Longstanding tradition set to resume as new pontiff opts to spend summer holiday in Castel GandolfoWhen, soon after being elected in 2013, Pope Francis broke from longstanding Vatican tradition by choosing not to spend his summer holiday in the papal r…
Excavation crews begin sealing off site in Tuam, Co Galway, before full-scale dig starts on 14 JulyPreliminary work aimed at identifying the remains of nearly 800 infants is starting on the site in Tuam, Co Galway, as Ireland continues to wrestle with …
Campaign pushes to change law that could lead to survivors living in UK being disqualified from means-tested benefitsSurvivors of Irelandโs mother and baby homes are being โre-traumatisedโ by the prospect of losing benefits in the UK if they accept com…
US vice-president delivers letter from Donald and Melania Trump during talks with pontiff at the VaticanDonald Trump has issued a White House invitation to Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago-born pontiff who as Cardinal Robert Prevost previously criticised Trum…
In todayโs newsletter: After pacts with the US and India, the PM meets European leaders in No 10 today โ but his political opponents are already branding the deal a โsurrenderโGood morning. Today, Keir Starmer will meet with EU leaders at a crucial Dow…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and JD Vance among 150,000 present as Leo says he wants Catholic church to be โleaven of unityโPope Leo XIV said he wanted the Catholic church to be a โsmall leaven of unityโ in a time of โtoo much discord and too many woundsโ, duri…
Leo urges media to end โpolarising, lovelessโ language, reject paradigm of war and to use artificial intelligence responsiblyEurope live โ latest updatesVolodymyr Zelenskyy has invited Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine as the new pontiff urged journalists to end…
New pontiff also urges a ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and welcomes truce between India and PakistanPope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and pleaded for an end to global conflicts, which he likened to a โthird world …
In 1891, Leo XIII published the encyclical ‘Rerum Novarum,’ an important text in contemporary Catholicism that addresses the labor question and criticizes the excesses of capitalism.
New leader says he wants a Catholic church that โilluminates the dark nights of this worldโFive things to know about Pope Leo XIVPope Leo XIV said he hoped to lead a Roman Catholic church โthat illuminates the dark nights of this worldโ as he held his …
Pope held mass for cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday morningProfile: the moderate, good humoured first US popePope Leoโs in-tray: the many urgent issues to addressShare your views on Pope Leo XIVChina has sent congratulations to newly elected P…
From the US to Costa Rica to St Peterโs Square, people cheered the election of Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV Continue reading…
Announcement prompts raucous celebration and delight among 50,000 pilgrims and tourists in St Peterโs SquareConclave live: cardinals elect new popeRobert Prevost has become the first clergyman from the United States to lead the Roman Catholic church, e…
Quiet conversations could decide whether the next pope is conservative, progressive or a unifierConclave live: cardinals gather to elect new popeAs the sun sank behind St Peterโs Basilica on Wednesday evening without smoke emerging from the the Sistine…
The synod-based transformation of the church that will influence the conclave could become a test of the integrity of 21st century Catholicism.
This blog has now closed. Our live updates coverage on Pope Leo XIVโs first full day in office has moved here.Historically, some of the conclaves were really drawn out: in 13th century, they needed three years, over 1,000 days, to choose Gregory X.Ther…
Europe isn’t the most Catholic continent by a long shot โย but it still dominates the Sistine Chapel.
