Vatican

Fresh Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 22 as Vatican envoy visits region

Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 20 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said. Israeli authorities meanwhile allowed Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, to enter Gaza and celebrate a pre-Christmas Mass with members of the territory's small Christian community. A strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City killed at least eight people, including three children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Civil Defense, first responders affiliated with the Hamas-run government, had earlier said four children were among those killed. The Israeli military said it carried out a precise strike on Hamas militants sheltering there. A strike on a home in the central city of Deir al-Balah late Saturday killed at least eight people, including three women and two children, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. A man and his wife were .

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 ...

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

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'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 Francis apologises for making homophobic slur in a closed-door meeting

A statement from the Vatican said that the Pope's intention was not to cause offence and expressed regret to individuals who were hurt by the use of a word

Pope Francis apologises after being quoted using vulgar term about gays

Pope Francis apologised Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gays to reaffirm the Catholic Church's ban on gay priests. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement acknowledging the media storm that erupted about Francis' comments, which were delivered behind closed doors to Italian bishops on May 20. Italian media on Monday had quoted unnamed Italian bishops in reporting that Francis jokingly used the term faggotness while speaking in Italian during the encounter. He had used the term in reaffirming the Vatican's ban on allowing gay men to enter seminaries and be ordained priests.

Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary; aims to combat hoax

The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion. The Vatican's doctrine office overhauled norms first issued in 1978, arguing that they were no longer useful or viable in the Internet age. Nowadays, word about apparitions or weeping Madonnas travels quickly and can actually harm the faithful if hoaxers are trying to make money off people's beliefs or manipulate them, the Vatican said. The new norms reframe the Catholic Church's evaluation process, by essentially taking off the table whether church authorities will declare a particular vision, stigmata or other seemingly divinely inspired event supernatural. Instead, the new criteria envisages six main outcomes, with the most favourable being that the church issues a noncommittal doctrinal green light, a so-called nihil obstat. Such

Pope skips Good Friday event to preserve health ahead of Easter: Vatican

Pope Francis skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum, the Vatican said, adding to concerns about his frail health during a particularly busy liturgical period. Francis had been expected to preside over the Way of the Cross procession, which re-enacts Christ's Passion and crucifixion, and composed the meditations that are read aloud at each station. But just as the event was about to begin, the Vatican announced that Francis was following the event from his home at the Vatican. It was the first time he had skipped the traditional, evocative event in his 11-year papacy, an event that St. John Paul II famously skipped just before he died in 2005. "To conserve his health in view of the vigil tomorrow and Mass on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis will follow the Via Crucis at the Colosseum this evening from the Casa Santa Marta," a statement from the Vatican press office said. The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battlin

How Ayodhya can draw more tourists than Mecca, Vatican

Pope Francis appeals for end of Israeli strikes at Gaza on Christmas day

Pope Francis on Monday blasted the weapons industry and its instruments of death that fuel wars as he made a Christmas Day appeal for peace in the world and in particular between Israel and the Palestinians. Speaking from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to the throngs of people below, Francis said he grieved the abominable attack of Hamas against southern Israel on October 7 and called for the release of hostages. And he begged for an end to Israel's military campaign in Gaza and the appalling harvest of innocent civilians as he called for humanitarian aid to reach those in need. Francis devoted his Christmas Day blessing to a call for peace in the world, noting that the biblical story of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem sent a message of peace. But he said that Bethlehem is a place of sorrow and silence this year. Francis' annual Urbi et Orbi ("To the City and the World") speech typically offers a lament of all the misery facing the world, and this year's edition was no differe

Pope allows blessings for same-sex couples if they don't resemble marriage

Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to an exhaustive moral analysis to receive it. The document from the Vatican's doctrine office, released Monday, elaborates on a letter Francis sent to two conservative cardinals that was published in October. In that preliminary response, Francis suggested such blessings could be offered under some circumstances if they didn't confuse the ritual with the sacrament of marriage. The new document repeats that condition and elaborates on it, reaffirming that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man and a woman. And it stresses that blessings in question must be non-liturgical in nature and should not be conferred at the same time as a civil union, using set rituals or even with the clothing and gestures that belong in a wedding. But it says requests for such ...

