Pope Francis offered his prayers to victims of a prison riot at one of Ecuador's largest prisons that killed 118 inmates.

"I am very saddened by what has happened in recent days in the prison of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, where a terrible outbreak of violence between inmates belonging to rival gangs has killed more than 100 people and injured many", Francis told the gathered people in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus prayer.

"May God helps us heal the plagues of crime that enslave the poorest and help those who work every day to make prison life more humane," the pontiff added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-wounded-in-fresh-inmate-clash-at-riot-hit-ecuador-prison-417827">Also read |&nbsp;Four wounded in fresh inmate clash at riot-hit Ecuador prison</a>

Meanwhile, four people were wounded and police were shot on Saturday in a new clash between prisoners at the Ecuadorian prison where 118 people were killed just days earlier in the country's deadliest inmate riot.

Police commander Tannya Varela said there was a shootout between inmates at the prison in Guayaquil.

Officers neutralised the confrontation and maintained control of the prison, the police force said.

Two rifles, three pistols, ammunition and cell phones were seized in the prison, police said. The jail has space for 5,300 inmates, but it houses 8,500, which is 60 per cent more than capacity.

Pope Francis offered his prayers to victims of a prison riot at one of Ecuador's largest prisons that killed 118 inmates. "I am very saddened by what has happened in recent days in the prison of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, where a terrible outbreak of violence between inmates belonging to rival gangs has killed more than 100 people and injured many", Francis told the gathered people in St.

Pope Francis offered his prayers to victims of a prison riot at one of Ecuador's largest prisons that killed 118 inmates. "I am very saddened by what has happened in recent days in the prison of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, where a terrible outbreak of violence between inmates belonging to rival gangs has killed more than 100 people and injured many", Francis told the gathered people in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus prayer. "May God helps us heal the plagues of crime that enslave the poorest and help those who work every day to make prison life more humane," the pontiff added. Also read | Four wounded in fresh inmate clash at riot-hit Ecuador prison Meanwhile, four people were wounded and police were shot on Saturday in a new clash between prisoners at the Ecuadorian prison where 118 people were killed just days earlier in the country's deadliest inmate riot. Police commander Tannya Varela said there was a shootout between inmates at the prison in Guayaquil. Officers neutralised the confrontation and maintained control of the prison, the police force said. Two rifles, three pistols, ammunition and cell phones were seized in the prison, police said. The jail has space for 5,300 inmates, but it houses 8,500, which is 60 per cent more than capacity.

Pope Francis offers prayers for the victims of Ecuador's worst-ever prison riot

Pope Francis' recovery from colon surgery at a Rome hospital continues to be 'regular and satisfactory', the Vatican said on Wednesday. 
 
Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the 84-year-old pope was eating regularly and that he was no longer receiving medication intravenously. 
 
He said the final results of a biopsy on the removed part of the colon confirmed that the pontiff had been suffering from "severe diverticular stenosis," which is a narrowing of the colon. 
 
Bruni said the pope was touched by the many messages of good wishes and prayers he had received since he entered hospital on Sunday.

Pope Francis' recovery from colon surgery at a Rome hospital continues to be 'regular and satisfactory', the Vatican said on Wednesday. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the 84-year-old pope was eating regularly and that he was no longer receiving medication intravenously.

Pope Francis' recovery from colon surgery at a Rome hospital continues to be 'regular and satisfactory', the Vatican said on Wednesday. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the 84-year-old pope was eating regularly and that he was no longer receiving medication intravenously. He said the final results of a biopsy on the removed part of the colon confirmed that the pontiff had been suffering from "severe diverticular stenosis," which is a narrowing of the colon. Bruni said the pope was touched by the many messages of good wishes and prayers he had received since he entered hospital on Sunday.

Pope's post-operative condition continues satisfactorily, says Vatican

Pope Francis is doing well following intestinal surgery, the Vatican said on Sunday after the 84-year-old pontiff was hospitalised for the first time since his election in 2013. 
 
Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the pontiff 'responded well' to the surgery, which was done under general aesthesia and which the Vatican had said earlier had been scheduled and not prompted by an emergency. 
 
He gave no further details about the surgery or how long it lasted and did not say how long the pope would remain in Rome's Gemelli hospital. 
 
The pope entered the hospital early on Sunday afternoon and the statement was issued just before midnight Rome time. 
 
Francis underwent surgery for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition where sac-like pouches protrude from the muscular layer of the colon, leading it to become narrow. The operation was carried out by a 10-person medical team. 
 
In addition to causing pain, the condition can lead to bloating, inflammation, and difficulty in bowel movement. It tends to affect older people more. 
 
The pope appeared to be in fine health several hours earlier when he addressed thousands of people in St&nbsp;Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing and announced a trip to Slovakia and Budapest for September. 
 