With all the pomp, drama and solemnity that the Catholic Church can muster, 133 cardinals on Wednesday began the secretive, centuries-old ritual to elect a successor to Pope Francis, opening the most geographically diverse conclave in the faithโs 2,00…
Catholics and curious tourists gathering in St Peterโs Square on first day of voting had various wishes for next popeFirst there was a cheer, then a rush to leave St Peterโs Square. No one had thought a pope would be elected on the first day of the con…
Cardinals begin locked-in selection process amid throng of pilgrims and peaceful protest for womenโs rights in churchExplainer: how does the conclave work?Plumes of black smoke have emerged from the chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, signalling that…
Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, 133 cardinals from 70 countries begin a momentous task: electing the next spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics. In secrecy and silence, they face not only centuries of tradition, but a Church at a cr…
At the Vatican, 133 cardinals will isolate themselves starting on Wednesday to choose the successor to Pope Francis. They are seeking a figure with the ability to speak to the world, govern the institution, unite the currents within Catholicism and eng…
Cardinals will be back for more votes tomorrow with up to four rounds of votingWho will be the next pope? Potential candidatesPapal in-tray: new pontiff will have to hit ground runningHow does the conclave work?If youโd rather get up to date on the pom…
As the assembly of cardinals gathers in Rome starting May 7 to choose the successor to Pope Francis, the specialist of Catholicism speaks in an interview with Le Monde about the roots of our contemporary fascination with this election that has neither …
Cardinals will enter the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday to begin the process of electing a pontiffCardinals will begin voting to elect a new pope in the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday. How does it work? Continue reading…
Will the cardinals follow Francisโs path or return to a more conservative doctrine? The white smoke will tell us which faction has won Ariel Beramendi worked at the Vatican for 18 years as an official in the Dicastery for CommunicationAs the cardinals …
Papal electors gossip in bars and restaurants and try to avoid journalists seeking clues to Pope Francisโs successorSome journalists brave the warm spring sun, others seek respite in the shade of the Vaticanโs colonnades. Whatever their strategy, the a…
Co-leaders say party is โbeing publicly discredited and criminalisedโ by intelligence agencyโs move to change classification. This live blog is closedGerman spy agency labels AfD as โconfirmed rightwing extremistโ forceElsewhere, TikTok has been fined …
About 135 Roman Catholic cardinals will meet at Sistine Chapel to decide the next leader of the global churchEurope live โ latest updatesCatholic cardinals from all over the world will converge under Michelangeloโs ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chape…
This blog has now closed. You can read our latest wrap of developments here.We are just getting a line from Reuters news agency saying that the Conclave to elect new pope will start on 7 May, according to its source.We have not independently verified t…
Mourners express sadness and gratitude, while special mass in St Peterโs Square attracts 200,000 peopleThousands of people queued to visit Pope Francisโs tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica the day after heads of state, royalty and hundreds of thousa…
US presidentโs epiphany that Putin may not want to stop Ukraine war follows โsymbolicโ talk with Zelenskyy in St Peterโs BasilicaIt was a fitting moment for an epiphany, if thatโs what this was. Donald Trump sat in the morning light in St Peterโs Basil…
As Pope Francisโs coffin emerged into St Peterโs Square, the crowd paid tribute to a leader who urged the world to build bridgesAs bells tolled and the coffin emerged from the gloom of the basilica, a hush fell across St Peterโs Square, in keeping with…
A selection of the best photographs from the funeral in St Peterโs Squareโข Pope Francisโs funeral โ live Continue reading…
Some, especially within the US, see the conclave as an opportunity to establish a more conservative leaderFor Catholics who cherished Pope Francisโs relentless defence of the dignity of migrants and minorities, the footage of his deeply awkward meeting…
Pope Francis is remembered as a โpope among the people with an open heart towards everyoneโ, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re saysAt least 130 foreign delegations, including about โ50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchsโ, would attend Pope Francisโs f…
Italian PM and pontiff could not have been further apart on issues such as migration, climate crisis and economyIt is an awkward weekend for Giorgia Meloni. The Italian leader will host a gathering of world leaders to say goodbye to a much-revered pope…
They date back to the 16th century when mercenaries first served Pope Julius II and form the worldโs smallest armyWith their feathered helmets, ruffled collars and coloured, puffed-sleeve uniforms, the Vatican Swiss Guards are often likened by curious …
The pontiff shunned fanfare by picking a small niche in the basilica he visited more than 100 times during his papacyAs a priest, and then cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio would always call into Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), one of the four p…
