Vatican

Pope Francis cements legacy, stamps Church future with new cardinals

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday further cemented his legacy, elevating 21 prelates to the high rank of cardinal and significantly raising the percentage of…

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China liked pope’s recent overture, Beijing bishop to visit Hong Kong

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - The overture Pope Francis made to China earlier this month while he was in Mongolia was "well received" by Beijing's communist government, which…

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Letter shows Pope Pius XII probably knew about Holocaust early on

Newly discovered correspondence suggests that World War II-era Pope Pius XII had detailed information from a trusted German Jesuit that up to 6,000 Jews and Poles were being gassed each…

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Pope’s visit to France stirs debate over immigration, secularism

PARIS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Pope Francis' scheduled visit to France next week has stirred debate in the French political class, with left-wing politicians criticising the president for attending Mass…

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Pope playfully spars with ‘Rocky’ actor Stallone at Vatican

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis playfully pretended to box with Sylvester Stallone during a meeting with the "Rocky" star at the Vatican on Friday. Introduced to Stallone and his…

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Ukrainian Catholic bishops rebuke Pope over his Russia comments

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Ukraine's Eastern Rite Catholic bishops bluntly told Pope Francis at a meeting on Wednesday that some of his comments about Russia had caused…

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Pope decries ‘terrible world war’ on environment, announces new writing

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, announcing that he will issue a new document on the protection of nature, said on Wednesday he was doing…

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Pope Francis laments “reactionary,” politicised, US Catholic Church

Pope Francis has lamented what he called a "reactionary" Catholic Church in the United States, where he said political ideology has replaced faith in some cases.In the 10 years since…

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Pope Francis pledges updates to landmark document on world environmental crisis

Pope Francis said on Monday that he was writing a follow-up to his landmark 2015 encyclical on the protection of the environment and the dangers of climate change "to bring…

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Migrant deaths at sea ‘open wound on humanity’ says pope

ANSA) - ROME, AUG 13 - The death at sea of migrants and refugees crossing the Mediterranean in search of safety and a better life in Europe is an "open…

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Pope says Church open to everyone, including LGBT people, but has rules

By Philip Pullella ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church is open to everyone, including the gay community, and that it has a duty…

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Pope to visit Marseille on Sep 22-23

Pope Francis will visit Marseille on September 22-23, the Vatican said Saturday. Francis will be in the southern French port city and second biggest city in France for the "Rencontres…

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Vatican prosecutor seeks seven-year sentence for cardinal

By Alvise Armellini and Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - The prosecutor at a Vatican corruption trial linked to a botched London real estate deal asked a court…

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Pope tells transgender person: ‘God loves us as we are’

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has told a young transgender person that "God loves us as we are", his latest outreach gesture towards the LGBT community. His comments, released…

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Pope calls on world leaders to do more to tackle climate change

ROME, July 23 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that recent heat waves across many parts of the world and flooding in countries such as South Korea showed that…

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Papal envoy to visit Washington to talk Ukraine peace

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, July 17 (Reuters) - Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, tasked by Pope Francis to help bring peace to Ukraine, was heading to Washington on Monday to…

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Pope approves Shanghai bishop but Vatican chides China for not consulting

VATICAN CITY, July 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has approved the new bishop of Shanghai on mainland China but the Vatican chided Beijing for transferring him there without first consulting,…

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Pope sets up commission to honour modern-day Christian martyrs

VATICAN CITY, July 5 (Reuters) - The Vatican will study the modern-day killing of Christians and try to list "all those who have shed their blood" in the name of…

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Pope Francis says permitting burning of Koran is rejected and condemned

Pope Francis said the burning of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, has made him angry and disgusted and that he condemned and rejected permitting the act as a form…

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Pope Francis meets family of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

VATICAN CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday granted an audience to the wife of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks who is behind bars in Britain and…

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Pope gives first general audience since surgery

Pope Francis gave a general audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, his first since undergoing abdominal surgery to repair a hernia earlier this month. He last appeared before crowds in…

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Lucia, third of the Fatima children, a step closer to sainthood

Sister Lúcia de Jesus e do Coração Immaculado, born Lúcia dos Santos, the third of the shepherd children of Fatima, has been declared "venerable", the Congregation for the Causes of…

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Vatican says it has promising leads on the disappearance Emanuela Orlandi

The Vatican said Thursday that a new investigation it has opened into the into the case of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old girl who went missing in 1983, had uncovered some…

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Pope skips speech, blaming breathing difficulties after surgery

VATICAN CITY, June 22 (Reuters) - Pope Francis skipped reading a planned speech at a conference on Thursday, saying he still had breathing problems following a hernia operation this month.…

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Vatican document urges talks on welcoming LGBTQ people, women’s role

Roman Catholic bishops should discuss how the Church can be more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people and the divorced, and reflect on how to give women more decision-making power and allowing…

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Kerry meets Pope Francis privately, says he’s in great form and spirits

VATICAN CITY, June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry met Pope Francis on Monday, the first official to have a private audience with him since his discharge from…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis leaves hospital ‘in better shape than before’

By Philip Pullella ROME, June 16 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was discharged from hospital on Friday morning, nine days after surgery to repair an abdominal hernia, and his doctor said…

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Pope Francis orders ex-aide of Pope Benedict to leave Vatican

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the private secretary and long-time aide of the late Pope Benedict, to return to his native…

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Jesuits expel prominent priest accused of abuse

The Roman Catholic Jesuit order said on Thursday it had expelled Father Marko Ivan Rupnik, an internationally-known religious artist accused of sexual, psychological and spiritual abuse.A statement said Rupnik, whose…

