Tag: Vatican

• Wednesday, October 21st 2020 - 09:03 UTC

  Multi-faiths event sees Pope Francis wear a face mask for the first time at a public function

  

  Pope Francis wore a mask for the first time at a public function on Tuesday when he and other religious leaders attended a prayer service for peace around the world. The pope wore a white mask during the service at the Rome Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Previously he wore masks only in a car taking him to his weekly audiences in the Vatican.

• Thursday, October 15th 2020 - 08:38 UTC

  Rape and sexual abuse of altar boys who serve Mass in St Peter's Basilica

  

  A Vatican court heard graphic descriptions of sexual abuse on Wednesday as two priests went on trial, one charged with repeatedly raping an altar boy in a youth seminary and the other of covering up the attacks.

• Monday, October 12th 2020 - 08:13 UTC

  Mexico asking the Vatican for codices from Aztec times for the 500th anniversary of Spanish conquest

  

  The Mexican government has formally asked Pope Francis for the temporary return of several ancient indigenous manuscripts held in the Vatican library ahead of next year's 500-year anniversary of the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

• Friday, October 9th 2020 - 08:20 UTC

  Francis denounces global financial speculation amid spiraling corruption at the heart of the Holy See

  Pope Francis told European anti-money laundering experts that the Vatican was committed to “clean finance,” as he denounced financial speculation amid a spiraling corruption investigation in the heart of the Holy See.

• Monday, July 13th 2020 - 09:00 UTC

  World condemnation of Turkey's decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque

  

  Pope Francis on Sunday joined an international chorus of condemnation of Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia landmark back into a mosque.

• Thursday, June 18th 2020 - 20:10 UTC

  Vatican urges Catholics to disinvest from fossil fuel industries

  

  The Vatican urged Catholics on Thursday to disinvest from the armaments and fossil fuel industries and to closely monitor companies in sectors such as mining to check if they are damaging the environment.

• Friday, May 15th 2020 - 08:07 UTC

  Thermal scanning for people attending masses in St Peter's and other papal basilicas

  

  People attending Masses in St. Peter's and other papal basilicas in Rome will have their temperature checked as part of measures to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Vatican said on Thursday.

• Wednesday, May 13th 2020 - 07:07 UTC

  Pope Francis praises nurses and calls for more investment in health care

  

  Pope Francis praised the work of nurses around the world on Tuesday, saying the coronavirus crisis had shown how vital their service is, as he appealed to governments to invest more in healthcare.

• Monday, April 13th 2020 - 08:16 UTC

  Francis prayed for Covid 19 victims in a live stream Easter Sunday message from an empty Vatican

  

  Pope Francis prayed for tens of thousands of COVID-19 victims in an unprecedented live-stream Easter Sunday message delivered from a hauntingly empty Vatican to a world under lockdown.

• Saturday, March 7th 2020 - 06:20 UTC

  First case of Covid-19 in Vatican; Pope sends message and Saint Peter's Square is emptied

  

  The Vatican on Friday reported its first coronavirus case and closed some offices to protect hundreds of the micro-state's priests and residents as the virus rages across surrounding Italy. The confirmed case prompted a sympathetic message from the Pope and all but emptied Saint Peter's Square.