Pope Francis has called on world leaders to ensure unfettered access to coronavirus vaccines for everyone. In a Christmas Day address delivered online for the first time, the pontiff warned against putting up “walls” to treatments. The pandemic meant this year the annual Urbi et Orbi message was not presented …
Read More »Vatican: Two cardinals-elect to miss their appointment ceremony
Two out of the 13 new cardinals set to be appointed by Pope Francis on Saturday will miss the ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Vatican said Monday. The Apostolic Vicar of Brunei, Cornelius Sim, and the Archbishop of Capiz in the Philippines, Jose Fuerte Advincula, will not be …
Read More »Pope Francis indicates support for same-sex marriage
Pope Francis has said that he thinks same-sex couples should be allowed to have “civil unions”. He made the comments, which are a significant departure from Vatican law and his predecessors, in a documentary directed by Evgeny Afineevsky. “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family,” he said …
Read More »Pope baptises twins after surgery to separate them
Italian news agencies report that previously conjoined twins have been baptised by Pope Francis in the Vatican City. Ervina and Prefina, whose skulls were fused together, underwent surgery there last month. Their mother Ermine Nzotto is from the Central African Republic (CAR). Soon after the operation, she told local media …
Read More »Is Pope Francis cancelling the Bible?
Pope Francis, the global head of the Catholic church, has “cancelled the Bible and proposes to create a new book”, claim several messages shared on Facebook and WhatsApp. The claim dates back to at least April 2018. In July 2020, a Kenyan website published an article headlined: “End Time: Is this Why Pope Francis has …
Read More »Pope Francis compared priests who defied lockdown measures to ‘adolescents’
Pope Francis praised healthcare workers and “obedient and creative” priests who served during the novel coronavirus pandemic. As for priests who acted in defiance of safety measures and guidelines, Francis compared their behavior to that of children. The Pope made his remarks Sunday at the Vatican, where he …
Read More »Pope plea on racism amid US protests
Pope Francis has spoken out against the killing of George Floyd. “Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd,” the Pope said from the Vatican. …
Read More »Pope holds Easter Mass at empty St Peter’s Basilica
Pope Francis has celebrated Easter Sunday with a Mass held behind closed doors at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. This year’s Holy Week events were modified to take place without the public. The Pope will also replace his traditional address to crowds at St Peter’s Square with an online …
Read More »Vatican publishes guidelines for Easter celebrations during coronavirus
The Vatican department for liturgy published guidelines on Friday for bishops and priests on the celebration of Holy Week, the Triduum, and Easter liturgies during the coronavirus pandemic. The document recommends that bishops postpone those liturgies which may be postponed. It also indicates how priests and bishops can offer those …
Read More »Coronavirus: Vatican City reports its first case
The first case of the deadly coronavirus has been reported in the Vatican City just days after the Pope tested negative for the bug. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed the case involves a patient in its health services which tested positive on Thursday. He did not reveal whether the patient …
Read More »