Pope Francis News and Updates on Vatican City

POPE FRANCIS NEWS AND UPDATES ON VATICAN CITY

Pope's Swiss Guards will ditch heavy metal helmets for a plastic version made by a 3D printer

06/05/18 15:26

The Pope's Swiss Guards plan to replace their metal helmets with plastic PVC ones made with a 3D printer, giving the Pope's army cooler and more comfortable headgear. The new helmets are half the cost of the old, heavy ones, but still cost £740. The Swiss Guards unveiled the helmet prototype before their annual swearing-in ceremony on Sunday....read

I take your point! Chic Katy Perry channels Audrey Hepburn as she shares a video of her confrontation with a gladiator at the Colosseum on holiday with Orlando Bloom

01/05/18 08:05

The couple decided to soak up the sights of the romantic city as they headed to the Colosseum on Saturday.

Katy Perry dazzles in form-fitting black lace dress as she joins boyfriend Orlando Bloom to meet the Pope at Vatican City conference

29/04/18 19:54

She and 'darling' boyfriend Orlando Bloom jetted into Vatican City on Saturday to meet the Pope at a charity conference.

Celebrity audience with the Pope: Katy Perry joins boyfriend Orlando Bloom to meet the pontiff at Vatican City conference

28/04/18 18:38

The singer looked humbled as she was met with Pope Francis at the fourth annual conference in honour of the Unite To Cure conference

Pope Francis praises exorcisms as a way to ‘fight against evil’ and 'escape from the power of sin' during weekly Vatican address

25/04/18 20:09

The pontiff, in an impassioned speech in St Peter's Square in Rome, urged Christians to 'drive out evil' and emphasised the importance of baptism in order to exorcise demons.

Pope Francis 'looked me in the eye and told me I was doing the right thing' says Alfie Evans' father after he returns from Rome and continues fight for his brain-damaged son

21/04/18 08:26

Tom Evans, 21, met the Pope in Rome yesterday to discuss fighting Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool to allow Alfie to be moved to the Bambino Gesu Hospital in Rome.

Alfie Evans's father flies to Rome to ask the Pope to 'save our son' as he continues battle for brain-damaged boy who faces end of life support

21/04/18 08:25

Tom Evans, 21, and Kate James, 20, have been fighting a legal battle to move their 23-month-old son, who suffers from a degenerative neurological condition, to a hospital in Rome for treatment.

A biblical gust of wind! Pope is left red-faced after his skull cap is blown off his head in Italy

21/04/18 00:38

The leader of the Catholic church was in Alessano, southern Italy, to mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of bishop Tonino Bello.

Moment the Pope comforts a grieving boy who feared his atheist father isn't in heaven - and tells him that God is 'surely proud' of his dad

19/04/18 21:41

The boy, known only as Emanuele, broke down in tears during a Q&A session with the pontiff who visited the St. Paul of the Cross parish on the outskirts of Rome on Sunday.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, 79, seen in character for the first time alongside Jonathan Pryce on set of Netflix's The Pope in Rome

17/04/18 14:53

Sir Anthony Hopkins, 79, was seen in character as Pope Benedict as he shot scenes for Netflix's The Pope in Rome, Italy on Monday.

The Pope uses his Sunday address to say he's praying for 'little Alfie Evans' - as brain-damaged boy's family share bedside picture and crowds sing Hero by Mariah Carey in support outside hospital

16/04/18 11:48

Pope Francis used his traditional Sunday speech in Rome to say he's praying for the terminally ill youngster. Alfie, one, is in a 'semi-vegetative state' at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

Pope Francis admits he made 'grave errors' in judgment in Chile's sex abuse scandal and invites the abuse victims he discredited to Rome to beg their forgiveness

12/04/18 15:52

Pope Francis said he felt shame for not believing Chilean victims who claimed Bishop Juan Barros, who he appointed in 2015, covered up child sex abuse by his mentor Fernando Karadima.

