Pope Francis

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"May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering, and may he enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons"

Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published on Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out his duties. Speaking to the Spanish newspaper ABC, Francis said he gave the note to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who then was the Vatican secretary of state. The pontiff added that he presumes that the prelate currently in that Vatican No. 2 role, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, now has the written instruction. Francis, who turned 86 on Saturday, had surgery in 2021 to repair a bowel narrowing and has been hobbled by knee pain that for months saw him use a wheelchair. Lately, he has increasingly used a cane instead of the wheelchair to get around in public. Asked what happens if health issues or an accident suddenly leaves a pope unable to do his job, and whether there should be a rule for such instances, Francis replied, In practice there is already a rule. I have already signed my renunciation," .

Pope Francis gave the World Cup a shout-out on Wednesday and prayed that the Qatar tournament may be an occasion for harmony and peace in the world. Francis is a life-long soccer fan and has long promoted sport as a way of promoting solidarity and fraternity. Speaking at the end of his weekly Wednesday general audience, Francis sent greetings to World Cup players, fans and spectators watching from afar. May this important event be an occasion for meeting and harmony for nations, favoring brotherhood and peace among peoples. Let's pray for peace in the world, and the end of all conflicts, he said. The 85-year-old Argentine is a card-holding fan of the Buenos Aires club San Lorenzo.

Pope Francis on Wednesday linked the suffering of Ukrainians now to the 1930s genocide artificially caused by Stalin," when the Soviet leader was blamed for creating a man-made famine in the country believed to have killed more than 3 million people. Francis' linking of the plight of Ukrainian civilians today to those killed by starvation 90 years ago, and his willingness to call it a genocide and squarely blame Josef Stalin, marked a sharp escalation in papal rhetoric against Russia. As of this year, only 17 countries have officially recognised the famine, known as the Holodomor, according to the Holodomor Museum in Kyiv. In comments at the end of his weekly Wednesday general audience, Francis renewed calls for prayers for the terrible suffering for the dear and martyred Ukrainian people. He recalled that Saturday marks the 90th anniversary of the start of the famine, which Ukraine commemorates every fourth Saturday of November with a Day of Memory. Saturday begins the anniversar

Pope Francis on Monday met at the Vatican with French President Emmanuel Macron, with the war in Ukraine looming large in both leaders' concerns. The nearly hour-long private audience was Francis' third with Macron since becoming pontiff. Neither side immediately released details of their talks. On the eve of their meeting, Macron spoke at a conference in Rome about the need for Ukraine to decide the time and terms of peace with Russia, which invaded its neighbour eight months ago. Francis will go to the Colosseum on Tuesday to deliver a speech to the same forum, a conference centered on the need for peace and organised by a Catholic charity close to the Vatican. Accompanying Macron to the Vatican was his wife, Brigitte.

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, imploring him to stop this spiral of violence and death in Ukraine, and denounced what he called the absurd risk of nuclear war. Francis made his strongest appeal yet on the seventh-month war as he addressed the public in St. Peter's Square. The pontiff also called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be open to serious peace proposals. He also exhorted the international community to use all diplomatic instruments to end this huge tragedy and horror of war.

Pope Francis traveled to southern Italy on Sunday to close out an Italian church congress that coincided with Italy's national election, and delivered a message that hit on key domestic campaign issues including immigration. Neither Francis nor his hosts referred to the vote during the open-air Mass, though Italy's bishops conference had earlier urged Italians to cast ballots in the eagerly watched election that could bring Italy its first far-right government since World War II. At the end of the outdoor Mass in Matera, Francis spoke off the cuff asking Italians to have more children. I'd like to ask Italy: More births, more children, Francis said. Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the world and Francis has frequently lamented its demographic winter. Far-right leader Giorgia Meloni, who campaigned on a God, family and homeland mantra, has also called for Italy to reverse its demographic trends by proposing bigger financial incentives for couples to have children. Francis

Pope Francis begged for an end to Russia's senseless and tragic war in Ukraine as he arrived Tuesday in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan to join faith leaders from around the world in praying for peace. Francis flew to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for an official state visit portion of his three-day trip. On Wednesday and Thursday, he participates in a government-sponsored triennial interfaith meeting, which is gathering more than 100 delegations of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Shinto and other faith groups from 50 countries. The 85-year-old Francis made the trip despite what appeared to be an aggravation of the strained knee ligaments that have greatly reduced his mobility all year. Francis struggled to walk through the aisle of the aircraft during the 6.5-hour flight from Rome, and he appeared tired and in pain as he limped heavily with his cane, ceding to a wheelchair for most events once in town. Doctors have told