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Pope expected to leave hospital in next few days – Vatican

Pope Francis is expected to be discharged from hospital in the next few days and his recovery from surgery is progressing normally and without complications, the Vatican said on Wednesday.Francis, 86,…

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Pope post-operative recovery progressing normally

ROME, June 11 (Reuters) - Pope Francis's post-operative recovery is progressing normally, the Vatican said in statement on Sunday, adding the pope has undergone therapy to help his breathing. Pope…

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Pope recovering well from surgery but to skip Sunday blessing

VATICAN NEWS - The Holy See Press Office in its early afternoon health update on Saturday reported that the Pope's post-operative recovery continues to proceed normally. His medical team says…

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Pope ‘progressively improving,’ off I.V. tubes, moving about

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis' overall condition is progressively improving and his post-surgical recovery is normal, allowing him to get out of bed, be detached from intravenous tubes and resume…

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UPDATED: Pope out of bed and working from hospital – Vatican statement

ROME, June 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis is progressing with his post-operation recovery, the Vatican said on Friday, adding that he was able to get out of bed and do…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis spent peaceful night in hospital after surgery – Vatican

ROME, June 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was doing well on Thursday morning after his first night in hospital following abdominal surgery, the Vatican said. "The night went well," the…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis to have abdominal surgery on Wednesday

VATICAN CITY, June 7 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will have surgery on his abdomen on Wednesday afternoon at Rome's Gemelli hospital, the Vatican said in a statement, adding that the…

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UPDATED: Papal envoy heads to Ukraine to ‘listen carefully’ to possible peace plans

By Philip Pullella and Alvise Armellini VATICAN CITY, June 5 (Reuters) - Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, tasked by Pope Francis to carry out a peace mission to try to help…

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Purification rite in St. Peter’s after naked man desecrated pope’s altar

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A special purification rite was held at the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday after it was desecrated by a man who stood on…

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Pope Francis to visit Mongolia at end of August

VATICAN CITY, June 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will make an Aug. 31-Sept. 4 trip to Mongolia, one of the most far-flung places he has ever visited and which has…

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Naked man jumps on altar of St. Peter’s to protest Ukraine war

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A man visiting St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday stripped off his clothes and stood naked on the church's main altar in what appeared to be a…

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Pope cancels Friday audiences due to fever

Pope Francis on Friday cancelled the day's audiences because he has a fever, the Vatican said. On Friday morning the pope cancelled his audiences, it said. No meetings with groups…

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Pope asks Italian cardinal to carry out Ukraine peace mission

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, head of the Italian bishops' conference, to carry out a peace mission to try to help end the war in…

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Man who drove into Vatican gate wanted to speak to the Pope

A man arrested for ramming his car through an entrance to the Vatican on Thursday evening had wanted to speak to the pope, qualified sources told ANSA. Simone Baldovino, aged…

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UPDATED: Shots fired as car breaches Vatican gate at high speed

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A man driving a car breached Vatican security on Thursday evening, driving at high speed through a gate of the city-state and reaching a central courtyard…

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Pope pauses St Peter’s Square audience to take phone call

VATICAN CITY, May 17 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday interrupted his weekly audience with the faithful to take a phone call, keeping people in St Peter's Square waiting for…

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Rome prosecutors launch fresh probe into Orlandi case

Fresh investigations have been launched by Rome prosecutors on the basis of documents supplied by the Vatican into the June 22, 1983 disappearance of 15-year-old Vatican citizen Emanuela Orlandi, the…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy expected to meet Pope on Saturday

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to meet Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, diplomatic sources said, days after the Pope said the Holy See…

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Pope urges countries to manage migrant waves, expand legal channels

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 11 (Reuters) - Pope Francis appealed to countries on Thursday to manage waves of migrants as best they can and to expand channels for…

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Rare day at Vatican as two popes share stage

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 10 (Reuters) - It was a rare day at the Vatican on Wednesday as two popes shared the limelight in St Peter's Square -…

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Pope says Argentina government wanted ‘my head’ when he was in Buenos Aires

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, May 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said that when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires more than a decade ago, the Argentine government wanted "to…

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Pope wants peace but we do not know of plan – Kremlin

Russia on Thursday reaffirmed that it knows nothing about a Vatican peace plan for Ukraine. "We know that the Pope is constantly thinking about peace and how to end this…

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Pope says Vatican involved in secret Ukraine peace mission

By Philip Pullella ABOARD PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said, adding…

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Ukraine PM invites Pope to visit, discussed peace formula at Vatican talks

ROME, April 27 (Reuters) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday he had invited Pope Francis to visit Ukraine and that he had discussed Kyiv's formula for peace…

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Pope allows women to vote at bishops meeting for first time

By Philip Pullella (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in a historic move that could lead to more inclusiveness in decision-making in the Roman Catholic Church, will allow women to vote for…

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Ukraine, migration, to top agenda as Pope Francis visits Hungary

Pope Francis leaves on Friday on a three-day trip to Hungary, where the war in Ukraine, migration and Europe's Christian roots are expected to top the agenda in his public addresses…

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Pope Francis plans to visit his native Argentina in 2024

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has not visited his home country Argentina since he left for the Vatican a decade ago, said he planned to visit in 2024,…

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Vatican probe on Orlandi case to continue – Vatican Secretary of State Parolin

Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told ANSA that the Vatican probe into the case of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old Vatican City resident who disappeared in 1983, will go ahead…

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