pope

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Ukraine Responds to Pope's 'White Flag' Remarks

Zelensky, foreign minister, others don't seem inclined to surrender to Russia anytime soon

(Newser) - Allies of Ukraine have been expressing their dismay at recently aired comments made by Pope Francis last month, in which he said Ukraine should have the "courage" to send up the "white flag" in its war with Russia, implying Ukraine should surrender. Now, a slew of Ukrainian officials...

Francis Struggles Getting Into Popemobile

Mobility, respiratory issues continue to plague the 87-year-old pontiff

(Newser) - Pope Francis again asked an aide to read his remarks and was unable to get back into his popemobile on Wednesday, as lingering respiratory and mobility problems continued to take their toll on the 87-year-old pontiff. Francis presided over his weekly general audience, held outside for the first time this...

He Kept Vatican's Secrets for 45 Years. Now He's Retiring

Retiring prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive reveals how US funds paid for 1922 peculiar conclave

(Newser) - The Vatican has been trying for years to debunk the idea that its vaunted secret archives are all that secret: It has opened up the files of controversial World War II-era Pope Pius XII to scholars and changed the official name to remove the word "Secret" from its title....

After Pope's Public Comments, Nicaragua Frees Jailed Bishop

Along with 18 other clergy members

(Newser) - Nicaragua's government released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and handed them over to Vatican authorities, who welcomed them in Rome on Sunday. Bishop Rolando Alvarez—described by the New York Times as "one of the most...

Pope Wants a Universal Ban on 'Despicable' Practice

Francis puts surrogate motherhood on blast

(Newser) - Pope Francis called Monday for a universal ban on what he called the "despicable" practice of surrogate motherhood, as he included the "commercialization" of pregnancy in an annual speech listing threats to global peace and human dignity. In a foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy...

Pope: Priests Can Bless Same-Sex Couples

Those seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to 'exhaustive moral analysis' to get it

(Newser) - If same-sex couples go to their priest looking for a blessing, Pope Francis is cool with it. This news comes via a new document approving a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral...

Pope's Top Critic Is About to Have to Find New Digs

Pontiff has apparently had it with Cardinal Raymond Burke

(Newser) - Cardinal Raymond Burke , an American who's led conservative resistance to Pope Francis' progressive moves since his election a decade ago, has apparently poked the pontiff one too many times. As the New York Times reports, Francis has "frequently demoted and stripped the American cleric of influence"—...

Pope Enters 'Crucial New Phase' for Church

Francis appoints 21 new cardinals to help him enact his reforms, cement his legacy

(Newser) - Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals at a ritual-filled ceremony Saturday, including key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy as he enters a crucial new phase in running the Catholic Church. On a crisp sunny day filled with...

Pope to Europe: There's No Migrant 'Emergency' Here

Francis implores Macron, other leaders to open their doors to people fleeing hardships

(Newser) - Pope Francis challenged French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders to open their ports to people fleeing hardship and poverty, insisting Saturday that the continent isn't facing a migration "emergency," but rather a long-term reality that governments must deal with humanely. For a second straight day...

Pope Francis Goes Under the Knife
Pope Francis'
Surgery Was
Successful
UPDATED
Jun 7, 2023 5:25 PM CDT

Pope Francis' Surgery Was Successful

Surgeon says Francis cracked joke afterward

(Newser) - Pope Francis underwent successful surgery Wednesday to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall. The Vatican said there were no complications during the three-hour surgery, which required the 86-year-old to be under general anesthesia, the AP reports. The pontiff is expected to remain at Rome’...

Pope Francis: I Told Off Woman With Dog

Pontiff warns against pets replacing kids amid Italy's demographic crisis

(Newser) - In numerous countries in the EU, birth rates are declining, including in Italy, which could lose nearly 20% of its residents by 2050. Those stats are apparently putting Pope Francis on edge, enough to spur him to warn Italian citizens not to let their anxieties about the future keep them...

Pope Approves 'Significant Crack in Stained-Glass Ceiling'

Women will have the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops

(Newser) - Pope Francis has decided to give women the right to vote at an upcoming meeting of bishops, and the AP reports that's a historic reform that reflects his hopes to give women greater decision-making responsibilities and laypeople more say in the life of the Catholic Church. Francis approved changes...

Pope Leaves Hospital, Gets Cheeky With Reporters

'I'm still alive,' Francis quipped before heading to Vatican after his bout with bronchitis

(Newser) - Pope Francis was discharged on Saturday from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away in a white Fiat 500: "I'm still alive." Francis, 86, was hospitalized on Wednesday at Gemelli Polyclinic after reportedly having breathing difficulties following his...

'We Still Call Him Georgio'
'We Still Call Him Giorgio'
the rundown
Mar 13, 2023 11:34 AM CDT

'We Still Call Him Giorgio'

Pope Francis quietly celebrates a 10-year milestone

(Newser) - It's been 10 years since a guy named Jorge Bergoglio became the leader of 1.3 billion Catholics, with the white smoke emerging from the Sistine Chapel to signal that a new pope—the first from Latin America—had been selected. The then-76-year-old Pope Francis was seen as an...

Crowds Descend on Vatican to Pay Final Respects to Benedict

Body of late pope emeritus to lie in state through Wednesday; funeral is on Thursday

(Newser) - Thousands are converging upon the Vatican to say their final goodbyes to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who died Saturday at the age of 95. Monday is the first day in which the faithful can visit St. Peter's Basilica to view Benedict lying in state, where he'll be for...

Benedict's Worsening Health Spurs Questions of What's Next

Vatican hasn't published rituals, procedures to follow when a pope emeritus dies

(Newser) - The Vatican has detailed rituals and procedures to follow when a pope dies, but it hasn't published such rules for a pope emeritus. As a result, official word Wednesday that the health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had worsened prompted questions about what happens if and when he dies....

Pope Francis: Benedict Is 'Very Sick'

Pontiff's predecessor looked 'exceptionally weak' in last photo of him earlier this month

(Newser) - Pope Francis often asks for prayers for various people in need. At the end of his weekly address at the Vatican on Wednesday, however, he had a surprise request. "I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict, who, in silence, is...

Pope Breaks Down Over 'a Defeat for Humanity'

During prayer in Rome, pontiff cries about 'enormous suffering' brought by war in Ukraine

(Newser) - Pope Francis cried Thursday in the center of Rome as he prayed for peace in Ukraine. Francis leaned over and choked up, unable to speak precisely as he arrived at the part of the prayer where he said, "I would have liked to have brought you the thanks of...

Musk Vanished From Twitter, Met the Pope, Came Back

After 9-day online hiatus, his 'longest stretch' offline yet, the Tesla CEO is once more tweeting

(Newser) - If you've been wondering why Elon Musk has vanished on Twitter as of late, don't fret: He's back. In what the Wall Street Journal calls Musk's "longest stretch without posting on Twitter in nearly five years," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO last posted on...

Ongoing Issue Leads Pope to Nix Africa Trip

Vatican said it was canceled on doctors' orders

(Newser) - Pope Francis canceled a planned July trip to Africa on doctors' orders because of ongoing knee problems, the Vatican said Friday, dashing hopes of the faithful there and raising further questions about the health and mobility problems of the 85-year-old pontiff. The Vatican said the July 2-7 trip to Congo...

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