Pope begs for forgiveness as he admits making ‘grave errors’ in defending a Chilean bishop accused of ignoring child abuse

12/04/18 12:08

The Pope has admitted he made 'grave errors' in the Chile sex abuse scandal and begged for forgiveness as he invited victims to Rome.

Pope Francis invokes the devil in rallying cry to Catholics, weeks after he was accused of denying the existence of hell

12/04/18 11:54

Pope Francis said: 'Can we not realize that this is exactly what Jesus demands of us, when he tells us that in welcoming the stranger we welcome him?'

The Queen and Sir David Attenborough are voted the most admired people in Britain in new poll that ranks Jeremy Corbyn higher than Pope Francis

12/04/18 01:57

YouGov's Most Admired 2018 list reveals which men and women around the world people in the UK look up to the most. The Queen and Sir David Attenborough, both 91, came out on top.

Trump warns Russia and Iran there will be a 'big price to pay' for backing 'Animal Assad' as US joins the Pope, EU and Britain in condemning Syrian 'nerve agent' attack that killed more than 70 people

09/04/18 07:23

President Trump condemned the 'mindless' attack in Syria while UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called it 'truly horrific'. Moscow and the Assad regime deny the chemical attack.

Sick baby Alfie Evans’s life support could be turned off as soon as Friday say his family – as the Pope urges ‘everything necessary’ be done to save the 22-month-old

05/04/18 00:18

Pope Francis said he hoped 'everything necessary' could be done to save Alfie Evans, after his parents lost their legal battle to keep the 22-month-old alive at London's Court of Appeal.

Palestinian death toll in Friday's Gaza protest rises to 18 with more than 750 injured as Israel rejects claims it used unlawful lethal force against unarmed demonstrators

02/04/18 19:44

The pontiff's message of peace in the Holy Land came as the death toll from Friday's violence, which saw the Israeli army use live fire on Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border, rose to 18.

Pope Francis tweets 'Jesus is alive!' before holding Easter Sunday mass in front of tens of thousands in St Peter's square in the Vatican

01/04/18 16:54

Pope Francis opened Easter festivities with a Tweet to his global flock: 'Our faith is born on Easter morning: Jesus is alive! The experience is at the heart of the Christian message.'

Plaster rains down from the ceiling of St. Peter's Basilica hours after The Pope was forced to deny saying 'Hell does not exist'

30/03/18 13:19

Parts of the ceiling of St. Peter's Basilica rained down over worshippers on Thursday, just hours after an Italian newspaper quoted Pope Francis as saying 'Hell does not exist', which the Vatican denied.

Pope Francis defrocks nine Ukraine monks amid claims they performed rogue exorcisms and were guided by the orders of a so-called 'prophetess'

24/03/18 21:58

Ukrainian nun Sister Maria Baran shared messages from the Almighty with Father Grigory Planchak. When he and eight fellow monks spread her words, the Pontiff intervened, defrocking the group.

Pope Francis hits out at people 'abusing' the crucifix by wearing it as a fashion accessory

22/03/18 13:56

In a speech at St Peter's Square in the Vatican, he said the crucifix is a religious sign to be 'contemplated and understood' rather than merchandised.

Pope Francis reveals plans to attend 'family rally' in Ireland this August in the first papal visit to the country since sex abuse crisis rocked the Catholic Church

21/03/18 13:10

The 81-year-old Pontiff will arrive in Dublin on Saturday August 25 and will take part in the Festival of Families, a faith-based cultural concert, in Croke Park.

The Pope will wash the feet of 12 prisoners at Rome's central jail and visit inmates in the 'protected' wing housing sexual predators

20/03/18 16:08

The Vatican said Tuesday that Francis will meet March 29 with inmates at the Regina Coeli prison, including those in the special "protected" wing where sexual predators are housed.

Pope asks for forgiveness for all Christians who pay for sex with women, saying men who use prostitutes have a 'sick mentality'

19/03/18 20:50

Pope Francis asked forgiveness for Christians who buy sex from women, saying men who frequent prostitutes are criminals with a 'sick mentality' who think that women exist to be exploited.

