Pope Francis arrived in Cyprus on Thursday, beginning a five-day trip that would also bring him to Greece and its island of Lesbos, where in 2016 he made a defining visit to refugees living in horrid conditions and brought some back to Rome on his plane.

The trip, the 35th abroad for Francis, who turns 85 later this month, reflects his determination to maintain a global focus on the plight of migrants and lands torn by strife, despite the world’s preoccupation this week with the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

His journey will include other hallmarks of the Francis papacy, including encouraging tiny Catholic minorities and reaching out to other religious leaders, this time in the Greek Orthodox Church. He is expected to help relocate to Italy some migrants in Cyprus — and possibly Lesbos again — this time.

“Europe cannot ignore the Mediterranean Sea that hosted the spread of the Gospel and the development of great civilizations,” Francis said in a video message before the trip. He lamented the sea becoming a “great cemetery” and said that in the age of the pandemic and climate change, it was imperative to “sail together, and not to split up by going our separate ways.”

The trip is the third this year for the pope, who is believed to have received a booster shot, though that has not been confirmed. He made a historic pilgrimage to Iraq in March and a politically symbolic trip to Hungary and Slovakia in September during which he appeared to speak out against nationalism.

This trip, which refocuses attention on the priorities of his pontificate, including opening borders and welcoming the destitute, comes as migrants are again facing awful conditions and tragic deaths, including at the Belarus-Poland border and in the English Channel, where at least 27 people died last week. But it also comes at an unpredictable and deeply concerning phase of the pandemic as countries around the world shut their borders to try to protect their populations from a variant whose effects are still very much unknown.

“The recommendation in general is prudence,” Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesperson, said when asked about coronavirus precautions and worries that the new variant would eclipse the main themes of the trip.

Francis is the second pope, after his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, to visit Cyprus, and Thursday he will meet with local Catholic priests and the president and diplomats in Nicosia, the capital. On Friday, he will visit with the Orthodox archbishop and celebrate a holy Mass at an outdoor stadium.

He will end the day with a prayer at a parish church with migrants, and the Vatican has arranged to have about 50 migrants relocated to Italy.

Francis will stay at a Franciscan monastery in Nicosia — the divided capital of Cyprus. The medieval city is separated by a U.N.-protected buffer zone.

He will then spend Saturday reaching out to Orthodox leaders and meeting with officials before travelling on Sunday to Lesbos, which Bruni said had “become a symbolic place.”

Bruni said that the Cyprus visit would allow Francis to underline key themes of his pontificate, as it had over the centuries been “Europe’s outermost border to the Middle East, a laboratory of coexistence and a land of encounter with orthodoxy.”

Still, Cyprus is far from a tranquil place.

With Turkey to the north, Syria to the East, Israel to the South and Greece to the West, Cyprus is a small, stingray-shaped island between worlds and a crossroads for cultures and migrations.

The country has effectively been partitioned since 1974, with its Greek and Turkish communities — and its capital, Nicosia — separated by a buffer zone known as the Green Line.

The internationally recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus controls only the southern two-thirds of it, and the remaining third is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey.

Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but the island is still divided along ethnic lines. Unification efforts start and stop periodically, most recently in 2017, but the talks broke down over Turkey’s refusal to remove its troops. They led to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declaring, “Turkey will be in Cyprus forever,” and rejecting a unified federation.

A recent uptick in migrant arrivals has intensified hard-right, nationalist sentiment and the resistance of the Republic of Cyprus government, which has appealed to the European Union for permission to stop processing asylum requests. But the spike in numbers, and suspicions that Turkey is funnelling the migrants to the border, have deepened the animosity between the north and the south.

Nearly 80% of the island’s population is Orthodox Christian, and about 20% is Sunni Muslim. There is only a tiny population of Catholics, about 38,000, who mostly fall under the jurisdiction of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and who trace their roots to the Crusades. That is less than the estimated number of Turkish troops based in the north.