The sprawling Catholic-run Gemelli hospital and medical school in the northern part of Rome traditionally treats popes and a part of its 10th floor is permanently reserved for them.

As he does every year in July, Francis already had suspended all of his general and private audiences for the month. The surgery appeared to be timed to coincide with a period in which he has only one public commitment - his Sunday blessing in St&nbsp;Peter's Square.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis is doing well following intestinal surgery, the Vatican said on Sunday after the 84-year-old pontiff was hospitalised for the first time since his election in 2013.

Pope Francis is doing well following intestinal surgery, the Vatican said on Sunday after the 84-year-old pontiff was hospitalised for the first time since his election in 2013. Spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that the pontiff 'responded well' to the surgery, which was done under general aesthesia and which the Vatican had said earlier had been scheduled and not prompted by an emergency. He gave no further details about the surgery or how long it lasted and did not say how long the pope would remain in Rome's Gemelli hospital. The pope entered the hospital early on Sunday afternoon and the statement was issued just before midnight Rome time. Francis underwent surgery for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition where sac-like pouches protrude from the muscular layer of the colon, leading it to become narrow. The operation was carried out by a 10-person medical team. In addition to causing pain, the condition can lead to bloating, inflammation, and difficulty in bowel movement. It tends to affect older people more. The pope appeared to be in fine health several hours earlier when he addressed thousands of people in St Peter's Square for his Sunday blessing and announced a trip to Slovakia and Budapest for September. The sprawling Catholic-run Gemelli hospital and medical school in the northern part of Rome traditionally treats popes and a part of its 10th floor is permanently reserved for them. As he does every year in July, Francis already had suspended all of his general and private audiences for the month. The surgery appeared to be timed to coincide with a period in which he has only one public commitment - his Sunday blessing in St Peter's Square. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope doing well after intestinal surgery, says Vatican

Pope leads Palm Sunday service in Vatican, mass takes place in Jerusalem

Pope Francis has ordered cardinals to take a 10% pay cut and reduced the salaries of most other clerics working in the Vatican in order to save jobs of employees as the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Holy See's income.&nbsp;

The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis issued a decree introducing proportional cuts starting on April 1. A spokesman said most lay employees would not be affected by the cuts.&nbsp;

A senior Vatican prelate said it was believed to be the first time in living memory that a pope had taken such action.&nbsp;

Francis, 84, and from a working-class family, has often insisted he does not want to fire people in difficult economic times, even as the Vatican continues to run up deficits.&nbsp;

Cardinals, who work at the Vatican and live there or in Rome, are believed to get salaries of about 4,000 to 5,000 euros ($4,730 to $5,915) a month, and many live in large apartments at well below market rents.&nbsp;

Most priests and nuns, who work in Vatican departments, live in religious communities in Rome, such as seminaries, convents, parishes, universities and schools - giving them greater protection from economic downturns.&nbsp;

They have much lower living expenses than lay employees, such as police, ushers, firefighters, cleaners, art restorers and maintenance personnel, who live in Rome and many of whom have families.&nbsp;

It is these lay workers, who the pope appeared to want to protect, as most of their employment levels were not listed in the papal decree. Vatican pay grades go from levels 1-10 for most employees. Senior positions have four grades, from C to C-3.&nbsp;

Apart from the cardinals, other clerics will see their salaries reduced by between 3% and 8%. Programmed pay rises for all but the three lowest pay grades will be suspended until March 2023.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pope Francis has ordered cardinals to take a 10% pay cut and reduced the salaries of most other clerics working in the Vatican in order to save jobs of employees as the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Holy See's income.

Pope Francis has ordered cardinals to take a 10% pay cut and reduced the salaries of most other clerics working in the Vatican in order to save jobs of employees as the coronavirus pandemic has hit the Holy See's income. The Vatican said on Wednesday that Francis issued a decree introducing proportional cuts starting on April 1. A spokesman said most lay employees would not be affected by the cuts. A senior Vatican prelate said it was believed to be the first time in living memory that a pope had taken such action. Francis, 84, and from a working-class family, has often insisted he does not want to fire people in difficult economic times, even as the Vatican continues to run up deficits. Cardinals, who work at the Vatican and live there or in Rome, are believed to get salaries of about 4,000 to 5,000 euros ($4,730 to $5,915) a month, and many live in large apartments at well below market rents. Most priests and nuns, who work in Vatican departments, live in religious communities in Rome, such as seminaries, convents, parishes, universities and schools - giving them greater protection from economic downturns. They have much lower living expenses than lay employees, such as police, ushers, firefighters, cleaners, art restorers and maintenance personnel, who live in Rome and many of whom have families. It is these lay workers, who the pope appeared to want to protect, as most of their employment levels were not listed in the papal decree. Vatican pay grades go from levels 1-10 for most employees. Senior positions have four grades, from C to C-3. Apart from the cardinals, other clerics will see their salaries reduced by between 3% and 8%. Programmed pay rises for all but the three lowest pay grades will be suspended until March 2023. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Pope orders salary cuts for cardinals, to save jobs of employees

Pope Francis holds mass in St Joseph Cathedral in Iraq

The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Monday claimed that women can now read at Mass, but still cannot become priests.

