Tag Archives: Vatican

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis had a good night’s rest early Monday after apparently overcoming a setback in his recovery from pneumonia: He is stable, off mechanical ventilation and shows no sign of new infection following a respiratory crisis late last week. “The pope rested well all night,” the Vatican said in its update from Gemelli hospital, where Francis …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis suffered an “isolated breathing crisis” on Friday, the Vatican said in a statement. The development marks a setback in the 88-year-old pontiff’s two-week long battle against double pneumonia. “This afternoon … the Holy Father experienced an isolated bronchospasm crisis,” said the latest update about Francis’ condition. The pope also had “an episode of vomiting with …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis was sitting upright and receiving therapy for double pneumonia Wednesday, the Vatican said, as Argentines, Romans and others kept up the steady stream of prayers for his recovery. Francis remained in critical condition but the Holy See machinery ground on, with the announcement of new bishops and a new church fundraising initiative. The Vatican …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis, in critical condition battling double pneumonia, had a “tranquil” night, was alert and had rested after a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions, the Vatican said on Sunday. “The night was tranquil, the pope rested,” the Vatican said in a one-sentence update on Sunday without providing further information. The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said. Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed a condition associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a late update. …

The New York Times reports: Pope Francis has developed pneumonia in both lungs and will not participate in activities through the weekend because of his health issues, the Vatican announced on Tuesday. Francis, who was admitted to a hospital in Rome on Friday, had initially been diagnosed with a polymicrobial infection, which means he has a mix of microbes, like …

The Associated Press reports: The Vatican on Tuesday canceled papal audiences through the weekend and delegated others to cover for Pope Francis as the 88-year-old pope remained hospitalized with a multi-pronged respiratory infection. Francis was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital in a “fair” condition on Friday after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened. On Monday, medical personnel determined that he …

The Associated Press reports: The Vatican’s charity voiced outrage Monday at what it called the “reckless” and “unhuman” U.S. plans to gut USAID, with Pope Francis’ point-man on development aid insisting that the Trump administration remember Christian principles about caring for others as it begins governing. Cardinal Michael Czerny, a Czech-born Canadian Jesuit, is one of the cardinals most closely …

The New York Times reports: The Vatican has approved new guidelines for Italy that say that an applicant for the seminary cannot be rejected simply because he is gay, as long as he remains celibate. The guidelines say that seminary directors should consider sexual orientation as only one aspect of a candidate’s personality. They do not change the Roman Catholic …

The Washington Post reports: The Vatican named one of the United States’ leading liberal Catholic prelates Monday to run the prominent D.C.-area archdiocese, sending to the nation’s capital, as a second Trump administration begins, a cleric known for a pastoral approach to migrants and for the “radical inclusion” of the LGBTQ+ community. San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy, who for a …

Reuters reports: A Catholic Holy Year, also known as a Jubilee, is considered a time of peace, forgiveness and pardon. They normally occur every 25 years. Pilgrims coming to Rome during the year can obtain special indulgences, or remission of their sins. This Jubilee will run through Jan. 6, 2026. “The Jubilee calls us to spiritual renewal and commits us …

Politico reports: President-elect Donald Trump said Friday that he is picking the head of a right-wing Catholic advocacy group and critic of Pope Francis to serve as ambassador to the Holy See, potentially teeing up tensions with the Vatican. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Brian Burch, head of the group Catholic Vote, “loves his Church and …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis faced calls to overturn the Catholic Church’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender people on Saturday when he held talks with LGBTQ activists at the Vatican. The 80-minute meeting, held privately at the guesthouse where the pope lives, included a Catholic sister who works with LGBTQ people, a member of the transgender community, and a U.S. …

CBS News reports: Pope Francis promised Saturday to “offer all the help we can” to aid clergy sexual abuse victims, after a group of Belgian survivors told him first-hand of the trauma that had shattered their lives and left many in poverty and mental misery. Francis’ visit to Belgium has been dominated by the abuse scandal, with King Philippe and …

The National Catholic Reporter reports: Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the disgraced former papal nuncio to the United States who questioned the legitimacy of Pope Francis and the authority of the Second Vatican Council, has been found guilty of schism and excommunicated, the Vatican announced on July 5. “His public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the …

The New York Times reports: The pontiff’s image was everywhere. On cardboard cutouts adorned with flower necklaces, on glittery banners, on stickers. Romans came to the Pride parade on Saturday dressed like Francis, wearing papal hats and T-shirts that read, “There is never too much frociaggine,” a reference to an offensive slur against gay men that the pope has been …

The Guardian reports: Pope Francis has apologised for using an offensive slur during a discussion with bishops about admitting gay men into seminaries, saying he “never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms”. The apology followed reports in the Italian press on Monday that, during the discussion in Rome last week, the pontiff, 87, had said there was …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis used a highly derogatory term towards the LGBT community as he reiterated in a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops that gay people should not be allowed to become priests, Italian media reported on Monday. La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera, Italy’s largest circulation dailies, both quoted the pope as saying seminaries, or priesthood colleges, are already …

The Daily Beast reports: Pope Francis on Sunday railed against conservative bishops in the United States who oppose his efforts to revitalize the Catholic Church. When quizzed by CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell over the issue on Sunday’s 60 Minutes, the 87-year-old provided an unexpected response. “You used an adjective, ‘conservative,’” Pope Francis said. “That is, conservative is one …

NBC News reports: Supernatural events like visions of the Virgin Mary and statues weeping tears of blood have for centuries stirred the faithful — and controversy for the Catholic Church. In the age of social media, unverified claims can spread rapidly around the globe, so on Friday the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued new guidelines radically …