Pope Francis led an impassioned mass for tens of thousands of emotional worshippers at a packed Bangkok stadium Thursday, urging respect for prostitutes and trafficking victims in a part of the world where sex work is rampant.

The remarks came at the end of a whirlwind day of meetings for Pope Francis, who is on his first trip to Buddhist-majority Thailand where he is carrying a message of religious harmony and peace.

He heads to Japan next, visiting the twin atomic bombs sites of Nagasaki and Hiroshima where he will seek a ban on "immoral" nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

The 82-year-old arrived at the stadium in a golden robe woven for him from Thai silk, greeting crowds of flag-waving faithful, some wiping tears from their faces at the sight of the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.&nbsp;

An estimated 60,000 worshippers gathered for the mass, some pouring into a nearby stadium to watch the hymn-filled service on large screens.&nbsp;

Known for his down-to-earth style, the Pope did not shy away from difficult topics at the mass.&nbsp;

He focused his message on helping vulnerable children and women "who are victims of prostitution and human trafficking, humiliated in their essential human dignity".&nbsp;

He also referred to drug addicts, migrants and "exploited sinners and bypassed beggars".&nbsp;

"All of them are part of our family. They are our mothers, our brothers and sisters. Let us not deprive our communities of seeing their faces, their wounds, their smiles and their lives," said the Pope, after leading prayers.&nbsp;

The remarks were delivered in a region infamous for thriving sex trade and unchecked human trafficking.&nbsp;

Prostitution is illegal in tourist hotspot Thailand, home to at least 300,000 sex workers, some four per cent of whom are believed to be trafficked, according to official estimates.

Many women are drawn to the work because they can earn up to 10 times more than the minimum wage, and critics say some corrupt Thai authorities turn a blind eye to the thriving trade.&nbsp;

Earlier, the Pope praised Thailand's efforts to stamp out the "scourge" of exploitation and enslavement of women and children, urging a "dignified" future for vulnerable youth.

 
'Gift from God'

Thailand has not had a visit from a pontiff since John Paul II in 1984, and the small but spirited Catholic community was thrilled ahead of the mass.

Just over 0.5 per cent of the population is Catholic but the community has been here for centuries.&nbsp;

For Pimrapat Panyawattanatikul, the service was her second shot at seeing a pope after John Paul II touched her head some 35 years ago.&nbsp; 
Now she's hoping her mother will get a similar honour, with the pair sitting right on the track Francis was set to drive past in his Popemobile.&nbsp;

"It's a miracle we got these seats. It's my mom's dream to see the pope and to go to Italy. This is a gift from God," Pimrapat told AFP, her mother next to her clutching a rosary. &nbsp;

The Pope's colourful mass capped a packed schedule on the first full day of Thailand where he was welcomed Wednesday by cheering worshippers in Bangkok eager for a glimpse of his motorcade. &nbsp;

On Thursday Francis followed in the footsteps of John Paul II, paying a visit to the supreme Buddhist patriarch Somdej Phra Maha Muneewong at one of Bangkok's famed gilded temples.&nbsp;

The pair sat before a brilliant gold Buddha statue inside the ornate temple, built 150 years ago by the former Thai King -- the supreme patriarch barefoot and draped in orange robes as they spoke.

The Pope reciprocated the gesture, removing his shoes for part of the tete-a-tete.

In an earlier speech, the Pope said the meeting was "a sign of the importance and urgency of promoting friendship and inter-religious dialogue".

Nuclear ban

This visit coincides with the 350th anniversary of the founding of the "Mission de Siam", marking the first papal mission from Europe in the 17th century.

Though Christianity's first visitors were initially met with scepticism, today Thailand's nearly 400,000 Catholics face little discrimination.

The Pope also paid a visit to Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha and King Maha Vajiralongkorn, gifting the top royal a colourful mosaic of a papal blessing in Vatican City's Saint Peter's Square.&nbsp;

On Friday the pontiff will host another mass, this one for young people, and meet with religious leaders in the city.&nbsp;

He jets to Japan Saturday, where he will visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both devastated when the US dropped atomic bombs at the end of World War II in 1945.

The pope, who years ago had hoped to be a missionary in Japan, has made strong calls for a ban on nuclear weapons.