A change in the church law now allows women to do more during Mass and was amended by Francis to allow women to read the Gospel, and also to serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers, attempting to normalise a practice which is already widely accepted around the world.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pope-francis-celebrates-mass-in-near-empty-service-352214/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Even though exceptions regarding women were made earlier, most roles were limited to men.

Francis claims that the changes were made keeping in mind the "precious contribution" made by women in the church. Pope Francis also added how everyone who's baptised as part of Catholic tradition plays a major role in the mission of the Church.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/capitol-hill-violence-pope-francis-asks-americans-to-protect-democratic-values-355811" hreflang="en">Capitol Hill violence: Pope Francis asks Americans to 'protect democratic values'</a> 
 
Now, the distinctions between the two types of ministries will run much deeper. The distinction between "ordained" ministers like priesthood and those open to laity will remain, as stated by Pope Francis. 
 
As of now, only men can become priests in the Vatican.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/pope-francis-personal-doctor-dies-from-coronavirus-complications-355933" hreflang="en">Pope Francis’ personal doctor dies from coronavirus complications</a>

The Catholic Church has been under tremendous pressure to allow women to become deacons or ordained ministers who perform functions that run closer to what priests do. These including baptisms, funerals, and wedding-related ceremonies.

After Francis' first attempt to assess whether women could become deacons failed, the Pope has commissioned another enquiry into the matter. 
 
Once included, women would have a greater say in the ministry and dictates of the church. Critics also believe this could help tackle the shortage of priests across the globe.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Monday claimed that women can now read at Mass, but still cannot become priests. A change in the church law now allows women to do more during Mass and was amended by Francis to allow women to read the Gospel, and also to serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers, attempting to normalise a practice which is already widely accepted around the world.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Monday claimed that women can now read at Mass, but still cannot become priests. A change in the church law now allows women to do more during Mass and was amended by Francis to allow women to read the Gospel, and also to serve on the altar as eucharistic ministers, attempting to normalise a practice which is already widely accepted around the world. Even though exceptions regarding women were made earlier, most roles were limited to men. Francis claims that the changes were made keeping in mind the "precious contribution" made by women in the church. Pope Francis also added how everyone who's baptised as part of Catholic tradition plays a major role in the mission of the Church. Also read: Capitol Hill violence: Pope Francis asks Americans to 'protect democratic values' Now, the distinctions between the two types of ministries will run much deeper. The distinction between "ordained" ministers like priesthood and those open to laity will remain, as stated by Pope Francis. As of now, only men can become priests in the Vatican. Also read: Pope Francis’ personal doctor dies from coronavirus complications The Catholic Church has been under tremendous pressure to allow women to become deacons or ordained ministers who perform functions that run closer to what priests do. These including baptisms, funerals, and wedding-related ceremonies. After Francis' first attempt to assess whether women could become deacons failed, the Pope has commissioned another enquiry into the matter. Once included, women would have a greater say in the ministry and dictates of the church. Critics also believe this could help tackle the shortage of priests across the globe.

Pope Francis says women can now read at Mass, priesthood still a distant dream

Much has been made of the royal proportions of Josh O’Connor’s ears: Like those of Prince Charles, whom he plays in 'The Crown,' they stick out.

But ears do not a king-in-waiting make. Rather, the actor concluded, it’s his posture.

Mostly upright when he debuted in Season 3, playing Charles as a Cambridge student, O’Connor has since charted the prince’s emotional state through a progressively pronounced stoop, inching his neck forward as expectations from the House of Windsor gnawed at Charles’ contentment. By the time Mummy — Queen Elizabeth II, played by Olivia Colman — places the coronet upon her son’s head at his investiture as the Prince of Wales, you wonder if he has the strength to support it.

“It has to do with the more weight on his shoulders, the more it brings him down, the more his neck comes out,” O’Connor said. “By the end he’s pathetic, sort of like a crumpled man.”

It gets even worse in Season 4 of 'The Crown,' now on Netflix, which brings a less sympathetic Charles, surly and sniveling as he bridles at his marriage to the limelight-stealing Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) while not so secretly yearning for Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell), the love that never quite got away. (And who will presumably marry Charles in some future season, as she did in real life in 2005.)

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-the-crown-season-4-review-show-delivers-its-best-as-diana-thatcher-take-away-the-queens-thunder-343648">'The Crown' season 4 review: Show delivers its best as Diana, Thatcher take away the Queen's thunder</a>

For O’Connor, 30, this season is the end of his run in a role he never really sought. A self-described liberal left-winger, the actor declined to read for Charles when he was initially asked.

