Vatican

Pope Francis says refusing aid to migrants a ‘grave sin’

Pope Francis on Wednesday strongly decried the treatment of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Europe, saying it was a "grave sin" not to offer aid to migrant vessels.…

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Pope’s weekly audience interrupted by animal rights activists

Pope Francis's weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday was briefly interrupted by two women from an animal rights group, who shouted and held up signs against bullfighting. The…

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Catholic Church split on women deacons, Vatican document shows

The global Catholic Church is split on whether to allow women to serve as deacons, a Vatican document showed on Tuesday, just weeks after Pope Francis ruled out any opening…

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Italian Archbishop Vigano found guilty of schism, excommunicated by Vatican

Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a fierce ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been found guilty of schism and excommunicated, the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a statement on Friday.…

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Pope Francis warns against legalising drugs, denounces drug traffickers

Pope Francis spoke out on Wednesday against the legalisation of drugs and denounced drug traffickers as "assassins", while also calling for help and support for addicts. "A reduction in drug…

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Pope Benedict’s ex-aide Archbishop Gaenswein appointed Vatican ambassador to Baltic countries

Pope Francis has given a new job to the former secretary of the late Pope Benedict XVI, in an apparent sign of reconciliation with the prelate after publicly falling out…

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Pope tells priests to keep it snappy or people will nod off

Priests should keep their homilies short and speak for a maximum of eight minutes to prevent members of the congregation from nodding off, Pope Francis said on Wednesday. The homily,…

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Vatican to EU election voters: don’t dehumanise migrants

The Vatican's point man on migration and social justice on Monday urged EU citizens who might be tempted to vote for far-right parties in this week's European Parliament elections to…

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Vatican investigator urges bishops to report all suspected child abuse

The head of the Vatican office that disciplines predator priests called on bishops across the world to report all suspect child abuse cases to him in order "to clean up…

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Vatican urges caution over weeping Madonnas and other supposed apparitions

The Vatican issued new guidelines on Friday recommending a cautious approach to supposed supernatural events such as weeping Madonnas and blood-dripping crucifixes that have for centuries whipped up the Catholic…

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Vatican staff start unprecedented legal action over labour conditions

Forty-nine Vatican Museums employees have started an unprecedented labour dispute over what they say are unfair and poor conditions at their workplace, which could lead to an embarrassing lawsuit against…

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Pope puts Rome in panic mode by declaring 2025 Holy Year

Pope Francis used the Feast of Ascension on Thursday to preside over the reading of a papal bull at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, declaring 2025 a Holy Year for…

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Vatican wants surrogacy to become ‘universal crime’

The Vatican said in a new document on human dignity Monday that it wants to see surrogate motherhood, or surrogacy, banned worldwide as a "universal crime".The Dicastery for the Doctrine…

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Pope appears in better health ahead of busy Easter schedule

By Alvise Armellini Pope Francis, whose frail health has been a growing source of concern in recent weeks, appeared in better shape on Wednesday ahead of a busy Easter week…

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Vatican says Russian aggression must end to allow peace in Ukraine

The first condition for any negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is that Russia should halt its aggression, the second in command to Pope Francis said in a newspaper…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis has hospital check-up, returns to Vatican

By Alvise Armellini VATICAN CITY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has been suffering from influenza, made a brief trip to a Roman hospital for medical checks on Wednesday…

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Pope cancels Saturday meetings because of mild flu – Vatican

VATICAN CITY, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Pope Francis cancelled his meetings on Saturday because of mild flu, the Vatican said in a statement. The 87-year-old pontiff holds regular audiences with…

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Pope says to be shocked by gay blessings is hypocritical

To be shocked by the recent decision by the Catholic Church to authorize the blessing of gay couples is "hypocritical", Pope Francis said in an interview published Wednesday."No one is…

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Stop human trafficking says pope

Pope Francis on Sunday urged the world community to stop human trafficking saying at his weekly Angelus prayer that "too many people are being exploited".Francis also said that tolerance and…

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Pope condemns anti-Judaism, anti-Semitism amid new wave of attacks against Jews

Pope Francis condemned all forms of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism, labelling them as a "sin against God", after noticing an increase in attacks against Jews around the world. "(The Church) rejects…

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Taiwan president tells Pope Francis she supports his AI concerns

TAIPEI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has written to Pope Francis offering support for his concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and pledging deeper cooperation…

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Bless the person, not the gay union says pope

The Vatican's recent decision to authorise the blessing of gay couples means that the Catholic Church is blessing the individual persons and not the union, Pope Francis said Friday having…

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Thou shall be a whistleblower but not an anonymous one, new Vatican rules say

By Philip Pullella The Vatican, which over the centuries has codified all aspects of faith, morals, doctrine and dissent, announced a new entry - the rights and responsibilities of a…

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Pope defends same-sex blessings declaration, says it is misunderstood

By Philip Pullella ROME, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday defended a landmark decision approving blessings for same-sex couples, suggesting that those in the Catholic Church who have…

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Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech leading European favourite to succeed Pope Francis

