Pope Francis has opened a meeting on the future of the Catholic Church with a call for "everyone" to be allowed in, and has removed Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, a vocal critic of the pontiff, as a sign of his commitment to creating a more open and inclusive church. The meeting is expected to last several days and will involve discussions on a wide range of topics, with the hope of creating a more unified and inclusive church.
Posts tagged as “Francis”
Pope Francis has called on European leaders to open their ports to people fleeing hardship and poverty, and to respond with charity, rather than fear, to the migration crisis. During his two-day trip to France, he is expected to meet with migrants and refugees and visit a center for unaccompanied minors, emphasizing his message of compassion and understanding for those seeking a better life. His comments come as Europe is facing a surge in migration, with more than 100,000 people crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe this year alone.
Pope Francis has announced the selection of 13 new cardinals from countries around the world, including Italy, Spain, Japan, India, and Brazil. Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez from La Plata, Argentina will lead the Holy See's powerful office for ensuring doctrinal orthodoxy and overseeing processing of allegations of sexual abuse against clergy worldwide. The ceremony to formally install the new cardinals will take place in the Vatican on September 30th.
Pope Francis was discharged from the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome on Friday after nine days of medical care and monitoring following abdominal surgery. He left the hospital in a wheelchair, smiling and waving to the crowd, and Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who performed the operation, said he was "better than before". This is the second time in the past year that Pope Francis has been hospitalized for a medical procedure.
Pope Francis is scheduled to undergo intestinal surgery Wednesday at Rome's Gemelli hospital. The procedure is to treat a recurrent, painful and worsening constriction of the large intestine, and the Pope is expected to remain in the hospital for several days for recovery. This is the second time in two years that the Pope has had to undergo abdominal surgery, and the Vatican has asked for prayers for the Pope and his medical team.
German leaders welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Berlin on Sunday for talks about a new package of military aid worth more than 2.7 billion euros ($3 billion). The aid includes tanks, anti-aircraft systems and ammunition, and was announced the day before Zelenskyy's arrival. He had previously met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday to seek support for Ukraine's peace plan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Vatican on Saturday to seek the support of Pope Francis for Ukraine's peace plan to end the war launched by Russia a year ago. During the meeting, Zelenskyy discussed the tens of thousands of deported Ukrainian children and held meetings with Italian officials. This marks Zelenskyy's first trip to Italy since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and the outcome of the meetings is yet to be seen.
On Easter Sunday, Pope Francis presided over Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, surrounded by a colorful array of spring flowers that had been delivered to the Vatican square the day before. The pope opened the celebration of Mass in St. Peter's Square, joined by dozens of prelates and tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists. The pope is recuperating from bronchitis, but is expected to deliver a speech about conflicts in the world at the end of Holy Week.