Bless chew, my son! Baby boy takes a bite out of the Pope during a blessing ceremony in the Vatican

16/03/18 02:20

This is the moment seven-month-old Karl Klapper bit Pope Francis' finger during a blessing ceremony in the Vatican earlier today prompting the pontiff to grimace.

Vatican announces sainthoods for Pope Paul VI and archbishop who was shot dead while celebrating mass in El Salvador

07/03/18 16:54

Pope Francis signed decrees giving the go-ahead for the honours on the basis of miracles attributed to each candidate, the Holy See said in a statement.

Pope excommunicates an Australian priest for breaching rules of confession secrecy after a two-year investigation

10/02/18 13:36

Fr Ezinwanne Igbo was excluded from the Catholic Church after a complaint was made that he breached rules of confession secrecy from 2016 at Stella Maris parish in Queensland.

Step right up! The Pope looks very amused as he welcomes circus performers including acrobat in barely-there outfit

07/02/18 21:15

Pope Francis was treated to a circus performance during his weekly audience in the Vatican on Wednesday, including a balancing act carried out by a scantily-clad male acrobat.

Pope Francis 'DID receive a victim's letter graphically detailing how a priest sexually abused him and how Chilean clergy ignored it', despite his claim no victims had come forward

05/02/18 18:08

Pope Francis received a victim's letter in 2015 that graphically detailed how a priest sexually abused him and how other Chilean clergy ignored it, members of pope's own sex-abuse commission confirms.

Mea CUPPA! Pope Francis ignores security risk to drink Argentinian tea handed to him by a supporter and gives children a ride in his Popemobile

01/02/18 15:26

This is the moment the Pope stopped his car in St Peter's Square, of Vatican City, to accept a cup of tea from a youngster in the crowd who offered it to him as he drove past.

Colombian nun begs Pope Francis to help free her in hostage video after being held captive by Al-Qaeda terrorists in Mali for nearly one year

30/01/18 19:54

New footage of Franciscan nun Gloria Cecilia Narvaez, who was captured by al-Qaeda near the Mali and Burkina Faso border last year, shows her begging Pope Francis to help her be released.

The Pope denounces 'fake news' after receiving a week of press criticism during tour of South America

24/01/18 13:59

His annual social communications message today dedicated the year to 'fake news and journalism for peace.' It comes after he received a week of bad press during his South America tour.

The Pope apologises to sex abuse victims for demanding they show 'proof', but still defends Chile bishop accused of cover-up

22/01/18 17:21

Pope Frances admitted that he had 'wounded many' when he said that victims accusing Bishop Juan Barros of covering up sex crimes of a known paedophile were committing slander.

The father, the son and the holey tyre! Pope Francis breaks down on the way to meet the Peruvian president as his Fiat 500 suffers a puncture (but he swiftly changes car and carries on)

20/01/18 15:50

The Bishop of Rome was delayed for a meeting with the president of Peru by a puncture on the way from Lima airport. The first South American Pope exited while his detail surveyed the damage.

The Pope says the Amazon and its people have 'never been so threatened' by 'big business that wants to lay its hands on its gas and gold' as he arrives in Peru

20/01/18 08:09

Pope Francis said that the Amazon and its population are under threat and that big businesses want to get their hands on their gold in a stark warning to thousands of tribe members in Peru.

Outrage in Chile as Pope accuses pedophile victims of slander at the end of a visit meant to address sex abuse scandal

19/01/18 14:21

Pope Francis has provoked outrage in Chile after accusing victims of the country's most notorious pedophile of slander during a visit meant to help heal the wounds of the scandal.

Spooked by the Popemobile: Extraordinary moment Pope Francis' vehicle is forced to swerve to avoid policewoman who was thrown from her horse as he met crowds in Chile

19/01/18 00:01

Francis descended from his popemobile after celebrating Mass in Iquique, Chile, to check on the officer, who was on guard while Francis and his entourage passed by.

