Page 2 - Vatican

Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame taboo against US pontiff

Pope Francis brought Robert Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. On Thursday, he ascended to become Pope Leo XIV the first American pontiff. Prevost, 69, had to overcome the taboo against a US pope, given the geopolitical power already wielded by the United States in the secular sphere. The Chicago native is also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop. He had prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals have. Prevost was twice elected prior general, or top leader, of the Augustinians, the 13th century religious order founded by St. Augustine. Francis clearly had an eye on him for years, moving him from the Augustinian leadership back to Peru in 2014 to serve as the administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo. He remained in that position, acquiring Peruvian citizenship in 2015, until Francis .

New Pope Leo XIV led Augustinian order devoted to poverty, service

Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first US pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, previously led a Catholic religious order. Prevost, 69, who chose the name Pope Leo XIV, was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St. Augustine, which was formed in the 13th century as a community of mendicant friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation. The requirements and ethos of the order are traced to the fifth century St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity. The Order of St. Augustine has a presence in about 50 countries, according to its website. Its ethos includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others. A core value in their rule is to live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God. A religious order is a community of Catholics which can include priests, nuns, monks and even lay people dedicated to a particular type of mission and ...

US Cardinal Robert Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV, first American pontiff

Ahead of the conclave, some cardinals called for continuity with Francis' vision of greater openness and reform, while others said they wanted to turn back the clock and embrace old traditions

White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney signals election of a new pope

White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the great bells of St. Peter's Basilica tolled Thursday after cardinals elected the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church on the second day of their conclave. The crowd in St. Peter's Square erupted in cheers, priests made the sign of the cross and nuns wept as the crowd shouted Viva il papa! after the white smoke wafted into the late afternoon sky at 6:07 pm. Waving flags from around the world, tens of thousands of people waited to learn who had won. The smoke signal means the winner secured at least 89 votes of the 133 cardinals participating in the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis. The name will be announced later, when a top cardinal utters the words Habemus Papam! Latin for We have a pope! from the loggia of the basilica. The cardinal then reads the winner's birth name in Latin and reveals the name he has chosen to be called. The new pope is then expected to make his first public appearance and impar

Black smoke at the Vatican: What do the Papal voting colours mean?

Black smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel, signalling no pope has been elected yet as the conclave began its first round of voting to choose Pope Francis' successor

Black smoke pours from Sistine Chapel, signals no pope chosen in first vote

Black smoke is pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, indicating no pope was elected on the first ballot of the conclave to choose a new leader of the Catholic Church. The smoke billowed out at 9 pm Wednesday, some four hours after 133 cardinals solemnly entered the Sistine Chapel, took their oaths of secrecy and formally opened the centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis to lead the 1.4 billion-member church. With no one securing the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the night to the Vatican residences where they are being sequestered. They return to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday morning.

Cardinals begin conclave to elect new pope with faithful seeking direction

The papal conclave will begin with a single ballot on the first day and then four rounds of voting each day afterward until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote

Pope Francis's last gift: Popemobile to become health clinic for Gaza

One of Pope Francis's popemobiles, used during his visit to Bethlehem in 2014, is being refitted with everything needed for frontline care in Gaza strip

Pope Francis leaves tough legacy behind, key challenges await successor

While Pope Francis accomplished a lot in his 12-year papacy, he left much unfinished business and many challenges for his successor from the Vatican's disastrous finances to the wars raging on multiple continents and discontent among traditionalists about his crackdown on the old Latin Mass. When the conclave's cardinals finish casting their ballots under Michelangelo's frescoed ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, the 267th pope will have to decide whether to continue Francis' policies, tweak them, or abandon them altogether. Will he prioritize migrants, the environment and the social justice policies that Francis championed, or give precedence to other issues? Among the challenges facing the new pope: The role of women Francis did more to promote women to leadership positions in the Vatican than any pope before him, and his successor will have to decide whether to continue that legacy, accelerate it or back down and change course. The issue isn't minor. Catholic women do much of the

Pope Francis and the soul of economics: Rethinking global priorities

One of the more surprising - and often missed - aspects of Francis' 12-year papacy was his emergence as an incisive economic visionary, urging the world to place moral values above markets and metric

Conclave to elect new pope to begin May 7 as cardinals build consensus

Catholic cardinals on Monday set May 7 as the start date for the conclave to elect Pope Francis' successor, delaying the secret voting for two days to help them get to know one another better and find consensus on a candidate before they are sequestered in the Sistine Chapel. The cardinals set the date after arriving for the first day of informal meetings following Pope Francis' funeral Saturday. In a chaotic scene, journalists shouted out questions to the cardinals about the mood inside, whether there was unity, and when the conclave would begin. A reporter for a satirical Italian television programme repeatedly asked whether an Italian cardinal who has been convicted by the Vatican criminal court on finance-related charges would be allowed to vote. There is the hope of unity, said Argentine Cardinal Angel Sixto Rossi, the 66-year-old archbishop of Cordoba who was made a cardinal by Francis in 2023. Many cardinals cited the desire to continue Francis' pastoral focus on people who