Pope Francis led an impassioned mass for tens of thousands of emotional worshippers at a packed Bangkok stadium Thursday, urging respect for prostitutes and trafficking victims in a part of the world where sex work is rampant.

Pope Francis led an impassioned mass for tens of thousands of emotional worshippers at a packed Bangkok stadium Thursday, urging respect for prostitutes and trafficking victims in a part of the world where sex work is rampant. The remarks came at the end of a whirlwind day of meetings for Pope Francis, who is on his first trip to Buddhist-majority Thailand where he is carrying a message of religious harmony and peace. He heads to Japan next, visiting the twin atomic bombs sites of Nagasaki and Hiroshima where he will seek a ban on "immoral" nuclear weapons. The 82-year-old arrived at the stadium in a golden robe woven for him from Thai silk, greeting crowds of flag-waving faithful, some wiping tears from their faces at the sight of the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics. An estimated 60,000 worshippers gathered for the mass, some pouring into a nearby stadium to watch the hymn-filled service on large screens. Known for his down-to-earth style, the Pope did not shy away from difficult topics at the mass. He focused his message on helping vulnerable children and women "who are victims of prostitution and human trafficking, humiliated in their essential human dignity". He also referred to drug addicts, migrants and "exploited sinners and bypassed beggars". "All of them are part of our family. They are our mothers, our brothers and sisters. Let us not deprive our communities of seeing their faces, their wounds, their smiles and their lives," said the Pope, after leading prayers. The remarks were delivered in a region infamous for thriving sex trade and unchecked human trafficking. Prostitution is illegal in tourist hotspot Thailand, home to at least 300,000 sex workers, some four per cent of whom are believed to be trafficked, according to official estimates. Many women are drawn to the work because they can earn up to 10 times more than the minimum wage, and critics say some corrupt Thai authorities turn a blind eye to the thriving trade. Earlier, the Pope praised Thailand's efforts to stamp out the "scourge" of exploitation and enslavement of women and children, urging a "dignified" future for vulnerable youth. 'Gift from God' Thailand has not had a visit from a pontiff since John Paul II in 1984, and the small but spirited Catholic community was thrilled ahead of the mass. Just over 0.5 per cent of the population is Catholic but the community has been here for centuries. For Pimrapat Panyawattanatikul, the service was her second shot at seeing a pope after John Paul II touched her head some 35 years ago. Now she's hoping her mother will get a similar honour, with the pair sitting right on the track Francis was set to drive past in his Popemobile. "It's a miracle we got these seats. It's my mom's dream to see the pope and to go to Italy. This is a gift from God," Pimrapat told AFP, her mother next to her clutching a rosary. The Pope's colourful mass capped a packed schedule on the first full day of Thailand where he was welcomed Wednesday by cheering worshippers in Bangkok eager for a glimpse of his motorcade. On Thursday Francis followed in the footsteps of John Paul II, paying a visit to the supreme Buddhist patriarch Somdej Phra Maha Muneewong at one of Bangkok's famed gilded temples. The pair sat before a brilliant gold Buddha statue inside the ornate temple, built 150 years ago by the former Thai King -- the supreme patriarch barefoot and draped in orange robes as they spoke. The Pope reciprocated the gesture, removing his shoes for part of the tete-a-tete. In an earlier speech, the Pope said the meeting was "a sign of the importance and urgency of promoting friendship and inter-religious dialogue". Nuclear ban This visit coincides with the 350th anniversary of the founding of the "Mission de Siam", marking the first papal mission from Europe in the 17th century. Though Christianity's first visitors were initially met with scepticism, today Thailand's nearly 400,000 Catholics face little discrimination. The Pope also paid a visit to Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha and King Maha Vajiralongkorn, gifting the top royal a colourful mosaic of a papal blessing in Vatican City's Saint Peter's Square. On Friday the pontiff will host another mass, this one for young people, and meet with religious leaders in the city. He jets to Japan Saturday, where he will visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both devastated when the US dropped atomic bombs at the end of World War II in 1945. The pope, who years ago had hoped to be a missionary in Japan, has made strong calls for a ban on nuclear weapons.

