Vatican

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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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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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 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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Papal envoy says Moscow visit focused on humanitarian issues, not peace plan

MILAN (Reuters) - Papal envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi said on Sunday his mission to Moscow on the Ukraine war was focused on humanitarian issues and had not involved any discussions…

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UPDATED: Pope warns Ukraine war seems to have “no end” as envoy returns from Moscow

VATICAN CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Friday there was no apparent end in sight to the war in Ukraine as his peace envoy wrapped up three…

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Pope Francis’ peace envoy to visit Moscow

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - An Italian Cardinal tasked by Pope Francis with trying to help end the war in Ukraine will visit Moscow this week as a…

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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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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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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: 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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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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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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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 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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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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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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Pope Francis calls ‘insinuations’ against John Paul II unfounded

VATICAN CITY, April 16 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday rejected as offensive and unfounded what he called insinuations by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40…

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Pope wants light shed on 40-year-old mystery of missing Vatican girl Emanuela Orlandi

VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - One of Italy's most enduring mysteries, the disappearance of a Vatican schoolgirl 40 years ago, entered a new chapter on Tuesday when her brother met with…

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Pope hopes N.Ireland accord can be ‘consolidated’ to benefit all Ireland

VATICAN CITY, April 10 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Monday he was praying that the Good Friday agreement signed 25 years ago that largely ended violence in Northern Ireland…

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After bronchitis, cold weather forces Pope to skip Via Crucis at the Colosseum

By Philip Pullella and Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis presided at one indoor service on Good Friday, but doctors ordered him to skip an outdoor evening "Way of…

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On Holy Thursday, healthy-looking Pope urges priests to shun disunity

VATICAN CITY, April 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, appearing fully recovered from a bout with bronchitis, on Thursday began an intense four days leading to Easter urging priests to avoid…

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No let up in Pope Francis’ busy Holy Week schedule

Pope Francis continued with his busy schedule in the week running up to Easter on Wednesday with his general audience in Saint Peter's Square.The Argentine pontiff spent three days in…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis attends Palm Sunday service after hospital stay

VATICAN CITY, April 2 (Reuters) - Pope Francis led a Palm Sunday service the day after he was discharged from hospital following a bout of bronchitis, and urged the world…

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Pope extends sexual abuse law to include lay leaders

VATICAN CITY, March 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday updated rules on dealing with sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, expanding their scope to include lay Catholic leaders…

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London property was ‘double Via Crucis’ for Vatican

ANSA reports that the London property at the centre of a Vatican trial into alleged mismanagement of the Holy See's financial affairs has been a "double Via Crucis," a key…

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As Francis marks 10 years as Pope, conservatives confront post-Benedict era

Pope Francis marks the 10th anniversary of his election on March 13 having outlasted the conservative opposition that failed to bring him down and which is now at a crossroads, seeking new…

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Late Pope Benedict’s top aide to be given a new job

ROME, (Reuters) - Pope Francis will decide on a new role for German Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, a critic of the pontiff who was the long-term senior aide to his predecessor…

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Vatican establishes diplomatic ties with Oman, widening outreach to Islam

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican and Oman established diplomatic ties, marking a further widening of the Holy See's official relations with the Arab Muslim World. In a joint statement,…

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Pope urges ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of invasion anniversary

VATICAN CITY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, speaking two days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on Wednesday called for a ceasefire and peace negotiations, saying…

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Popes are for life, resignations should not become a fashion, Francis says

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has said that pontiffs resigning instead of ruling for life should not become a "fashion" in the Roman Catholic Church and happen only in…

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Pope Francis had private audience with cardinal on trial for corruption

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in a surprise move, on Thursday granted an official private audience to Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the once-powerful Vatican prelate who is on trial for…

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Pope tells Order of Malta to strengthen its unity

Pope Francis called on the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to regain harmony and unity on Wednesday in a message to participants at its General Chapter meeting. Last year the…

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Pope Francis says being gay is a sin but ‘not a crime’, praises Benedict as a “gentleman”

Pope Francis criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality as “unjust,” saying God loves all his children just as they are and called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome…

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Pope calls for end to violence in Peru, respect for human rights

VATICAN CITY, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called for an end to violence in Peru, where nearly 50 people have been killed during anti-government demonstrations in the…

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Cardinal Pell lies in state, funeral plans overshadowed by memo revelation

VATICAN CITY, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Australian Cardinal George Pell was lying in state on Friday, with funeral preparations overshadowed by revelations that he was the author of an anonymous…

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Pell wrote secret memo calling Francis’ papacy ‘catastrophe’,

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The late conservative Australian Cardinal George Pell was the author of an anonymous memo condemning Pope Francis' papacy as a "catastrophe" where political correctness held sway…

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Pope says wars like that in Ukraine are ‘crime against God and humanity’

VATICAN CITY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Monday said wars like the one in Ukraine where civilian areas are subjected to what he called indiscriminate destruction are "a…

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Benedict’s death clears path for Pope Francis to retire of old age in future

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Six months ago Pope Francis brushed off speculation he was about to resign due to health problems, but even if he had toyed…

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Book by Benedict’s top aide reveals tensions in Vatican

VATICAN CITY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Although Pope Francis often compared having former Pope Benedict living in the Vatican to having a grandfather in the house, a book by Benedict's closest aide…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis presides over Benedict’s funeral as supporters seek sainthood

Pope Francis presides at funeral of his predecessor Benedict wanted simple funeral, Vatican says Ex-pope was standard-bearer for traditionalist Catholics Pope Benedict to be buried under St. Peter's Basilica VATICAN…

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