Tens of thousands have queued for hours to pay their last respects to pontiff, whose coffin will be closed on Friday eveningThe Vatican will make final preparations on Friday for Pope Francisโs funeral as the last of the huge crowds of mourners file th…
The archbishop is traditionalistsโ preferred candidate for a reason: his papacy would wind back the progress made under Pope FrancisWho might be the next pope? The question is famously difficult to answer. But we can be reasonably confident that if the…
More than 60,000 people have viewed body of late pontiff since Wednesday morning, says VaticanThousands of mourners lined up for hours on a second day to catch a glimpse of Pope Francisโs body, after St Peterโs Basilica stayed open all night to cope wi…
As Catholics gather in Rome to mourn Pope Francis, those hoping to succeed him are preparing to engage in one of the worldโs oldest and most intriguing electoral contests. This weekโs guest knows the inner workings of the Vatican and the key players involved as cardinals gather for the next conclave. Host Anne McElvoy talks [โฆ]
Popeโs simple open casket lies on main altar of St Peterโs Basilica as mourners say: โItโs a privilege to be hereโ Thousands of people queued for hours under the hot spring sun in St Peterโs Square on Wednesday to pay their final respects to Pope Franc…
Defence and security mechanisms are deployed across Rome as authorities expect crowds of up to 200,000 peoplePope Francisโs funeral โ latest updatesDespite Pope Francisโs desire for a simple and comparatively low-key send-off, those tasked with organis…
He was no liberal, but Francis embodied a spirit of international solidarity that is in alarmingly short supplyPope Francis died hours after meeting the US vice-president, JD Vance. If that wasnโt a bad enough omen, the Republican congresswoman Marjori…
Francis will lie in state for three days to allow Catholic faithful to pay their final respectsIn the meantime, first details are emerging as to the scale of the logistics operation required for this Saturdayโs funeral, with over 170 foreign delegation…
Thousands of people have gathered to remember Pope Francis after his death on Easter Monday at the age of 88. The pontiff’s humility and outspoken support for marginalised communities gained him widespread popularity within the Christian community and …
Pope Francis, head of the worldโs 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday aged 88The Vatican also confirmed that Pope Francisโs coffin will be transferred to St Peterโs Basilica on Wednesday morning, where it will stay until th…
In todayโs newsletter: He was an unpredictable leader unafraid to upset traditionalists, but was he really a liberal figure โ and will his changes last?Good morning. On Sunday, after a 38-day hospitalisation, Pope Francis greeted crowds in St Peterโs S…
Officials and campaigners from around world pay tribute to pontiff who put environment at heart of his papacyPope Francis, groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff, dies aged 88He declared destroying the environment a sin, warned that humanity was turning the glo…
One of pontiffโs last acts was to simplify papal rites, stripping away elaborate rituals and scaling back processionLatest updates: tributes paid after Pope Francis dies aged 88When the late Pope Francis stepped on to the balcony of St Peterโs Basilica…
Worshippers gathered in Rome for the Easter weekend reflect on legacy of pontiff who pushed the limitsBill Nicoletti and his family, from Philadelphia, were among the thousands gathered in St Peterโs Square for Easter Sunday mass when Pope Francis arri…
In his 12 years as pontiff, Pope Francis became popular far beyond the Catholic community as people embraced his humility and progressive views. Over the years, he showed patience and humour as he met worshippers and representatives from across the wor…
The Argentine pontiff was a vital progressive influence on issues such as migration, and fought for a more merciful, less rigid Catholic churchDefying doctorsโ orders to rest following his battle with double pneumonia, a weak Pope Francis last week vis…
Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic church and sovereign of the Vatican City state, has died. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 17 December 1936 Continue reading…
The pontiff took on church traditionalists and rightwing populism, making powerful enemies on the wayPope Francis, groundbreaking Jesuit pontiff, dies aged 88Latest updates: tributes paid after Pope Francis diesIn his first words from the balcony of St…
The pope wished a happy Easter to tens of thousands of worshippers gathered at Vatican’s St Peter’s Square on Sunday. Doctors have advised the pontiff to rest for at least two months following his five-week hospital stay earlier this year. Pope Francis…
The Vice President of the United States, who converted to Catholicism a few years ago, met the Pope at the Vatican. The pontiff had repeatedly criticised the US’ tough anti-immigration policies.
Pope Francis has attributed two miracles to the London-born teenager, who built websites for church and died of leukaemiaHe was a London-born teenager with leukaemia who spread his faith by building websites, later gaining the moniker โGodโs influencer…
US vice-president, who is a Catholic convert, discusses immigration and international wars with secretary of stateThe US vice-president, JD Vance, had โan exchange of opinionsโ with the Vaticanโs secretary of state over current international conflicts …
The US vice president brandishes his Catholicism as a banner, making his faith a component of the cultural war launched by the Trump administration.