Russia's war in Ukraine and the Holy See's strained relations with China are the backdrop to Pope Francis' visit this week to the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, where he is ministering to a tiny Catholic community and participating in an interfaith conference aimed at promoting peace and dialogue. Francis was flying Tuesday to the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan to meet with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the state visit portion of the three-day trip. On Wednesday and Thursday, he participates in an interfaith meeting with more than 100 delegations of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Shinto and other faith groups from 50 countries. The most noteworthy aspects of Francis' visit might be missed opportunities: Francis was supposed to have met with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church on the sidelines of the conference. But Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine, cancelled his trip last month. Francis is also going to be in the Kazakh capital at the

Millions paid attention when she spoke and, crucially for a job that often was more significant in its silences, what she embodied

The Vatican's Russia-Ukraine diplomacy suffered two setbacks Thursday when the head of the Russian Orthodox Church cancelled a planned meeting with Pope Francis and Ukraine summoned the papal ambassador to complain about Francis' latest comments about the war. "The Ukrainian heart is torn apart by the pope's words," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters in Kyiv after the Vatican nuncio was summoned. "It was unfair." He was responding to Francis' comments about the weekend car bomb slaying in Moscow of Darya Dugina, a nationalist Russian TV commentator and daughter of the right-wing Russian political theorist, Alexander Dugin, who ardently supports the war. Francis listed the "poor girl" killed by a car bomb in Moscow, as well as orphans in Ukraine and Russia, among the "innocents" who have been victimized by the "insanity of war." Russia has accused Ukrainian intelligence in the bombing, which Ukraine denies. Francis has denounced the war in Ukraine but has tried

The Canadian government made clear that Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous peoples for abuses in the country's church-run residential schools didn't go far enough

Thousands of Indigenous persons are expected to converge on Monday on the small Alberta prairie community of Maskwacis to hear a long-awaited apology from Pope Francis for generations of abuse

Pope Francis began a fraught visit to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses by missionaries at residential schools

Pope Francis has dismissed rumours he plans to resign anytime soon and that he hopes to visit Moscow and Kyiv after travelling to Canada later this month. Francis also told Reuters in an interview published on Monday that the idea "never entered my mind" to announce a planned retirement at the end of the summer, though he repeated he might step down some day as Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI did in 2013. He revealed that his knee trouble, which has caused him to use a wheelchair for over a month, was caused by a "small fracture" that occurred when he stepped awkwardly while the knee ligament was inflamed. He said it is "slowly getting better" with laser and magnet therapy. Francis was due to have visited Congo and South Sudan this week but had to cancel the trip because doctors said he needed more therapy. He said he was on board to travel to Canada July 24-30 and said he hoped to visit Russia and Ukraine sometime thereafter.

Tesla owner Elon Musk recently marked his Twitter return following a brief hiatus with a rare family photo.According to E! News, in the picture Musk, along with his sons Griffin Kai, Damian and Saxon, was seen posing with Pope Francis during a recent trip to Italy. "Honored to meet @Pontifex yesterday," he wrote.An Italian newspaper reported that the businessman and the pontiff had a 40-minute meeting at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City. Elon talked about his ideas on improving the world and humanity, the outlet stated.Elon shares his four teenage sons with his first wife Justine Wilson. Griffin has a twin, who in April filed a request in a Los Angeles court to change her name to Vivian Jenna Wilson in accordance with her new gender identity."I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form," she stated in her filing.Elon, who also shares toddler son X AE A-Xii and baby girl Exa Dark Siderael with ex Grimes, had recently started posting ...

Pope Francis celebrated families and urged them to shun selfish decisions that are indifferent to life as he closed out a big Vatican rally after the US ended constitutional protection for abortion

On behalf of the people of Odisha, the chief minister presented a 'Patachitra' painting to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, and sought his blessings, an official statement said

Pope Francis, 85, canonised Blessed Devasahayam during a Canonisation Mass in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.