Rev. Georgios Armand Houry, a Cypriot priest, said that many Catholics were hoping that the pope would help members of the faith “return home” to uninhabited towns after displacement earlier during the conflict.

During Benedict’s 2010 trip, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the leader of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, accused Turkey of an “obscure plan” to take over the entire island and called for the pope’s “active cooperation” in resolving the long-standing dispute.

The north continues to use the Turkish lira and has an economy closely tied to the Turkish mainland.

In recent years, tensions have risen after the discovery of rich natural gas deposits under the eastern Mediterranean. Greece, with its islands scattered in the area, claims that it has sole drilling rights. The potential for enormous wealth from the deposits has created a profit-sharing unity among surrounding nations, including Greece, Israel, Israel, Egypt, Italy and Jordan.

But Turkey has used northern Cyprus as its toehold, sending drilling ships, accompanied by warships, to explore for gas off Cyprus; that, in turn, has prompted retribution by the European Union against Turkish companies. The prospect of a clash between Greece and Turkey, two NATO allies with centuries of bad blood, has proved worrying.

“It’s a wound that has been open for some time,” Bruni said. “The Holy See undoubtedly supports every effort to strengthen bilateral talks, which are the only solution for the island and its people.” He suggested Francis would indirectly take those issues on, saying that he would touch on environmental themes by speaking of the horrible fires that burned Greece’s forests this summer but also “the exploitation of the seabed.”

Cyprus is an ancient Christian land. Tradition holds that St. Paul arrived here around A.D. 46 to preach the Gospel with Barnabas, a Cypriot and a saint.

Francis, in his video message, said he would come “in the footsteps of the first great missionaries,” and for the chance “to drink from the ancient wellsprings of Europe: Cyprus, the outpost of the Holy Land on the continent; Greece, the home of classical culture.”

Pope Francis arrived in Cyprus on Thursday, beginning a five-day trip that would also bring him to Greece and its island of Lesbos, where in 2016 he made a defining visit to refugees living in horrid conditions and brought some back to Rome on his plane.

