Vatican

Vatican seeks explanations from Instagram after Brazilian model gets ‘papal’ like

The Vatican said it was seeking explanations from Instagram after Pope Francis’s official account liked a photo of a scantily dressed Brazilian model. The Guardian reports that it was unclear when the…

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EU Bishops call for solidarity and hope on path towards better future

The Bishops of Europe have addressed a message of hope and a call to solidarity to European Institutions and Member states amid the health crisis that has overwhelmed the world…

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Polish cardinal accused of sexual abuse dies aged 97

A Polish cardinal who was accused of sexually abusing a minor has died at the age of 97, Poland's Roman Catholic Church said on Monday. Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz, the former…

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God entrusts talent to each one according to his or her abilities. Use it for good – Pope Francis

On the penultimate Sunday of the liturgical year, Pope Francis reflected on the Parable of the Talents in St Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus shares this parable in His discourse on the…

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Photo Story: Pope celebrates a Mass marking the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor

Pope Francis on Sunday celebrated Mass to mark the World Day of the Poor, and urges Christians to spend our lives in prayer, charity, and witness to the Gospel on…

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Pope Francis congratulates Biden, stepping into political fray

Pope Francis offered his “blessings and congratulations” to U.S. President-elect Joe Biden in a phone call on Thursday, seeking to rebuild rapport with Washington after four years of sometimes contentious…

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Pope vows to ‘uproot evil’ of clerical sexual abuse

Pope Francis, in his first public comment after the release of an explosive report on the Vatican's mishandling of the case of ex-U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, on Wednesday again vowed…

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Report into disgraced ex U.S. cardinal shows failings by popes, top clerics

Pope John Paul II promoted ex-U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick in 2000 despite rumours of his sexual misconduct, a Vatican report found, one of a series of failings by popes and…

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American bishops welcome Biden’s election citing ‘time for unity’

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops congratulated the Democratic candidate: "We acknowledge that he joins the late President John F.…

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Australian media face trial over Cardinal Pell’s child sex abuse case reporting

A trial began on Monday alleging dozens of journalists, editors and media companies breached an Australia-wide court suppression order in reporting on ex-Vatican treasurer George Pell's child sex abuse conviction…

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Pope appeals for peace in Ethiopia and Libya

Pope Francis appealed to Ethiopian authorities to choose the path of peace and expresses his hope that the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunis may yield peace and stability in…

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Pope shakes up running of Vatican funds after London property scandal

Pope Francis has stripped the Vatican's Secretariat of State of control over its own funds, moving them to the supervision of its economic offices in an attempt to contain the…

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Vatican investigating Polish archbishop over alleged cover-up of sexual abuses

The Vatican has ordered an investigation into the former archbishop of Gdansk on suspicion of negligence over sex abuse allegations, a month after the pope accepted the resignation of a…

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Papal prayers on All Souls’ Day

Pope Francis' prayer on the tombs of the popes buried in the Teutonic cemetery in Rome, 2 November 2020. Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass on All Souls' Day for the…

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Papal audiences return to streaming after COVID case

Pope Francis’ weekly general audiences, which had resumed with the public participating, will be moved back indoors and held virtually after one participant tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican…

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Former cardinal Angelo Becciu under investigation

Former cardinal Angelo Becciu is under investigation in the case of Cecilia Marogna, a 39-year-old Sardinian manager and consultant he allegedly paid large sums of money to, newsweekly L'Espresso said…

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Pope brings 9 people closer to sainthood

Pope Francis has authorized the promulgation of several decrees regarding nine people who are on the path toward canonization; Vatican News reported Wednesday. The news came Wednesday following a meeting…

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Pope Francis expresses dream of a Europe of solidarity and respect for all peoples

Pope Francis, in a letter to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, shares his visions of a Europe of the future, marked with solidarity, friendship and unity, and true…

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No public for Pope’s Christmas’ liturgies

Pope Francis' Christmas liturgies at the Vatican will be offered without public participation this year, as countries continue to react to the coronavirus pandemic. According to a letter seen by…

