Pope Francis

Indian delegation meets Pope Francis, presents books on PM Modi's vision

Members of the Indian delegation had the honour of meeting Pope Francis at Vatican City, presenting two books, Modi@20BJP Spokesperson Anil K Antony posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "Very blessed to meet Holy Father Pope Francis at Vatican City as a part of the Indian delegation. Presented two books 'Modi@20 , dreams meet delivery' and 'Mann Ki Baat @100, igniting collecting goodness' to His Holiness during my interaction with him."Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance and leadership, the books were offered as a gesture of cultural and diplomatic exchange during the interaction.The BlueKraft Digital Foundation, responsible for publishing the works, expressed pride in this significant moment. In a post on X, the foundation wrote, "A moment of immense pride for Bluekraft Digital Foundation as 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery' and 'Mann Ki Baat: Igniting Collective Change'--two seminal works reflecting the governance & leadership of PM Narendra Modi were ...

Indian envoy Shambhu S Kumaran presents credentials to Pope Francis

The Holy See is the universal government of the Catholic Church and operates from Vatican City State

Matter of immense pride, says PM Modi on priest's elevation as cardinal

Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad being elevated as a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church by Pope Francis is a matter of great joy and pride for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. He said George Cardinal Koovakad has devoted his life to the service of humanity as an ardent follower of Jesus Christ. "A matter of great joy and pride for India! Delighted at His Eminence George Jacob Koovakad being created a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Catholic Church by His Holiness Pope Francis," Modi said in a post on X. "His Eminence George Cardinal Koovakad has devoted his life in service of humanity as an ardent follower of Lord Jesus Christ. My best wishes for his future endeavours," the prime minister said. In a grand consistory held in the Vatican on Saturday, 51-year-old Koovakad was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis. The ceremony, held at the famous St Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the inducti

Indian priest George Koovakad elevated as Cardinal by Pope Francis

In a grand consistory held in the Vatican on Saturday, 51-year-old Indian priest George Jacob Koovakad was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis. The ceremony, held at the famous St Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the induction of 21 new cardinals from various countries. The ceremony began at 8.30 pm (IST) marking a procession with 21 cardinal-designated to the altar of St Peter's Basilica. Later, the Pope addressed the gathering and handed over the ceremonious cap and ring to the cardinal-designate, followed by a certificate accompanied by prayers. Hailing from the Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala, Koovakad's appointment brings the total number of Indian cardinals to six, further strengthening the country's representation in the Vatican. Political leaders led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, heads of church, and the faithful across India have welcomed the announcement with joy and pride. "It is a matter of

Pope Francis's visit to India likely after Jubilee Year 2025: Kurian

Union Minister George Kurian on Saturday said the much-awaited visit of Pope Francis to India is likely to happen after 2025, which has been announced as the "Jubilee Year" by the Catholic Church. He said India had already invited the Pope officially and Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly extended him the invitation. The rest of the matters and procedures were to be decided by the Vatican. The visit would be scheduled as per the convenience of Pope Francis, he told media. Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Kurian was part of the delegation which reached Vatican to take part in the ordination of Monsignor George Jacob Koovakad, hailing from Kerala, as Cardinal by Pope Francis at a function to be held on Saturday. "The Church is celebrating 2025 as the Jubilee Year of Jesus Christ's birth. So, Vatican says that the Pope will be engaged during the (next) year," "So, as per the information we received, Pope Francis will visit India after the Jubilee Year. We expect that

Pope Francis demands probe on genocide claims over Israel's attacks on Gaza

Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute genocide, according to excerpts released on Sunday from an upcoming new book ahead of the pontiff's jubilee year. It's the first time that Francis has openly urged for an investigation of genocide allegations over Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip. In September, he said Israel's attacks in Gaza and Lebanon have been immoral and disproportionate, and that its military has gone beyond the rules of war. The book, by Hernn Reyes Alcaide and based on interviews with the Pope, is entitled Hope never disappoints. Pilgrims towards a better world". It will be released on Tuesday ahead of the pope's 2025 jubilee. Francis' yearlong jubilee is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate the Holy Year. According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide, the pope said in excerpts published Sunday by the Italian daily La Stampa. We sho

Pope's child board urges transparency from Vatican sex abuse office

Pope Francis' child protection board called Tuesday for victims of clergy sexual abuse to have greater access to information about their cases and the right to compensation, in the first-ever global assessment of the Catholic Church's efforts to address the crisis. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors issued a series of findings and recommendations in its pilot annual report, zeroing in on the church in a dozen countries, two religious orders and two Vatican offices with detailed analysis. In its most critical note, it called for greater transparency from the Vatican's sex abuse office, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. It said the office's slow processing of cases and secrecy were re-traumatising to victims, and its refusal to publish statistics or its own jurisprudence continues "to foment distrust among the faithful, especially the victim/survivor community. The 50-page report marks something of a milestone for the commission, which in its 10-year ...

Pope makes new overture to China, calls Beijing promise, hope for church

Pope Francis declared Friday that China was a promise and a hope for the Catholic Church, offering extensive praise for Beijing at the end of a four-nation tour through Asia and again expressed hope to one day visit. Francis' comments, during an in-flight press conference en route home from Singapore, came as the Vatican enters into the final weeks of negotiations to renew a 2018 agreement over the contentious issue of bishop nominations. Francis declared himself happy with the process, saying both sides were engaging in negotiations in a spirit of good will. I'm happy with the dialogue with China, he said. The result is good. China for me is an illusion, in the sense that I want to visit China, he said. A great country. I admire China. I respect China. It's a country with a millennial culture, with a capacity for dialogue and understanding that goes beyond other systems of democracy. The Vatican has been working for years to try to improve relations with China that were officially

Pope slams both US presidential candidates over 'anti-life policies'

Pope Francis on Friday slammed both US presidential candidates for what he called anti-life policies on abortion and migration, and advised American Catholics to choose the lesser evil in the upcoming US elections. Both are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants or the one who (supports) killing babies, Francis said. Both are against life. The Argentine Jesuit was asked to provide counsel to American Catholic voters during an airborne press conference en route back to Rome from his four-nation tour through Asia. Francis stressed that he is not an American and would not be voting. Neither the Republican candidate Donald Trump nor the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was mentioned by name. But Francis nevertheless expressed himself in stark terms when asked to weigh in on their positions on two hot-button issues in the US election abortion and migration that are also of major concern to the Catholic Church. Francis has made the plight of migrants a priority of his ..

