Pope Francis

Hospitalized Pope had Peaceful Night, up and Eating

Pope Francis passed another peaceful night in hospital, "got up and had breakfast in his armchair", the Vatican said Thursday, the day after reporting a slight improvement in his condition. The 88-year-old was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital last Friday with bronchitis, but it later developed into pneumonia in both lungs, sparking widespread ...

Pope 'Breathing on His Own' Despite Pneumonia: Vatican Source      

Pope Francis's heart is holding up very well despite his pneumonia, a Vatican source said Wednesday, amid growing concerns over the hospitalised 88-year-old's condition. The pontiff was admitted to a Rome hospital with bronchitis last week after suffering breathing difficulties, but the Holy See revealed on Tuesday evening that he had ...

Pope Eating, Reading but Weekend Events Cancelled

Pope Francis breakfasted and read the papers as usual on Tuesday on his fifth day in hospital but appears no closer to being discharged, with the Vatican cancelling his weekend events. The 88-year-old was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital last Friday for bronchitis, but the Holy See said Monday it was changing his treatment to deal with a ...

Pope Francis Hospitalised With Bronchitis

Pope Francis was admitted to hospital on Friday for tests and treatment for bronchitis, the latest in a series of health problems for the 88-year-old pontiff. Francis, who has been breathless in recent days and has delegated officials to read his speeches, held his morning meetings as planned before heading to Rome's Gemelli hospital, the ...

Pope Calls Trump Migrant Deportations a 'Major Crisis'

Pope Francis launched a stinging critique Tuesday of US President Donald Trump's deportations of undocumented migrants, describing it as a "major crisis" that "damages the dignity of men and women". In a letter to US bishops, he urged Catholics and others "not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to ...

Pope Francis Sends a Message of Solidarity to President Joseph Aoun

Pope Francis sent a message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun through the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia. In his message, the Pope expressed his spiritual closeness to “the dear Lebanese people.” He reaffirmed his solidarity with Lebanon, emphasizing, “I pray to God to preserve the Lebanese people, this treasure of ...

The Vatican Calls for a Unified Easter Date

During the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed from January 18 to 25, Pope Francis voiced his support for unifying the date of Easter. "The Catholic Church is willing to accept the date that everyone agrees on: a date of unity," he stated. Catholics and Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Easter on different dates due to ...

Trade Wars, Culture Wars, and Anti-Immigration: Trump's Big Promises

A sweeping deportation program, "drill, baby, drill," and peace for Ukraine: President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to move big and fast when he returns to the White House on Monday. Here is a look at his sensational but frequently vague promises for a second term -- much of them likely to be enacted through executive ...

'Hope': Pope Francis Shares an Exceptional and Powerful Memoir

On January 14, 2025, Pope Francis released Hope, an exceptional and unprecedented autobiography. Originally planned for posthumous publication, the text was advanced to mark the Jubilee Year of Hope. Published simultaneously in more than 80 countries, the book is a historic milestone: no living pope had ever written his memoirs before. Co-written ...

Blinken Seeks to Avert Syria Turmoil with Europeans on Final Trip

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading on Thursday to Rome for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of flare-ups with Turkey, capping what is likely his final trip. Blinken had been expected to remain in Italy through the weekend to join President Joe Biden but the outgoing US leader scrapped his ...

Pope Calls for ‘Arms to Be Silenced’ Across World

Pope Francis called Wednesday for "arms to be silenced" around the world in his Christmas address, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan as he denounced the "extremely grave" humanitarian situation in Gaza. He used his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the city and the world") message to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics to call ...