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Pope Francis announces the appointment of 13 new cardinals

The Church will have thirteen new Cardinals. Nine of them are younger than 80 and therefore, have the right to participate in a future conclave. Four others are older than…

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China extends deal with Vatican on bishops by two years

China and the Vatican have decided to extend a deal on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in China by another two years, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.…

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Pope wears mask for first time at public event

Pope Francis wore a mask for the first time at a public function on Tuesday when he and other religious leaders attended a prayer service for peace around the world.…

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Pope expresses support for detained Italian fishermen in Libya

Pope Francis expressed support on Sunday for 18 fishermen held in Libya, weighing in on a standoff between Italy and the administration of Khalifa Haftar, one of the North African…

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On this day, 42 years ago, Polish cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope

October 16, 1978, 42 years ago, was a Monday. It was already dark when, at 6.18 p.m., white smoke billowed out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, after black…

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Covid cases among Swiss Guards at the Vatican increase to 11

The number of COVID-19 cases among the Swiss Guards rose to 11 on Thursday.Another seven cases were added to the initial four reported earlier this week.The Vatican said all precautions…

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Pope Francis tells faithful to respect COVID-prevention rules

Pope Francis told the faithful to respect the authorities' COVID-19 prevention rules at the end of his weekly general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday. "I'd like to do what…

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Italian woman with links to Cardinal Angelo Becciu arrested

A 39-year-old Italian woman with links to a deposed Roman Catholic cardinal was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Vatican’s latest financial scandal, Italian police and the Vatican said.…

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Pope meets Cardinal Pell after abuse conviction overturned

Pope Francis met on Monday with Australian Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican's former economy minister who has returned to Rome after the firing of an Italian cardinal whom Pell had accused of obstructing financial…

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Pope Francis – “Pull investments from companies not committed to environment”

Pope Francis on Saturday urged people to pull investments from companies that are not committed to protecting the environment, adding his voice to calls for the economic model that emerges…

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Carlo Acutis 15-year old who used the internet for good beatified

A 15-year-old Italian computer whiz who died of leukemia in 2006 moved a step closer to possible sainthood Saturday with his beatification in the town of Assisi, where he is…

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Pope calls for clean finance in Moneyval meeting

Pope Francis insisted on the need for clean finance which serves humanity, especially the weakest memebrs of society. While addressing evaluators of the Moneyval Programme, the Head of the Catholic…

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Senior Catholic Cardinal denies claims he sought to influence Pell trial

A senior Catholic cardinal was forced to deny claims that he misused more than 700,000 euro in Vatican funds in an attempt to 'buy' hostile testimony against Australian cardinal George…

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Photo Story: Swiss Guard swearing-in ceremony at Vatican

Papal Swiss Guards during the swearing-in ceremony at the San Damaso Courtyard in Vatican City, on Sunday 04 October 2020. The ceremony commemorates the 147 Swiss Guards who died defending…

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Pope says free market, ‘trickle-down’ policies fail society

Pope Francis said on Sunday that the COVID-19 pandemic was the latest crisis to prove that market forces alone and “trickle-down” economic policies had failed to produce the social benefits…

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Pope Francis signs Encyclical Fratelli Tutti in Assisi

Pope Francis went on Saturday to Assisi for the fifth time during his pontificate. There he signed his new Encyclical Fratelli tutti, before the tomb of St Francis of Assisi, after…

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(Pope) Francis visits (St) Francis Hometown in Francis style

Pope Francis waves from the seat of a car as he on the square of the lower Basilica of San Francesco, in Assisi, Italy, 03 October 2020. In the basilica's…

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Cardinal Pell back in the Vatican

Cardinal George Pell, who left the Vatican in 2017 to face child sexual abuse charges in Australia, returned to Rome on Wednesday to find a Holy See mired in the…

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Pope denies audience with Pompeo

The Vatican said on Wednesday it had denied a request from Mike Pompeo for an audience with Pope Francis, and accused the Secretary of State of trying to drag the…

