Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a lightning visit to Rome on Thursday, including talks with the pope, hailing efforts by Italy's populist government to ease sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West. Rome's historic centre was on security lockdown for the visit, with 50 streets blocked to traffic.
A homosexual bishop from Argentina undergoing a canonical trial has been criminally charged with sexually abusing seminarians. The prosecutor's office in the Argentine province of Salta publicized the formal charge on Friday. Bishop Gustavo Zanchetta could be facing three to 10 years in prison for “aggravated continuous sexual abuse committed by a minister of a religious organization.”
Pope Francis on Sunday asked forgiveness in the name of the Catholic Church for the mistreatment of the Roma people, a move likely to increase tensions with Italy's anti-immigrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini.
Argentine-born Pope Francis has sent a special message to the Patagonia Rio Gallegos community on the Eucharistic year and in preparation of the 500th anniversary of the first Catholic mass to be celebrated in Argentine territory, on April first, 2020.
Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of Blessed Dulce Lopes Pontes, the “Mother Teresa” of Brazil. The pope signed the decrees on May 13 during a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. The Vatican published the decrees on May 14.
Despite stating at the outset that he didn’t like travel and didn’t plan to do much of it, during the first six years of his pontificate Pope Francis made close to 30 international trips, including visiting virtually every country of Latin America. Yet there’s one glaring exception: his home country, Argentina and neighbouring Uruguay.
Two times Argentine president Cristina Fernandez is launching a book next Friday, a collection of personal anecdotes and momentous experiences of her political life, anticipation of its official presentation in the Buenos Aires Book Fair on 9 May.
Pope Francis listened as a preacher denounced the widespread inequality in the world at a Good Friday service on the day Christians recall Jesus' death by crucifixion. During the Passion of the Lord service in St Peter's Basilica, songs in Latin recounted the last hours in Jesus' life, from his arrest to his burial.
Pope Francis has addressed the mystery of why he withdrew his hand from worshippers' kisses, explaining it was a simple question of hygiene. Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said the Pope was worried about germs when meeting Catholics last Wednesday.
To kiss the ring on the pope’s hand or not to - that is the question. On Monday, when Pope Francis visited a Catholic shrine in Loreto, he repeatedly withdrew his right hand as a long line of people bowed and tried to kiss the ring on it.