“I thought, I can’t add anything to this,” he said in a video call from London. “I’m a republican. I’m not interested in the royal family.”

But he eventually acquiesced, and Peter Morgan, the show’s creator and writer, presented him with a scene. In it, Charles compares himself to a character in Saul Bellow’s “Dangling Man,” waiting to be drafted because going to war will give his life meaning.

“And then he says, ‘I’m essentially waiting for my mother to die in order for my life to take meaning,’” O’Connor said. “I read that line and I was like, ‘Well, that’s enough to get your teeth into.’”

The current season finds the prince increasingly exasperated with these circumstances, in terms of both the unhappy marriage that was thrust upon him and his continuing insignificance within the realm.

“We were telling a kind of unheard, voiceless Charles,” O’Connor said. “But that’s the beauty of it, that’s where he struggles: He doesn’t feel listened to.”

Charles isn’t imagining things. As his mother icily informs him in one gutting encounter, no one wants to hear his voice. &lt;em&gt;No one.&lt;/em&gt;

O’Connor and Colman had a running joke that all of their scenes together were variations on the same sad theme. “Charles comes in, says, ‘Mummy, I need to talk to you,’ and she says, ‘No,’ and then he leaves,” he explained. Over and over.

As the queen, Colman said, “my job was to be quite strong, but I found it quite hard not to give him a cuddle.” Method actors they were not. “The second they’d say cut, we’d go: ‘Should we have a cup of tea? There are biscuits on the craft table!’ We’d much rather have a giggle.”

“He’s one of the most beautiful actors to work opposite,” she added. “He’s out there with the greats, in my mind.”

O’Connor grew up happily as the middle of three brothers in Cheltenham, a spa town on the edge of the Cotswolds. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, whose alums include two of his idols, Pete Postlethwaite and Daniel Day-Lewis.

“Maybe it was a match made in heaven, I don’t know,” he said. “But I did love it.”

Not long after graduation, small TV roles in “Peaky Blinders” and “Ripper Street” trickled in. Eventually he snagged a lead as the oldest son in “The Durrells in Corfu,” a period drama by ITV and Masterpiece, about a British family’s move to the titular Greek island in the 1930s.

But his real breakthrough came in Francis Lee’s 2017 feature debut, “God’s Own Country.” O’Connor is scarcely recognizable as Johnny Saxby, a gay, brooding binge drinker toiling on his family’s Yorkshire farm, whose calcified heart is pried open by a Romanian migrant worker.

Lee had invited O’Connor to audition based on a photograph. “I liked his ears a lot,” he said. But the tape O’Connor sent was worrisome.

“He delivered this incredibly brilliant portrayal of an emotionally repressed and difficult man, and I thought he must just be playing himself,” he said. “And that concerned me slightly.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-crown-season-6-heres-everything-to-know-about-the-final-season-343447">'The Crown' Season 6: Here's everything to know about the final season</a>

When the two finally met, Lee was shocked “because in walks this incredibly funny, upbeat, polite, middle-class boy, which was a million miles away from the character that he was going to play,” he said. “He’s one of those rare actors that is a real shape-shifter.”

“God’s Own Country” earned O’Connor a British Independent Film Award for best actor in 2017. Two years later, he won another for “Only You,” about a couple struggling with infertility.

O’Connor debuted in “The Crown” in late 2019. Morgan can’t recall having considered anyone else for this iteration of Charles — or noticing O’Connor’s ears, although he imagines he must have.

Rather, “I was drawn to his sensitivity and the fact that he was complex but likable, and I just felt instantly intrigued,” Morgan said. “And the minute he started doing some readings for us, it was a no-brainer. He was a list of one.”

O’Connor had watched “The Crown” in support of his good friend Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in Seasons 1 and 2. “And then I became a loyal fan,” he said. While he has difficulty aligning his belief in a classless society with the royal family, he doesn’t think “The Crown” glamorizes them, despite its pageantry and splendor.

“What Peter does is he strips all that back,” he said. “It’s about humans who struggle and have very odd relationships with their parents and power and politics. That’s the juice.

“But I think you can have those beliefs and have great respect and affection and love even for these people. I think the queen is an extraordinary woman. Time after time, lots of men have failed, and this one woman in power has been consistent and remained dutiful and generally apolitical.

“In that sense, I have huge respect for her — and for Charles, to be honest. I mean, Charles is another level of someone who’s literally been waiting his entire life for this moment that still hasn’t come.”

Much has been made of the royal proportions of Josh O’Connor’s ears: Like those of Prince Charles, whom he plays in 'The Crown,' they stick out. But ears do not a king-in-waiting make.