Pope Francis arrived in Cyprus on Thursday, beginning a five-day trip that would also bring him to Greece and its island of Lesbos, where in 2016 he made a defining visit to refugees living in horrid conditions and brought some back to Rome on his plane. The trip, the 35th abroad for Francis, who turns 85 later this month, reflects his determination to maintain a global focus on the plight of migrants and lands torn by strife, despite the world’s preoccupation this week with the omicron variant of the coronavirus. His journey will include other hallmarks of the Francis papacy, including encouraging tiny Catholic minorities and reaching out to other religious leaders, this time in the Greek Orthodox Church. He is expected to help relocate to Italy some migrants in Cyprus — and possibly Lesbos again — this time. “Europe cannot ignore the Mediterranean Sea that hosted the spread of the Gospel and the development of great civilizations,” Francis said in a video message before the trip. He lamented the sea becoming a “great cemetery” and said that in the age of the pandemic and climate change, it was imperative to “sail together, and not to split up by going our separate ways.” The trip is the third this year for the pope, who is believed to have received a booster shot, though that has not been confirmed. He made a historic pilgrimage to Iraq in March and a politically symbolic trip to Hungary and Slovakia in September during which he appeared to speak out against nationalism. This trip, which refocuses attention on the priorities of his pontificate, including opening borders and welcoming the destitute, comes as migrants are again facing awful conditions and tragic deaths, including at the Belarus-Poland border and in the English Channel, where at least 27 people died last week. But it also comes at an unpredictable and deeply concerning phase of the pandemic as countries around the world shut their borders to try to protect their populations from a variant whose effects are still very much unknown. “The recommendation in general is prudence,” Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesperson, said when asked about coronavirus precautions and worries that the new variant would eclipse the main themes of the trip. Francis is the second pope, after his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, to visit Cyprus, and Thursday he will meet with local Catholic priests and the president and diplomats in Nicosia, the capital. On Friday, he will visit with the Orthodox archbishop and celebrate a holy Mass at an outdoor stadium. He will end the day with a prayer at a parish church with migrants, and the Vatican has arranged to have about 50 migrants relocated to Italy. Francis will stay at a Franciscan monastery in Nicosia — the divided capital of Cyprus. The medieval city is separated by a U.N.-protected buffer zone. He will then spend Saturday reaching out to Orthodox leaders and meeting with officials before travelling on Sunday to Lesbos, which Bruni said had “become a symbolic place.” Bruni said that the Cyprus visit would allow Francis to underline key themes of his pontificate, as it had over the centuries been “Europe’s outermost border to the Middle East, a laboratory of coexistence and a land of encounter with orthodoxy.” Still, Cyprus is far from a tranquil place. With Turkey to the north, Syria to the East, Israel to the South and Greece to the West, Cyprus is a small, stingray-shaped island between worlds and a crossroads for cultures and migrations. The country has effectively been partitioned since 1974, with its Greek and Turkish communities — and its capital, Nicosia — separated by a buffer zone known as the Green Line. The internationally recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus controls only the southern two-thirds of it, and the remaining third is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but the island is still divided along ethnic lines. Unification efforts start and stop periodically, most recently in 2017, but the talks broke down over Turkey’s refusal to remove its troops. They led to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declaring, “Turkey will be in Cyprus forever,” and rejecting a unified federation. A recent uptick in migrant arrivals has intensified hard-right, nationalist sentiment and the resistance of the Republic of Cyprus government, which has appealed to the European Union for permission to stop processing asylum requests. But the spike in numbers, and suspicions that Turkey is funnelling the migrants to the border, have deepened the animosity between the north and the south. Nearly 80% of the island’s population is Orthodox Christian, and about 20% is Sunni Muslim. There is only a tiny population of Catholics, about 38,000, who mostly fall under the jurisdiction of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and who trace their roots to the Crusades. That is less than the estimated number of Turkish troops based in the north. Rev. Georgios Armand Houry, a Cypriot priest, said that many Catholics were hoping that the pope would help members of the faith “return home” to uninhabited towns after displacement earlier during the conflict. During Benedict’s 2010 trip, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, the leader of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, accused Turkey of an “obscure plan” to take over the entire island and called for the pope’s “active cooperation” in resolving the long-standing dispute. The north continues to use the Turkish lira and has an economy closely tied to the Turkish mainland. In recent years, tensions have risen after the discovery of rich natural gas deposits under the eastern Mediterranean. Greece, with its islands scattered in the area, claims that it has sole drilling rights. The potential for enormous wealth from the deposits has created a profit-sharing unity among surrounding nations, including Greece, Israel, Israel, Egypt, Italy and Jordan. But Turkey has used northern Cyprus as its toehold, sending drilling ships, accompanied by warships, to explore for gas off Cyprus; that, in turn, has prompted retribution by the European Union against Turkish companies. The prospect of a clash between Greece and Turkey, two NATO allies with centuries of bad blood, has proved worrying. “It’s a wound that has been open for some time,” Bruni said. “The Holy See undoubtedly supports every effort to strengthen bilateral talks, which are the only solution for the island and its people.” He suggested Francis would indirectly take those issues on, saying that he would touch on environmental themes by speaking of the horrible fires that burned Greece’s forests this summer but also “the exploitation of the seabed.” Cyprus is an ancient Christian land. Tradition holds that St. Paul arrived here around A.D. 46 to preach the Gospel with Barnabas, a Cypriot and a saint. Francis, in his video message, said he would come “in the footsteps of the first great missionaries,” and for the chance “to drink from the ancient wellsprings of Europe: Cyprus, the outpost of the Holy Land on the continent; Greece, the home of classical culture.”

Pope Francis heads to Cyprus, aiming to highlight plight of migrants

The Vatican has abruptly cancelled the live broadcast of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis.

After landing in Rome, Biden headed first to the Vatican for a largely good-humoured sit-down with Pope Francis.