'Unity' could potentially turn divisive for cardinals electing new Pope

It is hard to imagine a less offensive rallying cry, but in ears of Francis' most committed supporters, it rings as a code word for rolling back Francis' more inclusive vision of Roman Catholic Church

President Murmu returns to Delhi after attending Pope Francis' funeral mass

President Droupadi Murmu arrived here on Sunday after attending the funeral mass of Pope Francis in Vatican City. Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Monday. He was 88. "President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Delhi after attending the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis," her office said in a post on X. Murmu had on Saturday attended the funeral mass at St Peter's Square in Vatican City. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian, and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Joshua De Souza, who were part of the official Indian delegation led by the president, had also attended the ceremony. World leaders and a large number of Catholic followers attended the funeral of Pope Francis, who was buried in the side aisle of the Basilica of St Mary Major. President Murmu-led delegation reached Vatican City on Friday on a two-day visit to offer condolences on

Vatican meeting with Trump could be historic if results achieved: Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy says his Vatican meeting with Trump was good and could be historic if it helps bring peace to Ukraine. They discussed a ceasefire and protecting people's lives

Thousands attend Pope Francis' funeral, ceremony reflects his vision

Pope Francis is being laid to rest Saturday in a ceremony reflecting his priorities as pope and wishes as pastor: Presidents and princes will attend his funeral in St. Peter's Square, but prisoners and migrants will usher him into the basilica where he will be buried. As many as 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral, which Francis choreographed himself when he revised and simplified the Vatican's rites and rituals last year. His aim was to emphasize the pope's role as a mere priest and not a powerful man of this world, the Vatican said. It was a reflection of Francis' 12-year project to radically reform the papacy, to emphasize its pastors as servants, and to construct a poor church for the poor. It was a mission he articulated just days after his 2013 election and explained the name he chose as pope, in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, who had the heart of the poor of the world, according to the official decree of the pope's life that was placed in his coffin Friday ...

Deleted condolence after Pope's death exposes Israel-Vatican tensions

Hours after Pope Francis' death was announced, Israel's Foreign Ministry posted a short message on X: Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing." Several hours later, it was deleted without explanation. Coming at a time of effusive global mourning over Francis' death, the decision to delete the post appeared to reflect the tensions that have emerged between Israel and the Vatican over Francis' frequent criticism of Israel's conduct during the war in Gaza. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the deletion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is usually quick to issue statements on the passing of major international figures. But he has been silent on the pope's death, as has Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. The only official condolences came from Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role and who praised Francis for being a man of deep faith and boundless compassion. For most of Francis' papacy, ties between Israel and the Vatican steadily

President Murmu departs for Vatican City to attend Pope Francis' funeral

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday departed for Vatican City to attend the funeral of Pope Francis later this week. She is accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian; and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza, her office said in a post on X. Murmu will be on a two-day visit to Vatican City and offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India. "President Droupadi Murmu departs for Vatican City to attend the State Funeral of HH Pope Francis," read the post from the President's secretariat. Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Easter Monday. He was 88. Murmu will pay homage to Pope Francis by laying a wreath at Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City on Friday. "On April 26, the president will attend the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint Peter'

Thousands mourn Pope Francis as Vatican considers extending public viewing

Mourners from across the globe made a slow, shuffling procession up the main aisle of St Peter's Basilica to pay their last respects to Pope Francis, finding community as they spent hours waiting to reach the open casket of the Argentine pontiff remembered for creating a climate of inclusion. The public viewing was scheduled to resume Thursday, a day after it began with numbers that were so strong that the Vatican said it would consider longer hours to meet the demand. Nearly 20,000 people paid their respects in the first 8 1/2 hours. Among them was a church group of 14-year-olds from near Milan who arrived for the now-suspended canonisation of the first millennial saint, as well as a woman who prayed to the pope for a successful operation and an Italian family who brought their small children to see the pope's body. We came because we didn't bring them when he was alive, so we thought we would bring them for a final farewell, said Rosa Scorpati, who was exiting the basilica Wednes

Pope Francis funeral: Date, time, location, key guests, and burial details

Pope Francis died on Monday (April 21) after a stroke, shortly after returning home from a prolonged hospital stay where he was treated for double pneumonia

Pope Francis' body to lie in state at St Peter's Basilica as faithful mourn

The body of Pope Francis will be moved to St Peter's Basilica early Wednesday to lie in state for the Catholic faithful to pay their respects to the Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace. Heads of state are expected for the funeral Saturday in St Peter's Square, but the three days of public viewing are largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke. Francis first lay in state in the Santa Marta Domus in a private viewing for Vatican residents and the papal household. Images released by the Vatican on Tuesday showed Francis lying in an open casket, wearing the traditional pointed headdress of bishops and red robes, his hands folded over a rosary. The Vatican's No 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was pictured praying by Francis. His body will be transferred Wednesday morning to St Peter's Basilica, which will be kept open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to all