Pope Leo XIV•Vatican Diplomacy

Pope Leo XIV removes controversial Italian bishop as head of John Paul II Institute for the family

Though this change does not formally amend the statutes revised in 2019—which grant the Pope direct discretion in such appointments—it represents a reorientation

May 19, 2025 18:18

Valentina di Giorgio

Vatican Diplomacy

Pope Leo XIV’s audience with the Ukrainian president

Just last May 12 it was made public that the Pope and Zelensky had a telephone conversation in which the Ukrainian president invited the Pope to visit the country.

May 18, 2025 19:21

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Dicasteries•Pope Leo XIV

Media pressure on the Pope? Synod Secretary General releases letter to the Pope

The subtext of the letter is difficult to ignore. While couched in deferential language, the message is clear: the Synod Secretariat expects the new pope not only to honor the framework established under Francis, but to actively implement it. “The indications of the Final Document,” they write, “can already be put into practice in local Churches,” as study groups prepare proposals for decisions that “involve the whole Church.”

May 15, 2025 15:26

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Pope Leo XIV•Vatican Diplomacy

Zelensky calls Leo XIV: Ukrainian President invited Pope to visit the country

The announcement followed a telephone conversation between the two leaders on May 12, their first since the former Bishop of Chiclayo, Robert Prevost, was elected Supreme Pontiff just days earlier.

May 12, 2025 17:21

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Pope Francis

Pope Francis’s Popemobile to Become Mobile Clinic for Gaza’s Children

In a region where medical infrastructure has nearly collapsed and humanitarian corridors remain choked by conflict, the vehicle stands ready to become a rare source of healing

May 07, 2025 17:11

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Vatican Diplomacy

Peculiar audience at the Vatican for the vice-president of Zimbabwe: who receives him if there is no Pope and no Secretary of State?

Archbishop Gallagher, whose role remains uninterrupted even in the absence of a pope, welcomed Vice President Chiwenga on behalf of the Holy See, continuing the Vatican’s subtle yet sustained engagement with the world stage

May 03, 2025 20:25

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Cardinals and Bishops

Cardinal Becciu will not participate in Conclave: “even though I am convinced of my innocence”

Initial discussions among some cardinals reportedly included the possibility of voting on Becciu’s eligibility to join the Conclave. However, that internal tension appears to have been diffused with the cardinal’s voluntary step back.

Apr 29, 2025 06:54

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Cardinals and Bishops

Cardinal Zen gets permission from China to go to Rome where he questions dean of cardinals

True to his outspoken character, Zen has continued to voice concern even in these days of mourning. From Rome, he questioned why the first General Congregation of cardinals—an essential meeting ahead of the conclave—was convened so hastily, beginning on April 22

Apr 27, 2025 19:59

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Pope Francis

Julian Assange at Pope’s funeral. They claim that he proposed to give him asylum

Their presence at the Vatican carried deep personal significance. In June 2023, long before freedom was even a near possibility for Assange, Stella and her children had been received privately by Pope Francis

Apr 27, 2025 19:57

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Pope Francis

Graffiti of the Pope Near the Vatican After List of Participants in His Funeral Is Released

Urban artist Laika painted her new mural a few meters from Saint Peter’s, on Via Piccolomini. It shows Pope Francis reading a list of people who will go to his funeral.

Apr 25, 2025 08:59

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Pope Francis

Did Pope Francis suffer before he died? His personal physician answers

Dr. Alfieri, who had attended to the Pope through multiple health episodes in recent years, was among the first to reach him. “He still had his eyes open, oxygen support, and an IV line, but he was unresponsive. I checked his lungs—it wasn’t a respiratory issue. He was alive, but in a coma,” he explained.

Apr 23, 2025 07:52

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Holy Land•Pope Francis

To whom did the Pope make the last phone call? It was on Saturday 19 and now we know to whom

“He loved us,” said Romanelli, “and the world must not forget the message he left: stop the war, open the roads to peace.”

Apr 23, 2025 07:50

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