This was the first meeting between the two individuals since the 78-year old was elected president.&nbsp;

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But the live broadcast was trimmed to cover just the arrival of the president’s motorcade in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace.

Calling it ''normal procedure,'' Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said it was part of the revised plan during the coronavirus pandemic for all visiting heads of state or government.

However, the restriction has sparked complaints from the White House and Vatican-accredited journalists.

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According to an updated protocol, the Vatican has imposed a ''18-month ban on any independent media being in the room for the beginning and end of the audience.''

In response, Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser said the administration was''“actively engaged.''

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''The United States will always advocate for access for the free press, and especially for our good friends in the American press who travel with us on these long flights over, to be able to capture and chronicle the president’s engagements,'' he said.

Biden and the pope share a range of concerns, from poverty to climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.

But they have different opinions on abortion. Biden supports the right to choose, while Francis, 84, has slammed terminating pregnancies as "murder".

The Vatican has abruptly cancelled the live broadcast of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis. After landing in Rome, Biden headed first to the Vatican for a largely good-humoured sit-down with Pope Francis.

The Vatican has abruptly cancelled the live broadcast of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis. After landing in Rome, Biden headed first to the Vatican for a largely good-humoured sit-down with Pope Francis. This was the first meeting between the two individuals since the 78-year old was elected president. But the live broadcast was trimmed to cover just the arrival of the president’s motorcade in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. Calling it ''normal procedure,'' Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said it was part of the revised plan during the coronavirus pandemic for all visiting heads of state or government. However, the restriction has sparked complaints from the White House and Vatican-accredited journalists. Also read | US President Joe Biden says Sudan's civilian-led govt 'must be restored' According to an updated protocol, the Vatican has imposed a ''18-month ban on any independent media being in the room for the beginning and end of the audience.'' In response, Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser said the administration was''“actively engaged.'' Also read | US reaches $88 million settlement with Black victims of white supremacist ''The United States will always advocate for access for the free press, and especially for our good friends in the American press who travel with us on these long flights over, to be able to capture and chronicle the president’s engagements,'' he said. Biden and the pope share a range of concerns, from poverty to climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. But they have different opinions on abortion. Biden supports the right to choose, while Francis, 84, has slammed terminating pregnancies as "murder".

Vatican abruptly cancels live TV broadcast of Biden, Pope Francis meeting

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-not-give-up-cartoons-teens-charged-over-teachers-beheading-in-france-336999">'Will not give up cartoons': Teens charged over teacher's beheading in France</a>

<img alt="Beheading in France" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="74907e09-8d92-4b49-ad4f-6dff1f584839" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Behead.jpg" />

According to the prosecutor, the killer had offered students in school around $350 to $415 to identify the teacher.

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Obama, who governed for two terms and remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, blasted Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic

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According to reports, Francis, when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, had opposed legislation to approve same-sex marriages but had supported legal protection for the rights of gay couples.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-russia-obtained-voter-registration-information-says-us-intelligence-director-john-ratcliffe-337000">Iran, Russia obtained voter registration information, says US intelligence director John Ratcliffe</a>

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FBI Director Christopher Wray who was present with Ratcliffe asserted that US election systems was&nbsp;"safe" and "resilient".

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'Will not give up cartoons': Teens charged over teacher's beheading in France According to the prosecutor, the killer had offered students in school around $350 to $415 to identify the teacher.

'Will not give up cartoons': Teens charged over teacher's beheading in France According to the prosecutor, the killer had offered students in school around $350 to $415 to identify the teacher. Barack Obama blasts Donald Trump in first US elections rally for Joe Biden Obama, who governed for two terms and remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, blasted Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic Pope Francis backs civil union laws for same-sex couples According to reports, Francis, when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, had opposed legislation to approve same-sex marriages but had supported legal protection for the rights of gay couples. Iran, Russia obtained voter registration information, says US intelligence director John Ratcliffe FBI Director Christopher Wray who was present with Ratcliffe asserted that US election systems was "safe" and "resilient". Watch: Gravitas: Were 9 South Koreans killed by a flu vaccine shot?