Pope urges respect for prostitutes at crowded Bangkok mass

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-to-visit-hiroshima-nagasaki-on-anti-nuclear-weapon-mission-262797">Pope&nbsp;Francis&nbsp;</a>arrived in&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;on Wednesday to meet with the country's small but devoted Catholic minority on a seven-day&nbsp;Asian&nbsp;trip&nbsp;that will include a family reunion in Bangkok and take his anti-nuclear message to Japan.

The&nbsp;pope's plane touched down outside Bangkok around midday for a visit that coincides with the 350th anniversary of the first papal mission in Siam, the former name of&nbsp;Thailand.

"Dear friends in&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;and Japan, before we meet, let us pray together that these days may be rich in grace and joy," read a message on the pontiff's official Twitter account before he left the Vatican.

Catholics are a tiny minority in mostly Buddhist&nbsp;Thailand, accounting for less than 2 per cent of the population.

Pope&nbsp;Francis&nbsp;will meet <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thai-king-strips-disloyal-new-royal-consort-of-titles-257474">King Maha Vajiralongkorn,</a> as well as the supreme Buddhist patriarch and Catholic leaders and students before he moves on to Japan on Saturday.

His translator in&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;will be his cousin and childhood friend, Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, 77, who has worked in Thai schools for more than 50 years.

Pope Francis arrived in Thailand on Wednesday to meet with the country's small but devoted Catholic minority on a seven-day Asian trip that will include a family reunion in Bangkok and take his anti-nuclear message to Japan.

Pope Francis arrived in Thailand on Wednesday to meet with the country's small but devoted Catholic minority on a seven-day Asian trip that will include a family reunion in Bangkok and take his anti-nuclear message to Japan. The pope's plane touched down outside Bangkok around midday for a visit that coincides with the 350th anniversary of the first papal mission in Siam, the former name of Thailand. "Dear friends in Thailand and Japan, before we meet, let us pray together that these days may be rich in grace and joy," read a message on the pontiff's official Twitter account before he left the Vatican. Catholics are a tiny minority in mostly Buddhist Thailand, accounting for less than 2 per cent of the population. Pope Francis will meet King Maha Vajiralongkorn, as well as the supreme Buddhist patriarch and Catholic leaders and students before he moves on to Japan on Saturday. His translator in Thailand will be his cousin and childhood friend, Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, 77, who has worked in Thai schools for more than 50 years.

Pope Francis arrives in Thailand at start of Asia trip

The Vatican spoke out on Wednesday against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-policy-shift-united-states-backs-israeli-settlements-on-west-bank-263029">United States' decision </a>to no longer consider Israeli settlements illegal, joining stiff international criticism of the policy reversal.

Without naming the US, the Holy See said in a statement that "recent decisions ... risk undermining further the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the already fragile regional stability."

"The Holy See reiterates its position of a two-state solution for two peoples, as the only way to reach a complete solution to this age-old conflict," the Vatican said.&nbsp;

On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Israeli settlements were "not, per se, inconsistent with international law," breaking with UN Security Council resolutions declaring the settlements to be illegal as they are built on occupied Palestinian land.&nbsp;

The policy shift puts the US at odds with virtually the whole of the rest of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-faces-palestinian-international-criticism-of-israel-settlement-move-263219">international community</a>, and criticism came on Tuesday from the European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League. &nbsp;

Courts in Israel have declared most major settlements legal.&nbsp;

More than 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, alongside more than three million Palestinians. The settlements remain one of the thorniest issues in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.&nbsp;

The Holy See said it supported Israel's right to live in peace and security within the borders that are recognised by the international community and supported "the same right that belongs to the Palestinian people, which must be recognised, respected and implemented."

Israel has welcomed the US decision, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he was "very moved" by Pompeo's announcement.

US President Donald Trump's administration had "corrected a historic injustice and lined up with truth and justice," Netanyahu said.

Pope Francis, who arrived on Wednesday in Thailand ahead of a visit to Japan, has not himself directly addressed the issue.

The Vatican spoke out on Wednesday against the United States' decision to no longer consider Israeli settlements illegal, joining stiff international criticism of the policy reversal.

