A man with apparent psychiatric problems forced his through a Vatican security gate late May 18 by speeding past Swiss Guards and Vatican gendarmes in a vehicle before being apprehended in a Vatican courtyard.
A man with apparent psychiatric problems forced his through a Vatican security gate late May 18 by speeding past Swiss Guards and Vatican gendarmes in a vehicle before being apprehended in a Vatican courtyard.
The Vatican has pulled from circulation a World Youth Day stamp of Pope Francis with young people in an image that resembles propaganda from Portugal’s former dictatorship.
Pope Francis updated the “Fundamental Law of Vatican City State,” opening the possibility that laypeople can be members of its governing commission and emphasizing that the independence of the city-state is essential for the mission of the Holy See.
Ukrainian church leaders have cautiously welcomed news of a Vatican visit by their country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a fresh wave of Russian missile attacks in anticipation of a counteroffensive by Kyiv’s forces.
Eliminating the root causes of forced migration means ensuring everyone has an equal share in the common good, their fundamental rights are respected and their lives can flourish through integral human development, Pope Francis said.
Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II visited the Vatican from May 9 to 14 and met with Pope Francis. The visit was the second time in 10 years that Pope Tawadros visited the Vatican; he did so in May 2013, when the two churches proclaimed May 10 as “Coptic-Catholic Friendship Day.”
Two popes sat side by side before a crowd of rain-soaked pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square May 10. Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, was at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of a joint declaration signed by St. Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III in 1973 outlining the beliefs shared by their churches.
This week, there will again be “two popes” at the Vatican when Pope Francis meets his Coptic Orthodox counterpart, Pope Tawadros II, who is visiting in a bid to strengthen relations with the Catholic Church and bolster support for Christians in the Middle East.
Pope Francis asked 23 new members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard to draw close to the sacraments, read Scripture and meditate on spiritual texts, including during calm shifts on guard.
Safeguarding minors and vulnerable persons must be a priority for everyone in the church, Pope Francis said.