Vatican

Photo Story: ‘Emanuela Orlandi’ demonstration at the Vatican

A woman with a t-shirt 'You said She is in heaven, but where is her body?' during a demostration in front of the Sant'Uffizio gate at the Vatican, 11…

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Pope Francis bombarded with insults after tweeting to pray for migrants

Insults in Italian replying to a tweet from Pope Francis flooded Twitter on Monday after he wrote about migrants. "Migrants are first of all human persons, and that they are…

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UK backs stronger protection for Christians worldwide

There needs to be a "sea-change" in how the UK treats worldwide anti-Christian persecution, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said. Hunt had ordered a review into the issue. He said…

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Photo Story: Pope Francis celebrates Mass on the sixth anniversary of his visit to Lampedusa

A handout picture provided by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis celebrating the Holy Mass on the sixth anniversary of his visit to Lampedusa, Vatican City. Photo: EPA-EFE/VATICAN

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Pope Francis expresses his hope for humanitarian corridors for migrants

Pope Francis on Sunday invited the faithful to join him in prayer for the “poor, unarmed people who were killed or injured by an air strike on a detention center…

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Pope Francis receives Vladimir Putin

Pope Francis on Thursday received Vladimir Putin in an audience at the Vatican. It's the Russian president's sixth visit to the Vatican, and his third audience with Pope Francis. Vladimir…

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Putin to meet the Pope today

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia.…

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Vatican court orders opening of 2 tombs in Emanuela Orlandi case

The Vatican court's ordered two tombs in the Vatican's Teutonic Cemetery to be opened after a petition from the family of a 15-year-old girl who went missing in 1983, Emanuela…

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Vatican insists that priests cannot reveal confession secrets

The Vatican on Monday strongly reaffirmed Catholic teaching that priests cannot reveal what they learn in confession, in an apparent response to moves in Australia and elsewhere to force them…

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Pope praises Trump-Kim meeting

Pope Francis praised on Sunday the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said he hoped it would lead to peace. He said…

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Tension between the Vatican and China

The Vatican has told bishops and priests in China that they must follow their own consciences in deciding whether to register with the government, and it urged Catholics in the…

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Photo Story: The Pope and the Grand Master

Current Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto (L) kisses the hand of Pope Francis at the start…

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Pope saddened by image of dead migrant father and baby at US-Mexico border

Reader's discretion is recommended due to the graphic nature of the photo attached to the story Pope Francis is profoundly saddened by the death of two migrants – a…

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One in five churches in the Netherlands are no longer used for religious purposes

One in five churches in the Netherlands are no longer used as a place of worship and most have been turned into homes or cultural centres, according to research…

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Pope Francis decries modern ‘culture of insults’ on social media

The Pope warned that the more people use online platforms the less social they become, and criticized the trend "to hurl adjectives" at each other. Pope Francis noted that "the…

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Pope appeals for more vocations

Pope Francis told participants at a Congress for the Pastoral Care of Vocations in Europe not to be afraid to take up the challenge of the vocation to consecrated…

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Pope and Putin to meet again in July

Pope Francis will receive Russian President Vladimir Putin in an audience in the Vatican on July 4, Vatican spokesperson Alessandro Gisotti told reporters on Thursday. It will be the third…

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Pope Francis approves big changes to ‘Our Father’ and ‘Gloria’

Pope Francis officially approved a big changes to the most famous prayer in Christianity and the ‘Gloria’. The changes or adjustments to the ‘Our Father’ has been years in…

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Vatican mourns Dutch teenager’s ‘euthanasia’ death

The Vatican on Wednesday mourned the death of Noa Pothoven, a 17-year-old girl from the Netherlands who reportedly ended her life via legal euthanasia on Sunday - although it was…

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Muslim world prepares for the end of Ramadan

The Saudi Supreme Court has called on all Muslims throughout Saudi Arabia to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Monday evening. This will signal the end…

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Pope pays tribute to Christians in Romania killed or persecuted under Communism

Pope Francis paid tribute to Christians in Romania killed or persecuted under Communism as he warned against any new ideological attempt to sow fear or division in society. On…

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Church in Ireland urges parents not to buy smartphones as Holy Communion gifts

Archbishop Eamon Martin, the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, has advised parents against buying smartphones for their children as a Holy Communion present, saying there are "an…

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Use of human remains as compost legalised in Washington

Washington has become the first state in the US to legalise human composting. Under the new law, people there can now choose to have their body turned into soil…

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Pope Francis urges journalists to persevere with the reports of the forgotten people who suffer

In an address to the Foreign Press Association at the Vatican on Saturday, Pope Francis urged journalists to reject fake news and to persevere with the reports on the troubling…

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Photo Story: Children saved from Libya go for a drive with Pope Francis

Pope Francis gave a lift to eight children who only last month were airlifted out of Libya. Pope Francis took eight children rescued from crisis-hit Libya for a ride in…

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Pope Francis names Bishop Baldacchino to lead diocese in New Mexico

Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Bishop Peter Baldacchino to head the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico. With this appointment Baldacchino became the first diocesan bishop associated with the…

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Four Catholics killed during a procession in Burkina Faso

Armed assailants killed four Catholics and destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary in northern Burkina Faso, Catholic church officials revealed, the third deadly attack against Christians in the West…

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The Washington Post’s eulogy to Archbishop Charles Scicluna

The Washington Post, one of the United States leading and most respected newspaper, published what could be best described as a far reaching eulogy for Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna. In…

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Polish Cardinal defies Italian police to restore electricity to homeless shelter

Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Pope Francis' almoner - the person is in charge of the pope's charities and helping the poor- on Sunday lowered himself into a manhole to restore…