Love is in the air! Pope marries air steward and stewardess on board a plane flying across Chile

18/01/18 18:50

Paula Podest Ruiz, 39, and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga, 41, married eight years ago in a civil ceremony in Chile but had to cancel their religious ceremony after the church was destroyed.

Pope asks for forgiveness for 'irreparable damage' done to children who were raped by priests in Chile as he continues tour of the country

16/01/18 21:57

Pope Francis expressed his 'pain and shame' that Chilean pastors were able to abuse children in their care while being protected by the church as he spoke of the 'irreparable damage' done victims.

Pope warns that the world is one step away from nuclear war and 'one accident is enough' to spark a catastrophe

15/01/18 17:19

The 81-year-old, who made the comments as he flew off for a visit to Chile and Peru, also warned that the world now stood at 'the very limit'.

'The next firebomb is for the Pope': Churches in Chile are attacked days before the Pontiff is due in the country

13/01/18 13:41

Vandals who firebombed churches in Santiago, the capital of Chile, left pamphlets warning Pope Francis 'the next bomb will be in your robe' ahead of the pontiff's visit to South America.

Pope Francis angers animal rights activists by treating some of Rome's poor to a day at the circus

11/01/18 09:50

A decision by Pope Francis to treat 2100 people in Rome to a day out at the circus has angered animal rights activists who claim the gesture of kindness involves exploitation.

Pope Francis calls for all nations to support dialogue with North Korea and a ban on nuclear weapons, a day before Seoul and Pyongyang hold their first talks in two years

08/01/18 23:55

Pope Francis has appealed for all nations to ease tensions with North Korea and support a ban on all nuclear weapons in his annual 'state of the world' address on Monday.

Pope Francis tells mothers to feel free to breastfeed in the Sistine Chapel as he baptises 34 children

07/01/18 18:57

Pope Francis baptised 34 infants during a long ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday and told their mothers to feel free to breastfeed inside.

Drop the ‘useless baggage’ from your life, says Pope in his New Year's address as he rails against the ‘banality of consumerism’ and ‘blare of commercials’

01/01/18 22:02

Francis told worshippers in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican today to 'drop life's useless baggage' and slammed the 'stream of empty words and loud shouting' that stems from consumerism.

'The fruit of war': Pope orders harrowing image of boy carrying his dead brother following the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki be printed and distributed

01/01/18 09:32

The harrowing image shows a boy carrying his dead brother on his back while waiting in line at a crematorium in 1945 after the US dropped a nuclear bomb in the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

'The winds of war are blowing': The Pope warns of the risk of global conflict in Christmas address as he calls on Israelis and Palestinians to 'resume dialogue' after Trump recognized Jerusalem

26/12/17 11:10

Pope Francis called for peace in Jerusalem in his traditional Christmas address, warning: 'The winds of war are blowing,' as he called on Israel and Palestine to 'resume' dialogue.

Pope Francis compares the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem to the migration of millions of people in his Christmas Eve mass at St Peter’s Basilica

25/12/17 17:28

The Argentine pontiff, himself the grandson of Italian migrants, told faithful at late-evening Christmas vigil Mass that the 'simple story' of Jesus' birth in a manger changed 'our history forever'

Archbishop of Canterbury takes aim at Donald Trump in Christmas message denouncing 'populist leaders who deceive their own people'

25/12/17 16:06

The Archbishop of Canterbury appeared to hit out at US President Donald Trump for the second time in a matter of weeks in his annual Christmas sermon.

Pope condemns the 'cancer' of cliques as he dresses down Vatican officials in his Christmas message to staff

21/12/17 20:24

Pope Francis used a Christmas greeting to dress down Vatican officials Thursday, denouncing how bureaucrats can become 'corrupted' by ambition and vanity.

Pope Francis slams 'fake news' and the media for 'dredging up old stories that have already been dealt with'

17/12/17 19:52

The head of the Catholic church denounced biased and sensationalised reporting as a 'very serious' sin that hurts all involved.