The Vatican spoke out on Wednesday against the United States' decision to no longer consider Israeli settlements illegal, joining stiff international criticism of the policy reversal. Without naming the US, the Holy See said in a statement that "recent decisions ... risk undermining further the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the already fragile regional stability." "The Holy See reiterates its position of a two-state solution for two peoples, as the only way to reach a complete solution to this age-old conflict," the Vatican said. On Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Israeli settlements were "not, per se, inconsistent with international law," breaking with UN Security Council resolutions declaring the settlements to be illegal as they are built on occupied Palestinian land. The policy shift puts the US at odds with virtually the whole of the rest of the international community, and criticism came on Tuesday from the European Union, the United Nations and the Arab League. Courts in Israel have declared most major settlements legal. More than 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, alongside more than three million Palestinians. The settlements remain one of the thorniest issues in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Holy See said it supported Israel's right to live in peace and security within the borders that are recognised by the international community and supported "the same right that belongs to the Palestinian people, which must be recognised, respected and implemented." Israel has welcomed the US decision, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he was "very moved" by Pompeo's announcement. US President Donald Trump's administration had "corrected a historic injustice and lined up with truth and justice," Netanyahu said. Pope Francis, who arrived on Wednesday in Thailand ahead of a visit to Japan, has not himself directly addressed the issue.

Vatican criticises US policy shift on Israeli settlements

Pope Francis, who years ago hoped to be a missionary in Japan, travels to the sites of the world's only atomic attacks this week seeking a ban on nuclear weapons.

The Argentine pontiff, 82, flies to Asia on Tuesday, where he will first visit Thailand and then Japan, including the two cities destroyed by devastating US nuclear attacks during the Second World War.

Despite both countries having less than 0.6 per cent Catholic populations, Francis is thirsty for interreligious dialogue with them.

He will arrive in Thailand on Wednesday before flying on to Japan on Saturday, where he will stay until November 26.

Sunday is set to be a marathon day with visits to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where at least 74,000 people and 140,000 people respectively were killed by the atomic bombs attacks.&nbsp;

The August 6, 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and of Nagasaki three days later contributed to Japan's surrender and the end of the Second World War on August 15, months after Nazi Germany capitulated.

Father Yoshio Kajiyama, director of the Jesuit social centre in Tokyo, was born in Hiroshima shortly after the war and is eagerly awaiting the pope's anti-nuclear speech.

"My grandfather died the day of the bomb in Hiroshima, I never knew him. Four days later my aunt died when she was 15 years old," said the 64-year-old.

"If you grow up in Hiroshima, you can't forget the bomb."

No nukes message

The pope will make "as vigorous an appeal as possible in favour of concerted measures to completely eliminate nuclear weapons," the Vatican number two Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the United Nations in September.

"Using atomic energy to wage war is immoral," the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics told Japanese television in September.

A previous member of Japan's diplomatic mission to the Vatican, Shigeru Tokuyasu, said he hopes the visit will pull the world back from "the globalisation of indifference" over nuclear weapons.

But, said Tokuyasu, the pope should avoid discussing the politically sensitive issue of nuclear energy.

Francis is also set to meet victims of the devastating 2011 earthquake that struck northeastern Japan and the subsequent tsunami that between them killed 18,500 people and sparked the nuclear power catastrophe at Fukushima.

Fear of nuclear war

Francis is used to railing against countries that make money from weapons and has already voiced his fear of a nuclear war.

In January last year, he printed cards with a photo of a Nagasaki bomb victim, inscribing the words "the fruit of war" above his signature.

The 1945 photo, captured by American photographer Joe O'Donnell, showed a small boy standing ramrod straight carrying his dead younger brother on his back while waiting for his turn at a cremation site.

The late pope John Paul II visited Japan in 1981, where at Hiroshima's peace monument he pointed to war as "the work of man".

In August, the city of Hiroshima called on Japan to sign the U.N. treaty calling for a ban on nuclear weapons, something that all the world's nuclear powers have refused to do.

Japan, with its pacifist post-war constitution, adhered in 1967 to the principle of "not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory," despite counting on the US nuclear umbrella for protection.

Multiethnic Thailand

Before arriving in Thailand on Wednesday, the pope praised the "multiethnic nation" which "has worked to promote harmony and peaceful coexistence, not only among its habitants but throughout Southeast Asia."

In a video message to the Thai people, the pope said he hoped to "strengthen ties of friendship" with Buddhists.