Pope concludes Asia trip, reiterates interfaith tolerance to heal world

Pope Francis wrapped up his visit to Singapore on Friday by praising its tradition of interfaith harmony, closing out his four-nation trip through Asia with the same message of tolerance that he delivered at the start. Francis presided over a gathering of young people from some of the religious traditions that are present in Singapore, where mosques, Buddhist temples and Christian churches stand side-by-side among the city-state's iconic skyscrapers. In a sign he was enjoying himself, Francis ditched his speech and urged the youths to take risks, even if it means making mistakes. But he came back to the topic at hand make his main point about the need for people of different faiths to engage in constructive dialogue rather than insist on the righteousness of their particular beliefs. All religions are a path to arrive at God, he said. They are like different languages to arrive there. But God is God for all. Francis was in Singapore to encourage its Catholics, who make up about 3.5

Pope Francis urges leaders in S'pore to seek fair wages for foreign workers

These workers contribute a great deal to society and should be guaranteed a fair wage, he said

Singapore steps up checks at immigration points ahead of Pope's visit org

Singapore has stepped up checks at immigration entry points from Monday, citing a "heightened security situation" in the region ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the city-state. Travellers arriving at land, air and sea checkpoints will undergo "enhanced security checks" and should factor in extra time for immigration clearance, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a Facebook post on Sunday. In view of the heightened security situation in the region, ICA will be implementing enhanced security checks on arriving travellers and conveyances at the land, air and sea checkpoints from September 9 to 14, 2024, said the post. Though the ICA has not given any reason for the heightened security situation in the region, some media reports suggest it could be related to Pope Francis' visit to the city-state from September 11-13. Pope Francis will visit Singapore this week for the final leg of his Asia Pacific tour. He is currently halfway through his 12-day trip, the longest an

Activists criticise high cost of Pope Francis' visit to 'poor' East Timor

East Timor pulled out all stops for Pope Francis' historic visit to one of the world's youngest and poorest countries to the tune of USD 12 million, drawing rebuke from activists and human rights organisations in a nation where almost half the population lives in poverty. The cost for the two-day visit starting Monday was approved by the government through the Council of Ministers in February, including USD 1 million to build an altar for a papal Mass. Walls were still being dabbed with fresh paint and banners and billboards filled the streets of the seaside capital, Dili, to welcome the pontiff, who earlier visited Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. About 42 per cent of East Timor's population of 1.3 million live below the poverty line, according to the UN Development Programme. Unemployment is high, job opportunities in the formal sector are generally limited and most people are subsistence farmers with no steady income. The country's budget for 2023 was USD 3.16 billion. The ...

Pope Francis to use handmade chairs by Indian-origin man on Singapore visit

During his visit to Singapore next week, Pope Francis will use two handmade chairs crafted by an Indian-origin carpenter here for his inter-religious dialogue sessions. The chairs are made by 44-year-old Govindharaj Muthiah, who took his passion for woodworking full-time in 2019, according to a Channel News Asia report last week. Muthiah said when he received the fortuitous call from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore around end-July, he did not expect to be presented with the coolest addition to his CV to date. Even though he completed both "100 per cent handmade" chairs within a whirlwind month, Muthiah said the news of being assigned to do the chairs still had not sunk in. When I got the call, the first question was: Hi, we knew you do furniture. We were introduced by someone.' And they asked if I could make a chair. I was like, Okay, do you have the dimensions? I'll work on it,' he told CNA. Then (the caller) said, No it's more than that, there's a lot of specific ...

Pope Francis arrives in Indonesia, kicks off ambitious Asia-Pacific tour

Pope Francis is expected to continue voicing appeals to confront the dangers of a warming globe

Climate threat tops Pope Francis' Asia-Pacific foreign trip itinerary

Singapore has predicted its coastal waters could rise by more than a metre by the end of the century, piling pressure on its flood defences and threatening its low-lying land

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Pope to preside over interfaith meet in Indonesian mosque during Asia visit

Pope Francis will preside over an interfaith meeting in a mosque in the world's largest predominantly Muslim country during a four-nation Asian visit in September that will be the longest and most complicated foreign trip of his pontificate. The Vatican on Friday released the itinerary for Francis' September 2-13 trip to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore. The packed schedule makes clear that the 87-year-old pontiff, who has battled health problems and is increasingly reliant on a wheelchair, has no plans to slow down. After a day of rest upon arrival in Jakarta on September 3, Francis launches into a typically rigorous round of protocol visits to the four countries' heads of state and government, speeches to diplomats and meetings with clergy and public Masses in each location. In Jakarta, he'll preside over an interfaith meeting at the capital's Istiqlal Mosque. Sprinkled in the mix are encounters with young people, poor and disabled people, elderly people and

Highlights: Odisha CM Majhi allocates portfolios to ministers; keeps home, finance with himself

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Modi wraps up Italy visit, meets world leaders at G7 summit: Key takeaways

India was among 12 countries and five international organisations invited to the G7 summit by Italy