]
Abuse scandals loom over pope’s landmark Ireland visit
Pope Francis faces calls to take tougher action against abuse as he visits Ireland this weekend — a country where multiple scandals have badly damaged the image of the Catholic Church. The pontiff arrives on Saturday for his first visit to this former bastion of Catholicism, which was last visited by a pope in 1979 […]