Since&nbsp;Francis' election six years ago, he has made two trips to Asia, visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2014, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.

On Thursday in Bangkok, the pontiff is to pay a visit to supreme patriarch Somdej Phra Maha Muneewong at a Buddhist temple.

Pope Francis, who years ago hoped to be a missionary in Japan, travels to the sites of the world's only atomic attacks this week seeking a ban on nuclear weapons.

Pope Francis, who years ago hoped to be a missionary in Japan, travels to the sites of the world's only atomic attacks this week seeking a ban on nuclear weapons. The Argentine pontiff, 82, flies to Asia on Tuesday, where he will first visit Thailand and then Japan, including the two cities destroyed by devastating US nuclear attacks during the Second World War. Despite both countries having less than 0.6 per cent Catholic populations, Francis is thirsty for interreligious dialogue with them. He will arrive in Thailand on Wednesday before flying on to Japan on Saturday, where he will stay until November 26. Sunday is set to be a marathon day with visits to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where at least 74,000 people and 140,000 people respectively were killed by the atomic bombs attacks. The August 6, 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and of Nagasaki three days later contributed to Japan's surrender and the end of the Second World War on August 15, months after Nazi Germany capitulated. Father Yoshio Kajiyama, director of the Jesuit social centre in Tokyo, was born in Hiroshima shortly after the war and is eagerly awaiting the pope's anti-nuclear speech. "My grandfather died the day of the bomb in Hiroshima, I never knew him. Four days later my aunt died when she was 15 years old," said the 64-year-old. "If you grow up in Hiroshima, you can't forget the bomb." No nukes message The pope will make "as vigorous an appeal as possible in favour of concerted measures to completely eliminate nuclear weapons," the Vatican number two Cardinal Pietro Parolin told the United Nations in September. "Using atomic energy to wage war is immoral," the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics told Japanese television in September. A previous member of Japan's diplomatic mission to the Vatican, Shigeru Tokuyasu, said he hopes the visit will pull the world back from "the globalisation of indifference" over nuclear weapons. But, said Tokuyasu, the pope should avoid discussing the politically sensitive issue of nuclear energy. Francis is also set to meet victims of the devastating 2011 earthquake that struck northeastern Japan and the subsequent tsunami that between them killed 18,500 people and sparked the nuclear power catastrophe at Fukushima. Fear of nuclear war Francis is used to railing against countries that make money from weapons and has already voiced his fear of a nuclear war. In January last year, he printed cards with a photo of a Nagasaki bomb victim, inscribing the words "the fruit of war" above his signature. The 1945 photo, captured by American photographer Joe O'Donnell, showed a small boy standing ramrod straight carrying his dead younger brother on his back while waiting for his turn at a cremation site. The late pope John Paul II visited Japan in 1981, where at Hiroshima's peace monument he pointed to war as "the work of man". In August, the city of Hiroshima called on Japan to sign the U.N. treaty calling for a ban on nuclear weapons, something that all the world's nuclear powers have refused to do. Japan, with its pacifist post-war constitution, adhered in 1967 to the principle of "not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory," despite counting on the US nuclear umbrella for protection. Multiethnic Thailand Before arriving in Thailand on Wednesday, the pope praised the "multiethnic nation" which "has worked to promote harmony and peaceful coexistence, not only among its habitants but throughout Southeast Asia." In a video message to the Thai people, the pope said he hoped to "strengthen ties of friendship" with Buddhists. Since Francis' election six years ago, he has made two trips to Asia, visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2014, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017. On Thursday in Bangkok, the pontiff is to pay a visit to supreme patriarch Somdej Phra Maha Muneewong at a Buddhist temple.

Pope Francis to visit Hiroshima, Nagasaki on anti-nuclear weapon mission

Pope Francis said on Friday politicians who rage against homosexuals, gypsies and Jews remind him of Hitler.

"It is not coincidental that at times there is a resurgence of symbols typical of Nazism," Francis said in an address to participants of an international conference on criminal law.

"And I must confess to you that when I hear a speech (by) someone responsible for order or for a government, I think of speeches by Hitler in 1934, 1936," he said, departing from his prepared address.

