Vatican

Vatican number two says giving Ukraine weapons legitimate, with conditions

ROME, May 13 (Reuters) - The Vatican's number two said on Friday that supplying weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russian aggression is morally legitimate under certain…

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Health problems will not stop Pope Francis, cardinal says

Pope Francis is "not going to stop," despite recent health problems that have forced him to use a wheelchair, a cardinal said on Tuesday. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-American Vatican…

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Vatican preparing for possibility of women Swiss Guards

VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - The new barracks of the Vatican Swiss guards will be built to accommodate female members if Pope Francis or his successors allow women to join the…

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Pope says he wants to go to Moscow to meet Putin over Ukraine

Pope Francis said in an interview published on Tuesday that he asked for a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to stop the war in Ukraine but…

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Limping Pope again appeals for peace in Ukraine

VATICAN CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - A badly limping Pope Francis again appealed for an end to the war in Ukraine on Wednesday, as he held his general audience a…

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Pope says June meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch suspended

VATICAN CITY, April 22 (Reuters) - Plans for Pope Francis to meet in Jerusalem in June with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has backed Russia's war in Ukraine, have been…

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Text at Pope’s Good Friday service scrapped after Ukrainian protest

ROME, April 15 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian and a Russian woman took part in Pope Francis' Good Friday "Way of the Cross" service, but the meditation they wrote was scrapped…

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Vatican mulling Jerusalem meeting between pope, Russian patriarch -sources

The Vatican is studying the possibility of extending Pope Francis' trip to Lebanon in June so he can fly to Jerusalem to meet there Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has backed Russia's…

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Pope not expected to take sides if he goes to Kyiv

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on the possibility of a papal visit to Kyiv that "certainly the Pope would not go to take a stance either in…

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Canada indigenous ask pope for residential schools records

Survivors of Canada's residential schools on Monday asked Pope Francis to guarantee unfettered access to Church records on the institutions where indigenous children were abused and their culture denied. Francis…

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Pope says ‘slaughters and atrocities’ committed daily in Ukraine

VATICAN CITY, March 20 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, continuing his implicit criticism of Russia, on Sunday called the conflict in Ukraine an unjustified "senseless massacre" and urged leaders to stop…

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Pope rules any baptised lay Catholic, including women, can head Vatican departments

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis on Saturday issued a new constitution for the Vatican's central administration, known as the Curia, stating that any baptized lay Catholic, including women, can head…

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Russian Orthodox Church leader discusses Ukraine war with Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY(Reuters) - Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church and Pope Francis discussed the war in Ukraine on Wednesday, Kirill's office said, the first known contact between the two…

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Vatican protests over expulsion of its ambassador to Nicaragua

VATICAN CITY, March 12 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday protested to Nicaragua over the effective expulsion of its ambassador to Managua, saying the unilateral action was unjustified and incomprehensible.…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis says Ukraine conflict is “not military operation but a war”

Pope Francis on Sunday rejected Russia's assertion that it is carrying out "a special military operation" in Ukraine, saying the country was being battered by war. "In Ukraine rivers of…

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Vatican judge rejects defence motions; rules fraud trial will go on

The defence at a Vatican corruption trial failed definitively on Tuesday to have charges against their clients dropped and the judge ordered it to begin in earnest with the questioning…

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UPDATED: Vatican says ready to ‘facilitate dialogue’ between Russia and Ukraine

VATICAN CITY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The Vatican is ready to "facilitate dialogue" between Russia and Ukraine to end the war, its top diplomat said on Monday. Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro…

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Pope pained by Ukraine crisis, calls for restraint

Pope Francis said Wednesday that he was pained by the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and called for restrain after Russian recognized two rebel-held 'republics' in the east of…

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Speculation mounts in Vatican press linking Archbishop Scicluna to major post

Pope Francis' visit to Malta could serve as the backdrop for an historic appointment for Maltese clergy, with current Archbishop Charles J Scicluna being touted for an important role in…

