Vatican

Pope Leo Says Praying for Victims of Islamist DR Congo Church Attack

Pope Leo XIV expressed his "profound grief" Monday over a deadly Islamist attack on a church in the DR Congo's northeast, saying he was praying for the victims and their families. Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda, killing 43 people who had gathered for prayer, the United Nations and the ...

Pope Receives High-Ranking Russian Orthodox Cleric

Pope Leo XIV held a first meeting on Saturday with a senior Russian Orthodox cleric at the Vatican since becoming the head of the Catholic Church earlier this year, the Holy See said without giving further details. Leo, who has called on the Kremlin to make a "gesture" towards peace in Ukraine, received Metropolitan Anthony of ...

Pope Urges Immediate End to 'Barbarity' of Gaza War

Pope Leo XIV slammed the "barbarity" of the war in Gaza on Sunday and urged against the "indiscriminate use of force," just days after a deadly strike by Israel's military on a Catholic church. "I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict," Leo ...

Pope Leo Says Hopes to Visit Turkey in Months Ahead

Pope Leo XIV confirmed Thursday he hoped to visit Turkey in the coming months for a Christian religious commemoration, in what could be his first overseas trip as pontiff. "I hope to be able to meet you again in a few months to take part in the ecumenical commemoration of the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea," Leo said at a meeting with ...

'Hug Therapy': How Pope Leo is Trying to Unify Vatican

Pope Leo XIV heads off on holiday on Sunday, having spent his first two months as Catholic leader rebuilding unity and bolstering tradition after his predecessor's unorthodox papacy. "Prudent", "methodical" and "listening" are some of the words used by Vatican insiders who spoke to AFP to describe the approach of the first American pope, who took ...

Vatican: President Aoun Received by Pope Leo XIV

As part of an official and family visit to Rome, President Joseph Aoun was received on Friday morning by Pope Leo XIV in his office at the Vatican. Following the meeting, President Aoun emphasized the relationship between Lebanon and the Holy See, which is rooted in shared human and spiritual values. Staying true to his message of unity in ...

Pope Takes Message of Dialogue, Unity to the Curia

Pope Leo XIV took his message of building bridges and promoting dialogue to the Roman Curia on Saturday in his first audience with members of the Catholic Church's governing body. The late Pope Francis had sometimes difficult relations with the Curia and Vatican officials, accusing them early in his papacy of "spiritual Alzheimer's" and a lust ...

Kremlin Says No Agreement Yet on Vatican Peace Talks

The Kremlin said Thursday it had not yet agreed to peace talks with Ukraine at the Vatican, after US media reported the city state could host a meeting soon. Russian and Ukrainian officials held their first face-to-face talks on the conflict in more than three years last week in Istanbul, but did not reach an agreement on a ceasefire. The Wall ...

Pope Meets Vance ahead of Ukraine Ceasefire Push

Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8 ...

President Aoun Attends Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Naamat Aoun attended the inaugural papal Mass of Pope Leo XIV this morning at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, alongside leaders, monarchs and dignitaries from around the world. Following the solemn liturgy, President Aoun offered his heartfelt congratulations to the new Pontiff, expressing his best wishes ...

First US Pope Leo XIV Warns against Exploitation at Inaugural Mass

Pope Leo XIV set the tone for his papacy Sunday with a call to stop exploiting nature and marginalizing the poor, before an audience including JD Vance and tens of thousands of pilgrims. Ten days after Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost became the first US head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, he celebrated his inaugural mass in St. Peter's ...