'Don't argue with the Devil, he'll always win because he's more intelligent than mortals', says the Pope, who claims Satan is a REAL person

14/12/17 08:43

Pope Francis regularly refers to the Devil in his sermons in the Vatican and routinely praises exorcists for their work in combating evil. The pontiff insists Satan is not a fictitious character.

Pope says he wants to change the words to the Lord's Prayer because current interpretation suggests God leads us 'into temptation'

07/12/17 22:23

Pope Francis said the Roman Catholic Church should adopt a better translation of the phrase 'lead us not into temptation' in the Lord's Prayer, saying it could be misinterpreted.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu hails 'historic day' as he calls for other world leaders to follow Trump as violence erupts across the Middle East

07/12/17 00:37

Criticism poured in from Tehran and Ankara to war-ravaged Syria, reflecting the anxiety after Wednesday's announcement, which upends decades of US policy.

Pope seeks forgiveness from Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh after failing to raise their plight with Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi

02/12/17 18:37

Pope Francis ended a diplomatically tricky trip to Asia on Saturday by seeking the forgiveness of Rohingya Muslim refugees in Bangladesh.

Pope finally mentions the Rohingya by name during Asian tour as he asks the refugees for their forgiveness in Bangladesh after avoiding the term while in Myanmar

01/12/17 19:16

Speaking during an interfaith meeting in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka the Pope asked for forgiveness from Rohingya refugees for all the hurt and indifference they have endured.

Pope avoids any mention of the Rohingya but calls for 'respect for each ethnic group' as he addresses Myanmar alongside Aung San Suu Kyi

28/11/17 16:30

Sharing a stage with Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Pope Francis did not address the Rohingya crisis head-on, instead tip-toeing around the unfolding humanitarian emergency.

Army chief tells the Pope 'there is no religious discrimination' in Myanmar, days after US accused the country of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya minority

27/11/17 20:43

Pope Francis met for talks with Min Aung Hlaing after arriving in Myanmar on Monday amid the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis.

Pope Francis demands nations 'welcome, protect and integrate' migrants and blasts politicians who 'foment fear' for political gain in World Peace Day message

24/11/17 17:37

Pope Francis made the comments in a message issued in eight languages by the Vatican ahead of the Catholic church's annual World Peace Day on January 1.

Pro-ISIS group release propaganda image of ‘beheaded' Pope Francis days after vowing 'Christmas blood' in poster showing a masked man driving towards St Peter's Basilica

21/11/17 08:17

Just days after threatening an attack on the Vatican, a pro-ISIS group has released a chilling image of Pope Francis. In the picture, a jihadist is stood over the pope's decapitated body.

The Pope says anyone who denies climate change is 'perverse'

16/11/17 16:04

Pope Francis has rebuked those who deny the science behind global warming, warning world leaders gathered for climate talks in Germany against listening to to such 'perverse attitudes'.

The Pope gets a Lamborghini! £165,000 sports car is delivered to the Vatican (but Francis will stick to his Popemobile)

15/11/17 14:25

Special edition Huracan will be auctioned off by Sotheby's, with the proceeds going towards helping rebuild Christian communities in Iraq that have been devastated by ISIS.

Pope condemns 'catastrophic effects' of nuclear weapons as he urges countries not to stockpile them even for defence

11/11/17 02:09

The Pope addressed UN and Nato officials and diplomats from countries with the bomb during a Vatican conference aimed at galvanising support for a global shift from the Cold War-era policy.

The peacekeeping Pope: Francis will try to defuse North Korea tension and call for nuclear disarmament at a Vatican conference tomorrow

09/11/17 18:58

Pope Francis will host 11 Nobel Peace Prize delegates alongside representatives from the UN, NATO, America and Russia at the Vatican as he attempts to deescalate global nuclear tensions.