Dressed-down pontiff visits St Peterโs Basilica, and is expected to appear at Easter Sunday massLorena Araujo Piรฑeiro was putting the finishing touches to the restoration of the 17th-century tomb of Pope Urban VIII, a dark bronze and gold monument in S…
Pope Francis recognises the โheroic virtuesโ of the creator of Barcelonaโs Sagrada Famรญlia basilica in first step of processHeโs long been nicknamed โGodโs architectโ by those who point to his piety and the religious imagery woven through his soaring s…
British royals wish pontiff well in recovery from pneumonia during their state visit to ItalyKing Charles and Queen Camilla paid a surprise private visit to a convalescing Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon during their four-day state visit to Italy.T…
Canonisation has long been a way for the Catholic church to shape its own image. As the Vatican prepares to anoint its first millennial saint, we ask how it decides who is worthyThere are more Audio Long Reads here, or search Audio Long Read wherever y…
‘Europeans, war and peace (2/7).’ Italy’s historical links to both Catholicism and Communism mean the vast majority of Italians are opposed to rearmament in their country and Europe in general.
Pontiff says he has โhad the opportunity to experience the Lordโs patienceโ and pays tribute to โtireless careโ of medicsPope Francis greeted a large crowd of pilgrims gathered outside Gemelli hospital in Rome in his first public appearance in more tha…
Francis pictured for first time since he was admitted to hospital more than a month ago with pneumoniaThe Vatican has released the first photograph of Pope Francis since the 88-year-old was admitted to hospital more than a month ago with pneumonia in b…
Pontiff nearing three weeks in hospital in Rome after being admitted with respiratory problemsPope Francis has recorded and released an audio message thanking those who have been praying for his recovery, his voice breathless as he nears three weeks in…
Pontiff, 88, is receiving high-flow oyxgen and his breathing will be aided overnight by a non-evasive ventilatorPope Francis remained stable on Tuesday and did not suffer any further respiratory crises, the Vatican has said.The pope, who has pneumonia …
Pope has been in Romeโs Gemelli hospital for more than two weeks with pneumoniaPope Francis, who has been in hospital with pneumonia for more than two weeks, suffered two episodes of โacute respiratory failureโ on Monday, the Vatican said.The pontiff, …
Pontiff, 88, spends long periods off noninvasive ventilation, showing improving lung function as he battles pneumoniaPope Francis remains in stable condition a day after a respiratory crisis, and has spent long periods off the noninvasive ventilation h…
Doctors caring for pontiff, 88, are assessing how Fridayโs incident will affect his condition, says officialPope Francis, who has been in hospital for two weeks with pneumonia in both lungs, has spent a peaceful night after suffering a breathing crisis…
Vatican says pontiff was given non-invasive mechanical ventilation, to which he responded well and remains alertPope Francis has suffered an โisolated breathing crisisโ which caused him to vomit, provoking a โsudden worseningโ of his respiratory condit…
Sebastian Padrรณn explains how ice-cream brought his family closer with fellow Argentinian and neighbourWhen Sebastian Padrรณn opened his ice-cream parlour around the corner from Pope Francisโs home in Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City, his wife, Silvia, …
Italian government under pressure to address issue after number of people working together to protect migrants also spied onAn Italian priest who has a close relationship with Pope Francis and was previously in telephone contact with him was notified h…
Prognosis for pontiff, 88, remains guarded as he is treated in hospital for pneumonia and kidney failurePope Francis, who is in hospital with pneumonia and โmildโ kidney failure, remains in a critical condition although there was a โslight improvementโ…
In todayโs newsletter: The far-right AfD may have come second, but at 20% they have been held off by the performance of mainstream parties, with the CDU leader Friedrich Merz on course to be the new chancellorGood morning. Germanyโs elections always ma…
The pontiff is in hospital for a complex lung infection and has been given high flows of oxygen and blood transfusionsThe Vatican has said Pope Francis is in a critical condition after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high …
Chronic illness remains but pontiff, 88, is stable and in good humour, doctor saysPope Francis, who is in hospital undergoing treatment for double pneumonia, is โnot yet out of dangerโ and will remain in hospital for at least the whole of next week, on…