Morning news brief: Teens charged in France beheading case, Pope Francis on same-sex couples & more

On Saturday, Pope Francis held his first audience post-coronavirus. He granted this audience to the healthcare workers of the country, who, he believes, have been one of the strongest support pillars of the society in these tough times.

"You were one of the supporting pillars of the entire country," he told doctors and nurses from the Lombardy region gathered in the Vatican's frescoed Clementine Hall, which had not been used for months because of the crisis.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-calls-for-help-to-end-libyan-civil-war-305842">Also read:&nbsp;Pope Francis calls for help to end Libyan civil war</a>

"To those of you here and to your colleagues all across Italy go my esteem and my sincere thanks, and I know very well I am interpreting everyone's sentiments," he said.

Thanking the doctors for their selfless efforts, he talked about how these frontline workers event gave their pwn phones to the coronavirus patients to let them say goodbye to their loved ones, before breathing their last breath.

He called these doctors angels for helping the society so selflessly in such tough times.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/education-is-listening-and-celebrating-life-pope-francis-says-in-video-conference-with-latin-first-ladies-304315">Also watch:&nbsp;'Education is listening and celebrating life', Pope Francis says in video conference with Latin first ladies</a>

All the attendees were wearing masks and had maintained social distance from each other.&nbsp;At the end the meeting, the Pope posed for a picture with the doctors calling it&nbsp;"the liturgy of the greeting". While bidding them farewell, the Pope greeted them from a distance as he passed down the aisle.

He has also resumed mas service, capping the maximum capacity to 50 people.

Italy is slowly returning back to the normal life, after losing almost 35,000 people, including over 170 healthcare workers, to the novel coronavirus.

On Saturday, Pope Francis held his first audience post-coronavirus. He granted this audience to the healthcare workers of the country, who, he believes, have been one of the strongest support pillars of the society in these tough times.

On Saturday, Pope Francis held his first audience post-coronavirus. He granted this audience to the healthcare workers of the country, who, he believes, have been one of the strongest support pillars of the society in these tough times. "You were one of the supporting pillars of the entire country," he told doctors and nurses from the Lombardy region gathered in the Vatican's frescoed Clementine Hall, which had not been used for months because of the crisis. Also read: Pope Francis calls for help to end Libyan civil war "To those of you here and to your colleagues all across Italy go my esteem and my sincere thanks, and I know very well I am interpreting everyone's sentiments," he said. Thanking the doctors for their selfless efforts, he talked about how these frontline workers event gave their pwn phones to the coronavirus patients to let them say goodbye to their loved ones, before breathing their last breath. He called these doctors angels for helping the society so selflessly in such tough times. Also watch: 'Education is listening and celebrating life', Pope Francis says in video conference with Latin first ladies All the attendees were wearing masks and had maintained social distance from each other. At the end the meeting, the Pope posed for a picture with the doctors calling it "the liturgy of the greeting". While bidding them farewell, the Pope greeted them from a distance as he passed down the aisle. He has also resumed mas service, capping the maximum capacity to 50 people. Italy is slowly returning back to the normal life, after losing almost 35,000 people, including over 170 healthcare workers, to the novel coronavirus.

Pope Francis thanks 'angelic' doctors in his first post-lockdown audience

Pope Francis recently condemned the killing of George Floyd, an African American man in the US city of Minneapolis.

The Pope said that “we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism”, while referring to the murder which has triggered protests across all US states, including major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Worldwide protests also followed in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Protesters chanting “I can’t breathe” with signs saying “Black Lives Matter” have flooded the streets. A lot of violence has also been reported, with police officers being shot at, and looting of stores caught in the storm.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mother-of-george-floyds-daughter-demands-justice-minneapolis-police-faces-probe-302863" hreflang="en">Mother of George Floyd's daughter demands justice; Minneapolis police faces probe</a>

Pope Francis also addressed the violence in cities and called it “self-destructive and self-defeating”.&nbsp;"Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost," Francis added.