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Reports Cardinal Pell returning to Vatican

Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ former finance minister, will soon return to the Vatican during an extraordinary economic scandal for the first time since he was cleared of child abuse…

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Pope Francis appeals for peace in Caucasus

Pope Francis has appealed to conflicting parties in the Caucasus nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan to “accomplish concrete deeds of goodwill and fraternity” for a peaceful solution. Speaking on Sunday…

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Fired cardinal Becciu denies wrongdoing – Pope lost trust in him

An Italian cardinal fired from his powerful Vatican post said on Friday Pope Francis had accused him of embezzlement and nepotism, but he denied wrongdoing and said he was still…

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Pandemic led to explosion of new forms of poverty – Pope Francis to European bishops

In a message to the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) on the occasion of its Plenary Assembly, which took place online from 25 to 26 September, Pope Francis…

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Pope to UN: Use COVID crisis to come out better, not worse

Pope Francis urged world leaders Friday to use the coronavirus emergency as an opportunity to reform the injustices of the global economy and the “perverse logic” of the nuclear deterrence…

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Key Vatican cardinal resigns suddenly

A powerful Vatican cardinal caught up in a real estate scandal resigned suddenly on Thursday and gave up his right to take part in an eventual conclave to elect a…

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Pope insists ‘the only way out of the current crisis is all together’

Speaking during the General Audience in the Vatican, Pope Francis spoke about a post-pandemic world and reflected on the principle of subsidiarity, whereby every level of society has a role…

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Vatican signs new MOU to fight corruption

The Prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, Fr Juan Antonio Guerrero, and the Auditor General ad interim, Alessandro Cassinis Righini, signed on Friday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding…

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Bishop Mario Grech officially appointed General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops

The Holy See Press Office noon-day bulletin on Wednesday contained the news that Pope Francis accepted on Tuesday the resignation of Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri from his position as the General…

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Pope Francis pays tribute to Italian priest killed in Como

Pope Francis on Wednesday paid tribute to an Italian priest killed by an immigrant suffering from mental illness, while far-right politician Matteo Salvini called for a "vendetta". Father Roberto Malgesini,…

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Photo Story: The Pope stresses need to care for each other

Photos provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis (R) exchanges his zucchetto with a faithful on the occasion of this morning's general audience which took place in the courtyard…

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Pope appeals to protestors and governments

Pope Francis addressed the “numerous popular manifestations of protest” throughout the world in remarks spoken after the Angelus on Sunday. Pope Francis turned his thoughts to those protesting in numerous…

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Pope warns against seeking political, economic gain from coronavirus

Pope Francis said on Wednesday no one should seek economic or political gain from the coronavirus pandemic and vaccine developers should not see it merely as a profit-making endeavour. Francis…

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Pope Francis describes gossiping as a plague worse than Covid

Pope Francis has described gossiping as “a plague worse than Covid” which is seeking to divide the Catholic Church. Francis on Sunday strayed from his prepared text to double down…

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“All brothers” : Latest Pope Francis encyclical to be signed in Assisi

Pope Francis will visit the Italian town of Assisi on 3 October to sign a new encyclical. In a statement released on Saturday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo…

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Pope tells leaders post-pandemic economic models must change

Pope Francis said on Friday that the coronavirus pandemic had "toppled the shaky pillars" of a world economic model built on the idolatry of money and domination by the rich…

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European bishops demand Belarus allow return of Catholic leader

Roman Catholic bishops urged Belarus’s leader Alexander Lukashenko to let its most senior cleric come back into the country. Minsk’s archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz (photo), who has angered Lukashenko by defending…

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Pope all smiles at first public audience in 6 months, appeals for Lebanon

Pope Francis held his weekly general audience in public for the first time in six months on Wednesday, smiling and chatting as he re-emerged from the constraints of the coronavius…

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Pope Francis appeals for dialogue in the easter Mediterranean

Pope Francis prayed for the "instability" in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. "I follow with concern the tensions in the eastern Mediterranean", he said. The Pope did not mention the countries…

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