Much has been made of the royal proportions of Josh O’Connor’s ears: Like those of Prince Charles, whom he plays in 'The Crown,' they stick out. But ears do not a king-in-waiting make. Rather, the actor concluded, it’s his posture. Mostly upright when he debuted in Season 3, playing Charles as a Cambridge student, O’Connor has since charted the prince’s emotional state through a progressively pronounced stoop, inching his neck forward as expectations from the House of Windsor gnawed at Charles’ contentment. By the time Mummy — Queen Elizabeth II, played by Olivia Colman — places the coronet upon her son’s head at his investiture as the Prince of Wales, you wonder if he has the strength to support it. “It has to do with the more weight on his shoulders, the more it brings him down, the more his neck comes out,” O’Connor said. “By the end he’s pathetic, sort of like a crumpled man.” It gets even worse in Season 4 of 'The Crown,' now on Netflix, which brings a less sympathetic Charles, surly and sniveling as he bridles at his marriage to the limelight-stealing Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) while not so secretly yearning for Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell), the love that never quite got away. (And who will presumably marry Charles in some future season, as she did in real life in 2005.) 'The Crown' season 4 review: Show delivers its best as Diana, Thatcher take away the Queen's thunder For O’Connor, 30, this season is the end of his run in a role he never really sought. A self-described liberal left-winger, the actor declined to read for Charles when he was initially asked. “I thought, I can’t add anything to this,” he said in a video call from London. “I’m a republican. I’m not interested in the royal family.” But he eventually acquiesced, and Peter Morgan, the show’s creator and writer, presented him with a scene. In it, Charles compares himself to a character in Saul Bellow’s “Dangling Man,” waiting to be drafted because going to war will give his life meaning. “And then he says, ‘I’m essentially waiting for my mother to die in order for my life to take meaning,’” O’Connor said. “I read that line and I was like, ‘Well, that’s enough to get your teeth into.’” The current season finds the prince increasingly exasperated with these circumstances, in terms of both the unhappy marriage that was thrust upon him and his continuing insignificance within the realm. “We were telling a kind of unheard, voiceless Charles,” O’Connor said. “But that’s the beauty of it, that’s where he struggles: He doesn’t feel listened to.” Charles isn’t imagining things. As his mother icily informs him in one gutting encounter, no one wants to hear his voice. No one. O’Connor and Colman had a running joke that all of their scenes together were variations on the same sad theme. “Charles comes in, says, ‘Mummy, I need to talk to you,’ and she says, ‘No,’ and then he leaves,” he explained. Over and over. As the queen, Colman said, “my job was to be quite strong, but I found it quite hard not to give him a cuddle.” Method actors they were not. “The second they’d say cut, we’d go: ‘Should we have a cup of tea? There are biscuits on the craft table!’ We’d much rather have a giggle.” “He’s one of the most beautiful actors to work opposite,” she added. “He’s out there with the greats, in my mind.” O’Connor grew up happily as the middle of three brothers in Cheltenham, a spa town on the edge of the Cotswolds. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, whose alums include two of his idols, Pete Postlethwaite and Daniel Day-Lewis. “Maybe it was a match made in heaven, I don’t know,” he said. “But I did love it.” Not long after graduation, small TV roles in “Peaky Blinders” and “Ripper Street” trickled in. Eventually he snagged a lead as the oldest son in “The Durrells in Corfu,” a period drama by ITV and Masterpiece, about a British family’s move to the titular Greek island in the 1930s. But his real breakthrough came in Francis Lee’s 2017 feature debut, “God’s Own Country.” O’Connor is scarcely recognizable as Johnny Saxby, a gay, brooding binge drinker toiling on his family’s Yorkshire farm, whose calcified heart is pried open by a Romanian migrant worker. Lee had invited O’Connor to audition based on a photograph. “I liked his ears a lot,” he said. But the tape O’Connor sent was worrisome. “He delivered this incredibly brilliant portrayal of an emotionally repressed and difficult man, and I thought he must just be playing himself,” he said. “And that concerned me slightly.” 'The Crown' Season 6: Here's everything to know about the final season When the two finally met, Lee was shocked “because in walks this incredibly funny, upbeat, polite, middle-class boy, which was a million miles away from the character that he was going to play,” he said. “He’s one of those rare actors that is a real shape-shifter.” “God’s Own Country” earned O’Connor a British Independent Film Award for best actor in 2017. Two years later, he won another for “Only You,” about a couple struggling with infertility. O’Connor debuted in “The Crown” in late 2019. Morgan can’t recall having considered anyone else for this iteration of Charles — or noticing O’Connor’s ears, although he imagines he must have. Rather, “I was drawn to his sensitivity and the fact that he was complex but likable, and I just felt instantly intrigued,” Morgan said. “And the minute he started doing some readings for us, it was a no-brainer. He was a list of one.” O’Connor had watched “The Crown” in support of his good friend Vanessa Kirby, who played Princess Margaret in Seasons 1 and 2. “And then I became a loyal fan,” he said. While he has difficulty aligning his belief in a classless society with the royal family, he doesn’t think “The Crown” glamorizes them, despite its pageantry and splendor. “What Peter does is he strips all that back,” he said. “It’s about humans who struggle and have very odd relationships with their parents and power and politics. That’s the juice. “But I think you can have those beliefs and have great respect and affection and love even for these people. I think the queen is an extraordinary woman. Time after time, lots of men have failed, and this one woman in power has been consistent and remained dutiful and generally apolitical. “In that sense, I have huge respect for her — and for Charles, to be honest. I mean, Charles is another level of someone who’s literally been waiting his entire life for this moment that still hasn’t come.”