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Ukraine would welcome Vatican mediation, wants papal visit soon – ambassador

Ukraine is open to a Vatican mediation of its conflict with Russia and wants Pope Francis to visit as soon as possible, even in the current situation, Kyiv's new ambassador…

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Photo Story: Papal hug

Faithful watch Pope Francis (R) being embraced by a child during his weekly General Audience inside of Paul VI Hall in Vatican City, 09 February 2022. Pope Francis on Wednesday…

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UPDATED: Man interrupts papal audience, taken away by police

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged the faithful to pray for a mentally disturbed Irishman who disrupted his weekly general audience by shouting out things in English that were incomprehensible to…

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Italy chief chaplain condemns call for COVID disobedience by police

Italy's national Catholic military chaplain has hit back at a renegade, vaccine-denying archbishop, accusing him of inciting insubordination among the armed forces and police over their role in enforcing COVID-19…

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Pope blesses those everyone loves to hate – tax collectors

Pope Francis on Monday encouraged the people everyone loves to hate - tax collectors - telling them that while they will never win popularity contests, they were vital for the…

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Vatican has signed contract to sell London building at core of corruption trial

VATICAN CITY, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The Vatican said on Friday it had signed a contract to sell a luxury building, in an exclusive London neighbourhood, which is at the…

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Pope’s appeal to the media: Check facts but always respect people

Pope Francis denounced fake news about COVID-19 and vaccines Friday, blasting the “distortion of reality based on fear” but also urging that people who believe such lies are helped to…

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On day of prayer for Ukraine, Pope recalls country’s historical suffering

VATICAN CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday led a day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, calling for dialogue to prevail over partisan interests to resolve the…

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BOV to part ways with CEO Rick Hunkin / Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 26 January 2022

1745- Latest News update Times of Malta says that former minister Konrad Mizzi declined to answer MP’s questions on Wednesday, walking out of a Public Accounts Committee hearing and then…

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Vatican fraud trial to resume with boost for prosecution

The Vatican's landmark fraud and embezzlement trial resumes after a long break on Tuesday with the beleaguered prosecution buoyed by two favourable decisions in related cases by Swiss and Italian…

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UPDATED: Ex-Pope Benedict acknowledges faulty testimony in German abuse case

VATICAN CITY, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Former Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged on Monday he had been at a 1980 meeting over a sexual abuse case when archbishop of Munich, saying…

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Pope confers lay ministries on women, formalising recognition of roles

VATICAN CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday for the first time conferred the lay Roman Catholic ministries of lector and catechist on women, roles that previously many…

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Two close aides of Pope Francis test positive for COVID-19, Vatican says

The second and third ranking Vatican officials under Pope Francis have tested positive for COVID-19, the Vatican said on Tuesday. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who is secretary of state, had slight…

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Pope backs COVID immunisation campaigns, warns of ideological misinformation

VATICAN CITY, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Monday condemned "baseless" ideological misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, backing national immunisation campaigns and calling health care a moral obligation. Francis spoke…

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Pope decries Church conservatives encased in “suit of armour”

VATICAN CITY, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis took an apparent dig at conservatives resisting change in the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, lamenting those whose religion he said was…

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Pope Francis calls for simplification of adoption rules

Pope Francis on Wednesday called for the simplification of adoption rules. Speaking at his weekly general audience in the Vatican, Francis said "we must not be afraid of choosing the…

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Violence against women insults God, Pope says in New Year’s speech

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis used his New Year’s message on Saturday, January 1, to issue a clarion call for an end to violence against women, saying it was insulting…

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Pope scraps St Peter’s Crib visit amid Omicron fears

Pope Francis scrapped his scheduled Friday vsit to the Nativity Scene in St Peter's Square amid fear of gatherings causing COVID contagion due to the Omicron variant surge, the Vatican…

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Pope says Italy’s plunging birthrate is a ‘tragedy’

VATICAN CITY, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Pope Francis bemoaned Italy's plunging birthrate on Sunday, warning that the decline represented a threat to the future of the country. Births in Italy…

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Shun polarisation, try dialogue to heal divided world, pope says at Christmas

Pope Francis in his Christmas message on Saturday decried increasing polarisation in personal and international relationships, saying only dialogue can resolve conflicts ranging from family feuds to threats of war.…

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Pope to youth of the Holy Land: Look to the horizon!