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UPDATED: Religious tension escalates in Sri Lanka, social media networks blocked

Police have imposed a curfew in the Sri Lankan town Chilaw after a dispute between Christians and Muslims, that began on Facebook, turned violent. In the meantime, Sri Lankan…

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Slideshow: The Pope in Bulgaria

On his second day in Bulgaria, Pope Francis made an early morning visit to a refugee center, thanking children and families for their joy despite the pain of leaving their…

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Month of Ramadan fasting for many Muslims begins Monday

Muslims in Southeast Asia and much of the Middle East will start their Ramadan fasts on Monday while those in places like India, Pakistan and Iran will likely start…

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Christian persecution in the world near “genocide” levels

The persecution of Christians in parts of the world is at near "genocide" levels, according to a report ordered by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The review, led by the Bishop…

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New website gives a close look at the Shroud of Turin

A new website aims to make available to all a collection of photographs of the Shroud of Turin by a scientific photographer who was part of a research project that…

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Photostory: Orthodox Christians prepare for Easter

Hand decorated Easter eggs at a farmers market in Belgrade, Serbia as Orthodox Christians prepare to celebrate Easter, also called Pascha, on 28 April 2019, according to the Julian calendar. For…

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Man stabbed in Rome for wearing a crucifix

Italian Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini revealed on Tuesday that a Moroccan national stabbed a man for wearing a crucifix at Rome's central Termini train station. The…

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Slideshow: Easter celebrations around the world

Easter is the most important and oldest Christian festival and marks the death and resurrection Jesus Christ. The feast is fixed onto the first Sunday after the first full moon…

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Pope Francis prays that the light of the Risen Christ shines in the darkness of conflicts around the world

In his Easter Urbi et Orbi address, Pope Francis prayed that the light of the Risen Christ shine in the darkness of conflicts around the world, especially those in…

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A Quick Look: Easter and it’s Traditions

In the Christian tradition, Easter is the most important and oldest festival and marks the death and resurrection Jesus Christ. The feast is fixed onto the first Sunday after…

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Pope’s Easter vigil Mass calls on worshipers to live for God not material things

Pope Francis led Catholics into Easter at a vigil Mass on Saturday night and called on worshippers to live for God, not fleeting things such as wealth or success. The…

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Slideshow: Good Friday traditions from around the world

A series of photos from around the world of the various traditions that are organised on Good Friday. Good Friday is meant to be a day of reflection for Christians,…

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Slideshow: Good Friday in the Philippines

Penitents during Good Friday in San Juan village, San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. Thousands of Catholic devotees witnessed dozens of men who were nailed to wooden crosses or flogged themselves…

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Pope Francis ushers in the most solemn period in the Catholic liturgical calendar

Pope Francis is ushering in the most solemn period in the Catholic liturgical calendar by celebrating a Holy Thursday Mass. The Chrism Mass celebrates the unity of priests with…

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg meets Pope Francis

Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday met Pope Francis at the end of his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square. Thunberg shook hands and briefly spoke to…

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Photostory: Scala Santa returns to original beauty

Worshippers attend the extraordinary opening after the restoration of the Scala Santa (Holy Stairs) at San Giovanni in Laterano Dome in Rome. The Scala Santa were brought to light…

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI addresses sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church

In an essay published Thursday on the Catholic News Agency (CNA), Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI offered his thoughts about the sex abuse crisis facing the Church. Benedict reviewed the sexual…

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The Council of Cardinals wants more women in Vatican posts

The Council of Cardinals (C9), which advises Pope Francis on reforms of the Catholic Church, in its latest meeting this week, tackled the issue the presence of women in top…

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35 years after her disappearance…Vatican opens probe into Emanuela Orlandi’s case

The Vatican has decided to Vatican open an internal probe into the case of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old Vatican citizen who disappeared in the summer of 1983. Orlandi's family lawyer…

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Polish priest apologizes for burning of ‘Harry Potter’ books

A priest in northern Poland who led a public burning of books that included titles from the "Harry Potter" series and other items has apologized, saying the ritual was not…

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Spanish Catholic Church caught in a controversy over ‘gay conversion’ courses

A Roman Catholic diocese near Madrid is being investigated after a Spanish newspaper reported that it was running courses to "cure" gay men of homosexuality. The deputy head of the…

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The World Conference of Families in Verona continues to cause controversy

The World Conference of Families in Verona, Italy, continues to cause controversy. The international gathering has been criticised for promoting an anti-gay, anti-abortion and anti-feminism agenda and the controversies around…

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Pope starts 27-hour visit to Morocco

Pope Francis today started a visit to Morocco. A visit as a “servant of hope” to encourage the country’s small Catholic community, the migrants hosted there and all people…

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Pope signs law to prevent child abuse in Vatican and its embassies

Pope Francis on Friday made it compulsory in law to report the sexual abuse of children within the Vatican and in its diplomatic missions worldwide. It is the first…

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Papal hand kissing mystery solved

During these last days there has been much speculation and mystery as to why Pope Francis repeatedly withdrew his right hand when people bowed and tried to kiss. The mystery…

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Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to become a mosque

Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul will be controversially turned into a mosque. The Hagia Sophia, known as Ayasofya in Turkey, in the…

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Pope Francis accepts resignation of Chilean cardinal caught up in sex abuse scandal

A Vatican statement on Saturday said Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, the archbishop of Santiago, Chile, who has been caught up in the country's sex…

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PHOTO STORY: Pope Francis receives in audience Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca

In her final days before she leaves office, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca was received in audience by Pope Francis at the Vatican. The President of Malta, who subsequently met with…

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