Josh O’Connor didn’t care about 'The Crown' until he became a Prince

During his Ash Wednesday address in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis suggested giving up online trolling. This report tells you more.

Gravitas: Pope Francis wants followers to give up trolling for lent

Pope Francis turned 83 on Tuesday (December 17) but he celebrated his birthday five days later with a group of sick children from the "Santa Marta" Paediatric Dispensary.

Pope celebrates birthday with sick children

Pope Francis railed against social inequality Sunday, lamenting "the din of the rich few" drowning out the voice of the needy, as he marked the second "World Day of the Poor".

At a mass attended by about 6,000 poor people at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the pope noted that "injustice is the perverse root of poverty".

"The cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich," he said ahead of a lunch at the Vatican for 1,500 destitute people and their helpers.

"Let us ask for the grace to hear the cry of all those tossed by the waves of life," the pope said.

"It is the cry of all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future. It is the cry of entire peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal... While the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all."&nbsp;

The pope then had a lunch of lasagna, mashed potatoes and tiramisu with the poor in the immense Paul VI Hall, which adjoins the Vatican Basilica and usually hosts papal audiences and conferences.

The Vatican has also made available a team of doctors to provide free healthcare to the poor. Over 600 people were treated last year at the first World Day of the Poor, a tradition introduced by the pope.

Similar initiatives were held at other dioceses across Italy and elsewhere in the world.

The pope has often spoken about social inclusion, indirectly criticising governments that do not pay attention to those on the margins of society.&nbsp;

Pope Francis railed against social inequality Sunday, lamenting "the din of the rich few" drowning out the voice of the needy, as he marked the second "World Day of the Poor".

Pope Francis railed against social inequality Sunday, lamenting "the din of the rich few" drowning out the voice of the needy, as he marked the second "World Day of the Poor". At a mass attended by about 6,000 poor people at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the pope noted that "injustice is the perverse root of poverty". "The cry of the poor daily becomes stronger but heard less, drowned out by the din of the rich few, who grow ever fewer and more rich," he said ahead of a lunch at the Vatican for 1,500 destitute people and their helpers. "Let us ask for the grace to hear the cry of all those tossed by the waves of life," the pope said. "It is the cry of all those forced to flee their homes and native land for an uncertain future. It is the cry of entire peoples, deprived even of the great natural resources at their disposal... While the wealthy few feast on what, in justice, belongs to all." The pope then had a lunch of lasagna, mashed potatoes and tiramisu with the poor in the immense Paul VI Hall, which adjoins the Vatican Basilica and usually hosts papal audiences and conferences. The Vatican has also made available a team of doctors to provide free healthcare to the poor. Over 600 people were treated last year at the first World Day of the Poor, a tradition introduced by the pope. Similar initiatives were held at other dioceses across Italy and elsewhere in the world. The pope has often spoken about social inclusion, indirectly criticising governments that do not pay attention to those on the margins of society.

Pope denounces 'din of rich few' on World Day of Poor

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the &ldquo;evil&rdquo; of fake news, saying journalists and social media users should shun and unmask manipulative &ldquo;snake tactics&rdquo; that foment division to serve political and economic interests.

&ldquo;Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth,&rdquo; Francis said in the first document by a pope on the subject.

It was issued after months of debate on how much fake news may have influenced the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and the election of President Donald Trump.

The document, called &ldquo;The truth will set you free - Fake news and journalism for peace&rdquo;, was issued in advance of the Catholic Church&rsquo;s World Day of Social Communications on May 13.

&ldquo;Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests,&rdquo; the pope writes, condemning the &ldquo;manipulative use of social networks&rdquo; and other forms of communication.

&ldquo;This false but believable news is &lsquo;captious&rsquo;, inasmuch as it grasps people&rsquo;s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration,&rdquo; he said.

False stories spread so quickly that even authoritative denials often could not contain the damage done and many people run the risk of becoming &ldquo;unwilling accomplices in spreading biased and baseless ideas&rdquo;, he said.