In a message to the Christian Media Center, Pope Francis speaks to the young people of Bethlehem and the Holy Land, urging them to remain faithful to their roots in…

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New anti-Covid measures for entry to Vatican and Curia offices

As of Thursday 23 December, access to Roman Curia offices will be permitted only to those in possession of a certificate attesting to vaccination or recovery from SARS-Cov-2. A new…

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Pope shakes up Vatican development office, accepts African cardinal’s resignation

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a prominent African cardinal who was a key adviser on climate change and social justice as part of a rare shake up of…

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Vatican tightens screws on conservatives over traditional Latin Mass

VATICAN CITY, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Vatican on Saturday warned conservative Roman Catholics who have balked at Pope Francis' decision to restrict the old traditionalist Latin Mass that they…

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Top African cardinal in Vatican abruptly offers resignation

VATICAN CITY, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Cardinal Peter Turkson, seen by some as a candidate to become the first African pope in about 1,500 years, has abruptly offered his resignation…

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First group of migrants from Cyprus relocated under Pope pledge

NICOSIA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - A first group of migrants left Cyprus on Thursday as part of an initiative by Pope Francis to assist in their relocation, the government said.…

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‘Poor Haiti, one thing after another,’ pope says of deadly blast

VATICAN CITY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday asked for prayers for the victims of a fuel truck explosion that killed at least 60 people in Haiti, lamenting…

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Vatican corruption trial mired as judge orders new long adjournment

A corruption trial related to the Vatican's purchase of a luxury building in London was adjourned for nearly six weeks on Tuesday, another long delay underscoring how it remains mired in its opening stages…

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Photo Story: Saint Peter’s Square light up for the Christmas season

An illuminated Christmas tree donated by the Trentino region stands in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City. Photo - EPA-EFE/FABIO FRUSTACI

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Pope sends condolences over “immense tragedy” of U.S. tornadoes

VATICAN CITY, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has sent his condolences to the families of victims of tornadoes that killed dozens of people in the United States and he…

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Catholic women urge Vatican to sign Europe rights convention

A consortium of Catholic women’s groups is calling on the Holy See to join the Council of Europe and to sign the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that the…

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Pope decries ‘stone hearts’ of indifference to migrants’ pain

ROME, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis made a private pre-dawn visit to a Rome religious landmark on Wednesday for the second year in a row because of the COVID-19…

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UPDATED: Pope ends visit to Greece focused on the plight of migrants

ATHENS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis heard from young people including children of migrants who have fled war or poverty at a school in Athens on Monday, as he…

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On World AIDS Day, Pope calls for renewed solidarity with victims

VATICAN CITY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday called for a renewed solidarity with those suffering from the HIV virus to guarantee care for those in the world's…

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Pope to help 50 migrants in Cyprus relocate to Italy after trip to island

Pope Francis has arranged to have 50 migrants from Cyprus be relocated to Italy to mark his trip to the Mediterranean island next week, a Vatican source said. The 50…

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Pope promises to help moribund Lebanon rise again

VATICAN CITY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, meeting the prime minister of Lebanon, on Thursday compared the country to a dying person and promised to do everything in his…

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Photo Story: Busy meeting for Pope Francis at weekly General Audience in Vatican City

Pope Francis talks to nuns during his weekly General Audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall in Vatican City, 24 November 2021. Via EPA-EFE/FABIO FRUSTACI

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Photo Story: Saint Peter Square to feature a colourful crib from the Peruvian Andes

A handout photo made available by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru shows the blessing ceremony of the central pieces that will be part of the Peruvian Andes nativity…

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