Cardinal Mario Grech is being named as the “European” who stands the biggest chance to become pope, according to an article in the Irish Times. “A European more likely to…

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Vatican says it won’t stop investigating Emanuela Orlandi case till it is solved

The Vatican will continue to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old who disappeared while returning home to the Vatican from a flute lesson in Rome on 22…

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Vatican moves to calm bishops over same-sex blessings approval

By Philip Pullella The Vatican this week moved to calm Catholic bishops in some countries who have balked over last month's approval of blessings for same-sex couples, telling them that…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy says he discussed peace formula with Pope

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed Ukraine's peace formula in a call with Pope Francis on Thursday. "We discussed our joint work to put Ukraine's Peace…

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“Work with Us”: Website launched to apply for a job at the Vatican

"Work with Us" is a title that says it all. Up to now, lay staff to be hired at various levels of the Holy See were selected based on available…

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After same-sex blessing ruling, pope decries inflexible ideologies

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday warned against inflexible ideological positions that can hinder the Church from seeing reality and moving forward, speaking…

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Pope backs Italian migrant rescue group targeted by prosecutors

VATICAN CITY, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke out in favour of an Italian migrant sea rescue charity whose members are facing charges of abetting illegal immigration.…

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Don’t prevent Communion for single mothers says Vatican

Priests should not prevent single mothers from taking Communion, the Vatican said this week. "The fact of being a girl mother does not prevent access to the Eucharist" and "one…

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Cardinal, nine other defendants, await verdicts at Vatican trial

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A two-and-a-half year corruption trial that exposed infighting and intrigue in the highest echelons of the Vatican closes on Saturday with…

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Vatican eases rules on the ashes of the dead

A small part of a dead person's cremated ashes may be stored in a place that was dear to them rather than in a church or cemetery, the Vatican said…

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Pope Francis says feeling “much better”, voice still weak

VATICAN CITY, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has been suffering from a lung inflammation, said on Wednesday that he is feeling a lot better, although he still has…

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Pope strips conservative US cardinal of Vatican privileges

VATICAN CITY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has removed some of the Vatican privileges of conservative American Cardinal Raymond Burke, including a large subsidized apartment and his salary, a…

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Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an…

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In very rare move, Pope dismisses conservative US bishop Strickland

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - Pope Francis has dismissed Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of his fiercest critics among U.S. Roman Catholic conservatives, a Vatican…

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Transgender people can be baptized Catholic, serve as godparents, Vatican says

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - Transgender people can be godparents at Roman Catholic baptisms, witnesses at religious weddings and receive baptism themselves, the Vatican's doctrinal office said, responding…

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Pope talks and jokes with children at rally after brief health scare

Pope Francis talked and joked with crowds of children and appeared to be in good health on Monday afternoon, after a brief scare earlier in the day when he said…

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Pope says two-state solution needed for Israel-Palestine

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Wednesday a two-state solution was needed for Israel and Palestine in order to put an end to…

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Pope says he will attend COP28 climate summit in Dubai, a first by a pontiff

Pope Francis said on Wednesday that he will attend the COP28 climate conference starting next month in Dubai, the first time a pontiff will be at the U.N. environmental meeting…

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Pope calls for Israel-Hamas ceasefire, hostage release

VATICAN CITY, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas and renewed an appeal for the release of hostages…

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Vatican synod ends without clear stances on women deacons, LGBT

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - A month-long Vatican meeting on the future of the Roman Catholic Church ended on Saturday without clear stands on hot-button issues such as…

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Pope orders reopening of case of prominent priest accused of abuse

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered a review of the Church's handling of the case of an internationally known religious artist who was…

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Pope Francis deplores ‘desperate’ situation in Gaza

VATICAN CITY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Pope Francis deplored the "desperate" situation in Gaza on Wednesday as he urged the faithful to take "only one side" in the Israel-Hamas conflict,…

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Vatican ready for ‘any necessary mediation’ to free hostages held by Hamas

VATICAN CITY, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The Vatican's priority is securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and it stands ready for "any necessary mediation", one of its most…

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Pope urges release of all Hamas hostages, concerned by Gaza siege

Pope Francis on Wednesday called on militant Islamist group Hamas to release all hostages captured during its weekend attack on Israel, while expressing grave concerns about the "total" Israeli siege…

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Photo Story: Pope Francis leads opening Mass for Synod

Pope Francis leads a Holy Mass with the new Cardinals and opening of the Synod of Bishops in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, 4 October 2023. Pope Francis on Wednesday…

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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 confirms Papal envoy’s visit for Ukraine talks

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi will visit China for talks on resolving the conflict in Ukraine, despite the lack of formal bilateral…

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Zelensky advisor blasts Pope as ‘pro-Russian’ and ‘not credible’

A senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has labeled Pope Francis as “pro-Russian” and “not credible,” flatly rejecting any prospect that the Vatican might play mediating role in the…

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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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Kremlin says Pope’s comments on Russian history are ‘very gratifying’

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin described as "very gratifying" comments by Pope Francis urging young Russians to remember their history, saying that the Russian state had a rich legacy and…

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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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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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