He called for &ldquo;education for truth&rdquo; that would help people discern, evaluate and understand news in order to recognise the &ldquo;sly and dangerous form of seduction that worms its way into the heart with false and alluring arguments&rdquo;.

Francis compared the use of fake news to the Bible story of the devil, who, disguised as a serpent, persuaded Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. He said she was fed wrong information by Satan.

&ldquo;We need to unmask what could be called the &lsquo;snake-tactics&rsquo; used by those (purveyors of fake news) who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place,&rdquo; he said.

He said the role of journalists was &ldquo;not just a job, it is a mission&rdquo; and they had particular responsibility to stem fake news.

&ldquo;Amid feeding frenzies and the mad rush for a scoop, they must remember that the heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons,&rdquo; he said. He said journalism should be &ldquo;less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts ... a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence.&rdquo;&nbsp;

'Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth,' Francis said in the first document by a pope on the subject.

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned the “evil” of fake news, saying journalists and social media users should shun and unmask manipulative “snake tactics” that foment division to serve political and economic interests. “Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth,” Francis said in the first document by a pope on the subject. It was issued after months of debate on how much fake news may have influenced the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and the election of President Donald Trump. The document, called “The truth will set you free - Fake news and journalism for peace”, was issued in advance of the Catholic Church’s World Day of Social Communications on May 13. “Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests,” the pope writes, condemning the “manipulative use of social networks” and other forms of communication. “This false but believable news is ‘captious’, inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, contempt, anger and frustration,” he said. False stories spread so quickly that even authoritative denials often could not contain the damage done and many people run the risk of becoming “unwilling accomplices in spreading biased and baseless ideas”, he said. He called for “education for truth” that would help people discern, evaluate and understand news in order to recognise the “sly and dangerous form of seduction that worms its way into the heart with false and alluring arguments”. Francis compared the use of fake news to the Bible story of the devil, who, disguised as a serpent, persuaded Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. He said she was fed wrong information by Satan. “We need to unmask what could be called the ‘snake-tactics’ used by those (purveyors of fake news) who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place,” he said. He said the role of journalists was “not just a job, it is a mission” and they had particular responsibility to stem fake news. “Amid feeding frenzies and the mad rush for a scoop, they must remember that the heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons,” he said. He said journalism should be “less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts ... a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence.”

Pope condemns 'evil' of fake news and its use for political gain

Pope Francis on Saturday urged Latin America&#39;s faithful to fight rampant violent crime against women including murder, while holding mass in Trujillo, Peru&#39;s largest northern city.

&quot;I wish to invite you to combat a plague across our Latin American region: the numerous cases of violent crimes against women, from beatings to rape to murder,&quot; the visiting pontiff told thousands in Trujillo&#39;s main colonial-era square.

Half of the 25 countries with the greatest number of murders of women are in Latin America, according to UN Women.

In Argentina, the pope&#39;s homeland, there were at least 254 murders of women in 2016 that authorities think were gender-related, which helped spark the online campaign #NotOneMore murder.

&quot;There are so many cases of violence that stay silenced behind so many walls,&quot; Francis said, arousing cheers from the crowd. &quot;I&#39;m calling on you to fight against this source of suffering including legislation and a culture that rejects every type of violence.&quot;&nbsp;

The northwestern city Trujillo is still struggling to rebuild after deadly devastating floods one year ago.

More than 130 people were killed across Peru between January and April 2017 in heavy rains, floods and landslides fueled by the El Nino weather phenomenon, which also left at least 300,000 homeless. Hardest-hit was Peru&#39;s northern coastal region.

Francis acknowledged that many families still could not rebuild their homes after the floods -- then warned of the &quot;storms&quot; of organized crime.

The high crime rate means fewer educational and work opportunities, preventing young people &quot;from building a future with dignity,&quot; Francis said.

The mass took place on a stretch of beach in Huanchaco, a town in Trujillo some 560 kilometers (350 miles) north of Lima. Huanchaco is popular with surfers and known for its distinctive reed watercraft known as &quot;caballitos de totora.&quot;

The pope then boarded his Popemobile to visit Trujillo&#39;s impoverished &quot;Buenos Aires&quot; neighborhood, which was especially hard hit by last April&#39;s flooding.&nbsp;

&quot;We will see if the pope brings along some blessings. And if we can recover completely from everything lost in the floods. We need him to bring some mercy,&quot; said local resident Lidia Garcia.

As on Friday, Francis was accompanied by Peru&#39;s president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

On Sunday he is slated to hold another beachside mass in Lima.

The visit is a change of pace after a politically charged first day in the South American country where the pope railed against &quot;great business interests&quot; for endangering the Amazon and its indigenous people.

And he lashed out at corruption in politics.