Pope Francis taps successor as archbishop of Buenos Aires: Vatican

Pope Francis on Friday tapped an Argentine bishop with years of ministry in the country's prisons as his successor as archbishop of Buenos Aires, a day after again saying he might finally visit his home country next year. Bishop Jorge Ignacio Garca Cuerva, the 55-year-old bishop of Rio Gallegos, will replace the retiring Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli, who turned 75 last year, the Vatican said. The appointment was announced a day after Francis repeated that he was looking into visiting Argentina next year. Francis has kept Argentina at an arms' length for the 10 years of his papacy, apparently not wanting to get drawn into the country's political polarization. But recently, he has indicated an openness to finally go back next year, after a new Argentine president is sworn in following an October election. My idea is to go next year. We'll see if it's possible, Francis told a forum of students. If he goes, it would fall to Garca Cuerva to help organize the trip and welcome Francis ..

Former Pope Benedict XVI, whose resignation shook the Catholics, dies at 95

Benedict XVI passed away on Saturday at 9:34 AM in his residence, the official Vatican News agency said on Twitter

Pope Francis wrote resignation note in case of health impediment

Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published on Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out his duties. Speaking to the Spanish newspaper ABC, Francis said he gave the note to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who then was the Vatican secretary of state. The pontiff added that he presumes that the prelate currently in that Vatican No. 2 role, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, now has the written instruction. Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday, had surgery in 2021 to repair a bowel narrowing and has been hobbled by knee pain that for months saw him use a wheelchair. Lately, he has increasingly used a cane instead of the wheelchair to get around in public. Asked what happens if health issues or an accident suddenly leaves a pope unable to do his job, and whether there should be a rule for such instances, Francis replied, In practice there is already a rule. I have already signed my renunciation," .

Pope, French President Macron meet at Vatican; Ukraine concerns loom large

Pope Francis on Monday met at the Vatican with French President Emmanuel Macron, with the war in Ukraine looming large in both leaders' concerns. The nearly hour-long private audience was Francis' third with Macron since becoming pontiff. Neither side immediately released details of their talks. On the eve of their meeting, Macron spoke at a conference in Rome about the need for Ukraine to decide the time and terms of peace with Russia, which invaded its neighbour eight months ago. Francis will go to the Colosseum on Tuesday to deliver a speech to the same forum, a conference centered on the need for peace and organised by a Catholic charity close to the Vatican. Accompanying Macron to the Vatican was his wife, Brigitte.

Ties with China, Russia-Ukraine war the backdrop to Pope's Kazakhstan visit

Russia's war in Ukraine and the Holy See's strained relations with China are the backdrop to Pope Francis' visit this week to the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, where he is ministering to a tiny Catholic community and participating in an interfaith conference aimed at promoting peace and dialogue. Francis was flying Tuesday to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the state visit portion of the three-day trip. On Wednesday and Thursday, he participates in an interfaith meeting with more than 100 delegations of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Shinto and other faith groups from 50 countries. The most noteworthy aspects of Francis' visit might be missed opportunities: Francis was supposed to have met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on the sidelines of the conference. But Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine, cancelled his trip last month. Francis is also going to be in the Kazakh capital at the

Vatican's diplomacy sees setbacks, Ukraine heartbroken over Pope's comment

The Vatican's Russia-Ukraine diplomacy suffered two setbacks Thursday when the head of the Russian Orthodox Church cancelled a planned meeting with Pope Francis and Ukraine summoned the papal ambassador to complain about Francis' latest comments about the war. "The Ukrainian heart is torn apart by the pope's words," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters in Kyiv after the Vatican nuncio was summoned. "It was unfair." He was responding to Francis' comments about the weekend car bomb slaying in Moscow of Darya Dugina, a nationalist Russian TV commentator and daughter of the right-wing Russian political theorist, Alexander Dugin, who ardently supports the war. Francis listed the "poor girl" killed by a car bomb in Moscow, as well as orphans in Ukraine and Russia, among the "innocents" who have been victimized by the "insanity of war." Russia has accused Ukrainian intelligence in the bombing, which Ukraine denies. Francis has denounced the war in Ukraine but has tried

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik meets Pope Francis in Vatican, seeks blessings

On behalf of the people of Odisha, the chief minister presented a 'Patachitra' painting to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, and sought his blessings, an official statement said

Pope releases Vatican reform, gives weight to fighting clerical abuse

The 54-page text, titled Praedicate Evanglium or Proclaiming the Gospel, replaces the founding constitution Pastor Bonus that was penned by St. John Paul II in 1988