No holy smokes! Pope Francis stubs out cigarette sales inside the Vatican over health concerns

09/11/17 15:05

Pope Francis has announced that the Vatican will no longer sell cigarettes to employees in its duty free shop and supermarket - giving up an estimated £8.9million a year in profit.

Pope paves the way for married men to become Catholic priests: Controversial move to tackle shortage is likely to outrage traditionalists

02/11/17 18:53

Pope Francis, pictured, is considering allowing married men of proven faith - viri probati - to become Catholic priests in areas such as the Amazon in Brazil where there is a shortage of clergy.

The Holy Zzz: Pope Francis admits he sometimes falls asleep while praying

01/11/17 13:00

The 80-year-old Argentine head of the Roman Catholic Church often closes his eyes for long periods while bowing his head in prayer - and sometimes nods off in the process.

'Earth is fragile': Pope Francis warns ISS astronauts that our planet could destroy itself and admires their opportunity to see the world from the 'eyes of God'

27/10/17 21:57

Pope Francis was speaking to a group of astronauts on board the International Space Station from the Vatican library when he lauded their opportunity to see Earth from their unique perspective.

Katy Perry awaits approval from the POPE to finally move in to her 'Teenage Dream' home after winning two-year legal battle with group of California nuns over hot pink LA mansion

24/10/17 13:42

Pop star Katy Perry, main, has been embroiled in a legal battle with a group of California nuns, top right inset, over a hot-pink mansion in Los Feliz, bottom right inset, that used to be their convent.

Pope moved by plight of Rohingya children stuck in refugee camps after being rejected by India

24/10/17 00:45

Pope Francis on Monday mourned the plight of 200,000 Rohingya children rejected by neighbouring countries including India - a month before a visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh..

Pope Francis canonises 35 new Roman Catholic saints including three children who were first Christians killed for their faith in New World

15/10/17 14:20

Pope Francis canonised 35 new Roman Catholic saints on Sunday, including three indigenous children martyred in 16th century Mexico, considered the first Christians killed for their faith in the New World.

I'm bored, daddy! Cheeky son of the Croatian prime minister causes mischief during a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican

08/10/17 23:40

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, 47, and his family were in the Apostolic Palace for a reception where they discussed diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Croatia.

Pope denounces internet porn and calls for children to be protected from the 'corruption of their minds'

06/10/17 14:23

Pope Francis on Friday denounced the proliferation of adult and child pornography on the internet and demanded better protections for children online.

Pope Francis is guilty of HERESY over his thawing of relations with remarried Catholics say group of dozens of churchmen as they issue stinging rebuke to the Pontiff

25/09/17 17:33

More than 60 priests, theologians and academics have formally accused the Pontiff in relation to his 2016 opening to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics.

Vatican reveals it ousted its auditor general for 'spying'

25/09/17 11:25

Revelation made after Libero Milone broke three months of silence to declare he had resigned as auditor general in Rome under threat of arrest for what he said were trumped-up charges.

Pope admits the Catholic Church was 'a bit late' in confronting child abuse among its priests and 'not confronting the problem kept consciences asleep'

21/09/17 21:11

Pope Francis on Thursday acknowledged the Catholic Church was "a bit late" in realising the damage done by priests who rape and molest children.

That's quite a shiner! Pope Francis sports a large black eye as he meets Tony Blair after hitting his head when the popemobile braked sharply

14/09/17 03:08

The Pontiff sported his black eye as he met with former Prime Minister Blair at St Peter's Square in the Vatican, just days after bruising his face when his motorcade came to an abrupt halt in Colombia.

Pope blasts climate change doubters and calls on world leaders to take action in the wake of the devastation caused by hurricane Irma

12/09/17 12:43

Pope Francis said hurricane Irma should prompt people to understand that humanity will 'go down' if it does not address climate change, during a visit to Columbia to survey its damage.

Pope picks a fight with Trump saying president can't be pro-life life if he ended DACA

11/09/17 19:10

Pope Francis went after President Trump over yet another controversial immigration issue, saying if the president is 'pro-life' then he should reconsider his order to rescind DACA.