The Pope additionally asserted that he was praying for Floyd and many others have lost their lives to the “sin of racism”.

Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit 20 Dollar bill to buy cigarettes. When the police arrived, an officer Chauvin who has now been charged with murder, pinned him to the ground with his knee stationed on his neck, which led to his death.

<h6><img alt="People raise their hands and shout slogans as they protest at the makeshift memorial in honour of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a75afeac-0832-49ba-b4b8-31e19f1b7360" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-2_17.jpg" /> 
People raise their hands and shout slogans as they protest at the makeshift memorial in honour of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

It was only when bystanders insisted on checking his pulse, that the policeman let go, after which Floyd was escorted away in an ambulance. An hour later, he was pronounced dead.

The protests have been calling for an end to police brutality against people of colour, many researchers have pointed how African American have more risk of being assaulted by the police.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-protests-defy-curfews-as-trump-faces-backlash-for-violent-crackdown-302854" hreflang="en">US protests defy curfews as Trump faces backlash for violent crackdown</a>

Data compiled by “Mapping Police Violence” of all police killings in 2019 across the US reveals that black Americans are three times more likely to be killed during their interaction with the police than white Americans.

Thousands of people have arrested across Americans cities so far.&nbsp;US President on Tuesday was spotted posing with a bible in the White House. Media outlets reported that to attain free passage of the president, scores of protesters were violently cleared out from the area.

Pope Francis recently condemned the killing of George Floyd, an African American man in the US city of Minneapolis. The Pope said that “we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism”, while referring to the murder which has triggered protests across all US states, including major cities like New York and Los Angeles.

Pope Francis recently condemned the killing of George Floyd, an African American man in the US city of Minneapolis. The Pope said that “we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism”, while referring to the murder which has triggered protests across all US states, including major cities like New York and Los Angeles. Worldwide protests also followed in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Protesters chanting “I can’t breathe” with signs saying “Black Lives Matter” have flooded the streets. A lot of violence has also been reported, with police officers being shot at, and looting of stores caught in the storm. Also read: Mother of George Floyd's daughter demands justice; Minneapolis police faces probe Pope Francis also addressed the violence in cities and called it “self-destructive and self-defeating”. "Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost," Francis added. The Pope additionally asserted that he was praying for Floyd and many others have lost their lives to the “sin of racism”. Floyd was accused of using a counterfeit 20 Dollar bill to buy cigarettes. When the police arrived, an officer Chauvin who has now been charged with murder, pinned him to the ground with his knee stationed on his neck, which led to his death. People raise their hands and shout slogans as they protest at the makeshift memorial in honour of George Floyd, on June 2, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota | AFP It was only when bystanders insisted on checking his pulse, that the policeman let go, after which Floyd was escorted away in an ambulance. An hour later, he was pronounced dead. The protests have been calling for an end to police brutality against people of colour, many researchers have pointed how African American have more risk of being assaulted by the police. Also read: US protests defy curfews as Trump faces backlash for violent crackdown Data compiled by “Mapping Police Violence” of all police killings in 2019 across the US reveals that black Americans are three times more likely to be killed during their interaction with the police than white Americans. Thousands of people have arrested across Americans cities so far. US President on Tuesday was spotted posing with a bible in the White House. Media outlets reported that to attain free passage of the president, scores of protesters were violently cleared out from the area.

'Cannot tolerate sin of racism', says Pope Francis while addressing the murder of George Floyd

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

Mother Teresa, an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary, has been elevated to sainthood today in a Vatican ceremony about two decades after her death.&nbsp; 
 
Tens of thousands of people gathered at St Peter&#39;s Square to see Pope Francis lead the ceremony. 
 