Pontiff, 88, already in hospital when latest diagnosis made, as Vatican confirms medical situation is โcomplexโPope Francis has been diagnosed with double pneumonia after further tests showed a continuing โcomplexโ medical situation, the Vatican said i…
Vatican statement says pontiff, 88, is being treated for a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tractPope Francis will remain in hospital for as long as required after tests undertaken in recent days showed a โcomplex clinical pictureโ, the Vatic…
Blood on statue at pilgrimage site near Rome came from woman declared โfraudโ by Roman Catholic church, test suggestsEurope live โ latest updatesA self-styled mystic who drew hundreds of pilgrims to a town near Rome by claiming that a statue of the Vir…
Pontiff to receive treatment for bronchitis after having difficulty breathing during meetingPope Francis has cancelled his scheduled events over the next few days after being hospitalised, the Vatican said.The pontiff, who has been suffering from bronc…
Beatification ceremony for Clare Crockett, former party girl from Derry, draws more than 100 people to MadridA nun from Northern Ireland who was killed in an earthquake while she was teaching music in Ecuador has taken a step closer to sainthood.A cere…
Move marks shift in views but sexually active gay men will not be admitted to Roman Catholic seminariesGay men will be allowed to train as priests in Roman Catholic seminaries, so long as they observe celibacy, according to new guidelines announced by …
Pontiff opens sacred portal at Rebibbia jail outside Rome to show โhope does not disappointโPope Francis has visited one of the largest prisons in Italy, opening a special โholy doorโ for the Catholic churchโs 2025 jubilee, in what the Vatican describe…
Some in the small, medieval town famed for St Francis worry too many people will come because of โMillennial saintโ Carlo AcutisInside a souvenir shop in Assisi, the face of a boy with thick black curly hair smiles out from wall tapestries, fridge magn…
Archbishop of Paris consecrates the cathedralโs new altar with perfumed oil to the sound of the restored organParisians, the French and the world rediscovered the breathtaking beauty of the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral on Saturday evening, five years …
Fiennes is broodingly compelling as a potential English pope caught up in murky Vatican intrigue around choosing the next pontiffWho knew that the laborious process of democracy, of simply voting over and over again, could be so exciting and so amusing…
Female pilgrims tell of terrifying aggression, the lingering effects and their belief that their cases are far from isolatedIt was on the outskirts of the northern Spanish town of Mieres, as she raced past colourful houses built of stone and wood-frame…
Former pupils of Catholic schools say corporal punishment was โhourly occurenceโ in 60s and 70sThe Irish government has been urged to extend the scope of a statutory inquiry into historical child abuse in schools to include corporal punishment, includi…
Church conservatives and liberals feud bitterly over reforms teased by the pontiff.
Newlyweds nicknamed โRomeo and Julietโ by Italian media had both refused to resign so other could keep jobA man and woman have been fired from their jobs at the Vatican bank because they flouted a ban on marriage between employees.The young couple, nic…
Conservative academic James Orr has been described as the Republican vice presidential candidate’s “British sherpa.”
Catholic church says it will open its records on the once-revered Emmaรผs founder, who died in 2007Franceโs Catholic church has said it will open its records on allegations of sexual abuse and harassment made against a priest whose campaigning for the p…
The Vatican’s relations with China, the weight of Catholicism in Asia, interreligious dialogue and sexual violence are some of the issues that will come up on the Pope’s trip. Singapore-based researcher Michel Chambon says that Francis is seeking to ‘d…
Don Antonio Coluccia was leading anti-crime march when he was reportedly assaulted with planks, bottles and sticksAn Italian antimafia priest who has been fighting for years against crime and drug-dealing in Rome has been subjected to a โviolent mafios…
Inquiry to follow preliminary investigation unearthing 2,400 allegations of historic abuseThe Irish government is to set up a statutory commission of inquiry into sexual abuse at schools run by Catholic religious orders after a preliminary investigatio…