&quot;There is so much damage done by this... thing that infects everything,&quot; Francis said. &quot;And it&#39;s always the poorest and the environment that get the short end of the stick.&quot;

On Friday, he sounded a stark warning about the future of the rainforest and tribe members, saying they had &quot;never been so threatened.&quot;

Bare-chested tribesmen, their bodies painted and their heads crowned with colorful feathers, danced and sang for the pope when he arrived in the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado.

Thousands of indigenous people had traveled to meet the pontiff from throughout the Amazon basin region of Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.

Pope Francis, 81, arrived Thursday afternoon in Peru, the second and last leg of a week-long South American visit.&nbsp;

During the first part of his visit, in Chile, Francis highlighted the plight of vulnerable immigrants, offered an apology to victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, prayed with survivors of Augusto Pinochet&#39;s brutal dictatorship, and called for protection of Chile&#39;s persecuted indigenous people.

'I wish to invite you to combat a plague across our Latin American region: the numerous cases of violent crimes against women, from beatings to rape to murder,' the visiting pontiff told thousands in Trujillo's main colonial-era square

Pope Francis on Saturday urged Latin America's faithful to fight rampant violent crime against women including murder, while holding mass in Trujillo, Peru's largest northern city. "I wish to invite you to combat a plague across our Latin American region: the numerous cases of violent crimes against women, from beatings to rape to murder," the visiting pontiff told thousands in Trujillo's main colonial-era square. Half of the 25 countries with the greatest number of murders of women are in Latin America, according to UN Women. In Argentina, the pope's homeland, there were at least 254 murders of women in 2016 that authorities think were gender-related, which helped spark the online campaign #NotOneMore murder. "There are so many cases of violence that stay silenced behind so many walls," Francis said, arousing cheers from the crowd. "I'm calling on you to fight against this source of suffering including legislation and a culture that rejects every type of violence." The northwestern city Trujillo is still struggling to rebuild after deadly devastating floods one year ago. More than 130 people were killed across Peru between January and April 2017 in heavy rains, floods and landslides fueled by the El Nino weather phenomenon, which also left at least 300,000 homeless. Hardest-hit was Peru's northern coastal region. Francis acknowledged that many families still could not rebuild their homes after the floods -- then warned of the "storms" of organized crime. The high crime rate means fewer educational and work opportunities, preventing young people "from building a future with dignity," Francis said. The mass took place on a stretch of beach in Huanchaco, a town in Trujillo some 560 kilometers (350 miles) north of Lima. Huanchaco is popular with surfers and known for its distinctive reed watercraft known as "caballitos de totora." The pope then boarded his Popemobile to visit Trujillo's impoverished "Buenos Aires" neighborhood, which was especially hard hit by last April's flooding. "We will see if the pope brings along some blessings. And if we can recover completely from everything lost in the floods. We need him to bring some mercy," said local resident Lidia Garcia. As on Friday, Francis was accompanied by Peru's president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. On Sunday he is slated to hold another beachside mass in Lima. The visit is a change of pace after a politically charged first day in the South American country where the pope railed against "great business interests" for endangering the Amazon and its indigenous people. And he lashed out at corruption in politics. "There is so much damage done by this... thing that infects everything," Francis said. "And it's always the poorest and the environment that get the short end of the stick." On Friday, he sounded a stark warning about the future of the rainforest and tribe members, saying they had "never been so threatened." Bare-chested tribesmen, their bodies painted and their heads crowned with colorful feathers, danced and sang for the pope when he arrived in the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado. Thousands of indigenous people had traveled to meet the pontiff from throughout the Amazon basin region of Peru, Brazil and Bolivia. Pope Francis, 81, arrived Thursday afternoon in Peru, the second and last leg of a week-long South American visit. During the first part of his visit, in Chile, Francis highlighted the plight of vulnerable immigrants, offered an apology to victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, prayed with survivors of Augusto Pinochet's brutal dictatorship, and called for protection of Chile's persecuted indigenous people.

Pope urges end to violence against women

Pope&nbsp;Francis ordered his&nbsp;popemobile to stop on Thursday (January 18) after a mounted Chilean policewoman was thrown off her frightened horse, which had reared up as the pontiff passed by.

Francis stepped from his vehicle and waited several minutes on the pavement, at times talking to the woman, until an ambulance arrived to take her away.

She was not seriously injured, officials said.

Francis stepped from his vehicle and waited several minutes on the pavement, at times talking to the woman, until an ambulance arrived to take her away

Pope Francis ordered his popemobile to stop on Thursday (January 18) after a mounted Chilean policewoman was thrown off her frightened horse, which had reared up as the pontiff passed by. Francis stepped from his vehicle and waited several minutes on the pavement, at times talking to the woman, until an ambulance arrived to take her away. She was not seriously injured, officials said.

Watch: Pope stops popemobile to comfort fallen horseback policewoman

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