Public now can see Benedict’s tomb at St Peter’s Basilica
Vatican CityAP The public can now visit the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI in the grottoes under St Peter’s Basilica. The pontiff was buried on 5th January immediately following a funeral in St Peter’s Square. Benedict’s tomb lies in the grottoes under the basilica’s main floor. Faithful visit the tomb of late Pope Emeritus Benedict […]
Tens of thousands view body of former Pope Benedict
Vatican CityReuters A steady stream of tens of thousands of people filed into St Peter’s Basilica on Monday to pay their respects to former Pope Benedict XVI, whose body was laying in state without any papal paraphernalia ahead of his funeral this week. Benedict, a hero to conservative Catholics who yearned for a return to […]
Icy winds of war buffet humanity at Christmas – Pope’s lament
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis used his Christmas message Sunday to lament the “icy winds of war” buffeting humanity and to make an impassioned plea for an immediate end to the fighting in Ukraine, a 10-month-old conflict he decried as “senseless.” At noon in Rome, Francis delivered the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (Latin for “‘to the city […]
With new cardinals, Pope puts stamp on Catholic Church future
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis on Saturday inducted 20 cardinals from around the world, choosing men who mostly agree with his vision of a more progressive and inclusive Roman Catholic Church and influencing their choice of his eventual successor. Francis, 85, presided at a ceremony known as a consistory, telling the new cardinals to show concern […]
Pope condemns cruelty of Ukraine war at Easter vigil service
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis condemned the cruelty of the war in Ukraine on Saturday at an Easter vigil Mass he attended but at which he did not preside, presumably because of leg pain that has forced him to curtail activities. The Mass was attended by Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, who was detained by […]
Pope’s peace prayer for Ukraine recalls Fatima prophecy
Rome, Italy, AP Pope Francis prayed for peace in Ukraine in a ceremony Friday that harked back to a century-old apocalyptic prophecy about peace and Russia that was sparked by purported visions of the Virgin Mary to three peasant children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. Francis invited bishops, priests and ordinary faithful around the world […]
Pope on new year: Pandemic is hard, but focus on the good
Vatican CityAP In his New Year’s wishes to the world, Pope Francis encouraged people Saturday to focus on the good which unites them and decried violence against women while acknowledging that the coronavirus pandemic has left many scared and struggling amid economic inequality. “We are still living in uncertain and difficult times due to the […]
Pope attends year-end service but does not preside as expected
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis ended the year by attending a vespers service on Friday where he praised those who responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with responsibility and solidarity rather than an attitude of “every person for themselves”. The Pope did not preside at the service as had been expected, leaving that to a senior Vatican […]
Pope, at Easter vigil, hopes for post-pandemic rebirth
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis, leading an Easter vigil service scaled down due to COVID-19, said on Saturday he hoped the dark times of the pandemic would end and that people could rediscover “the grace of everyday life”. This year has been the second consecutive Easter that all papal services are being attended by only about […]
Pope opens final Holy Week services, skips Last Supper rite
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis opened the solemn final days of Holy Week with a morning Mass in St Peter’s Basilica but planned to skip the traditional Thursday afternoon service that commemorates Jesus’ Last Supper with His apostles. The Vatican didn’t explain why the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, would preside […]