In the&nbsp;eastern Indian city of Kolkata where she spent more than four decades working for the &#39;poorest of poor&#39;, people also gathered in huge numbers at Mother House to attend a special mass.&nbsp; 
 
Here are some key facts about the &#39;Saint of Gutters&#39;&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>She was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia, to ethnic Albanian parents who named her Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu. Her father, involved in byzantine politics, died when she was just eight.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>According to biographers, Agnes was a regular visitor to Catholic shrines by the time she was 12. She became a nun at the age of 16.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Mother Teresa moved to erstwhile Calcutta, now known as Kolkata, in early 1929 where she became a teacher and 15 years later became the headmistress at a convent school.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>She was granted Indian citizenship in 1951, five years after she got a &#39;call from within&#39; to found the &#39;Missionaries of Charity&#39; that officially became a religious organisation in 1950.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>In 1952, she set up a home for the dying and set up her first mobile leporacy clinic in 1957. After working dedicatedly for three years, she went to United States for the first time in 1960 to address National Council of Catholic Women.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Her religious order was granted the Decree of Praise, bringing it directly under Vatican jurisdiction. That same year the first Missionaries of Charity house outside India was founded, in Venezuela. Others later opened in Italy, Tanzania, Australia and the United States.</li>
	<li>She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for &nbsp;her work for the world&#39;s destitute in 1979.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Her health declined in the following years but she continued to work.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>She was succeeded by &nbsp;Sister Nirmala, a former Hindu who converted to Roman Catholicism in March 1997.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa died of a heart attack at her order&#39;s headquarters in Kolkata. An array of world dignitaries attended her funeral.</li>
</ul>
On her death in 1997, Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II predicted&nbsp;Teresa&nbsp;would &quot;continue to live on in the hearts of all those who have been touched by her selfless love.&quot; 
 
While millions acclaimed her as an icon of Christain clarity and a global symbol of&nbsp;anti-materialism and worthwhile self-sacrifice, she was also labelled as &quot;a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud&quot; by&nbsp;British author Christopher Hitchens.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from AFP, Reuters)&nbsp;

A Noble laureate, she founded Missionaries of Charity in 1946 in India. Her work gradually spread to other parts of the world

Mother Teresa, an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary, has been elevated to sainthood today in a Vatican ceremony about two decades after her death. Tens of thousands of people gathered at St Peter's Square to see Pope Francis lead the ceremony. In the eastern Indian city of Kolkata where she spent more than four decades working for the 'poorest of poor', people also gathered in huge numbers at Mother House to attend a special mass. Here are some key facts about the 'Saint of Gutters' She was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, now the capital of Macedonia, to ethnic Albanian parents who named her Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu. Her father, involved in byzantine politics, died when she was just eight. According to biographers, Agnes was a regular visitor to Catholic shrines by the time she was 12. She became a nun at the age of 16. Mother Teresa moved to erstwhile Calcutta, now known as Kolkata, in early 1929 where she became a teacher and 15 years later became the headmistress at a convent school. She was granted Indian citizenship in 1951, five years after she got a 'call from within' to found the 'Missionaries of Charity' that officially became a religious organisation in 1950. In 1952, she set up a home for the dying and set up her first mobile leporacy clinic in 1957. After working dedicatedly for three years, she went to United States for the first time in 1960 to address National Council of Catholic Women. Her religious order was granted the Decree of Praise, bringing it directly under Vatican jurisdiction. That same year the first Missionaries of Charity house outside India was founded, in Venezuela. Others later opened in Italy, Tanzania, Australia and the United States. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work for the world's destitute in 1979. Her health declined in the following years but she continued to work. She was succeeded by Sister Nirmala, a former Hindu who converted to Roman Catholicism in March 1997. On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa died of a heart attack at her order's headquarters in Kolkata. An array of world dignitaries attended her funeral. On her death in 1997, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II predicted Teresa would "continue to live on in the hearts of all those who have been touched by her selfless love." While millions acclaimed her as an icon of Christain clarity and a global symbol of anti-materialism and worthwhile self-sacrifice, she was also labelled as "a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud" by British author Christopher Hitchens. (With inputs from AFP, Reuters)

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