"With the persecution of Jews, gypsies, and people with homosexual tendencies, today these actions are typical (and) represent 'par excellence' culture of waste and hate. That is what was done in those days and today it is happening again."

During the 1933-45 Nazi regime in Germany, six million Jews were killed and homosexuals and gypsies were among those sent to extermination camps.

Pope Francis did not name any politicians or countries as the targets of his criticism.

In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro had a history of making homophobic, racist and sexist public remarks before he took office on Jan. 1. He told one interviewer he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.

In May, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brunei-wont-enforce-gay-sex-death-penalty-after-backlash-216270">Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah extended a moratorium</a> on the death penalty to incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John.

The United Nations had warned Brunei it would be violating human rights by implementing Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality.

In recent weeks, Pope Francis has also denounced a resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe.

On Wednesday, in improvised remarks at his general audience, he said: "Today the habit of persecuting Jews is beginning to be reborn. Brothers and sisters: this is neither human nor Christian; the Jews are our brothers and sisters and must not be persecuted! Understood?"

Last week, a Vatican cardinal said he was "disgusted" by anti-Semitic abuse directed at an 89-year-old Italian senator and Holocaust survivor, who was given police protection after receiving death threats.

In July, a European Union study said young Jewish Europeans experience more anti-Semitism than their parents, with a rise in abuse coming in emails, text messages and social media postings.

More than 80% of Jews of all ages said they felt anti-Semitism had increased on the Internet over the past five years and around 70% said they faced more hostility in public, the study found.

Pope Francis said on Friday politicians who rage against homosexuals, gypsies and Jews remind him of Hitler. "It is not coincidental that at times there is a resurgence of symbols typical of Nazism," Francis said in an address to participants of an international conference on criminal law.

Pope Francis said on Friday politicians who rage against homosexuals, gypsies and Jews remind him of Hitler. "It is not coincidental that at times there is a resurgence of symbols typical of Nazism," Francis said in an address to participants of an international conference on criminal law. "And I must confess to you that when I hear a speech (by) someone responsible for order or for a government, I think of speeches by Hitler in 1934, 1936," he said, departing from his prepared address. "With the persecution of Jews, gypsies, and people with homosexual tendencies, today these actions are typical (and) represent 'par excellence' culture of waste and hate. That is what was done in those days and today it is happening again." During the 1933-45 Nazi regime in Germany, six million Jews were killed and homosexuals and gypsies were among those sent to extermination camps. Pope Francis did not name any politicians or countries as the targets of his criticism. In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro had a history of making homophobic, racist and sexist public remarks before he took office on Jan. 1. He told one interviewer he would rather have a dead son than a gay son. In May, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation prohibiting gay sex, seeking to temper a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John. The United Nations had warned Brunei it would be violating human rights by implementing Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality. In recent weeks, Pope Francis has also denounced a resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe. On Wednesday, in improvised remarks at his general audience, he said: "Today the habit of persecuting Jews is beginning to be reborn. Brothers and sisters: this is neither human nor Christian; the Jews are our brothers and sisters and must not be persecuted! Understood?" Last week, a Vatican cardinal said he was "disgusted" by anti-Semitic abuse directed at an 89-year-old Italian senator and Holocaust survivor, who was given police protection after receiving death threats. In July, a European Union study said young Jewish Europeans experience more anti-Semitism than their parents, with a rise in abuse coming in emails, text messages and social media postings. More than 80% of Jews of all ages said they felt anti-Semitism had increased on the Internet over the past five years and around 70% said they faced more hostility in public, the study found.

'I think of speeches by Hitler', says Pope when politicians rage against homosexuals, gypsies and Jews

Pope Francis creates five new saints on Sunday, including Britain's Cardinal John Henry Newman -- one of the Catholic Church's most renowned converts -- and a nun dubbed the "Mother Teresa of Brazil".

Heads of state from across the world are expected at the Vatican ceremony, which will also raise a Swiss laywoman, an Indian nun and an Italian nun to the highest position within the centuries-old institution.

Prince Charles -- the future head of the Church of England -- will lead the British delegation in honouring Newman, a 19th-century Anglican theologian who went on to become one of the Catholic Church's leading thinkers.

Born in 1801, Newman attempted to "renew" the Anglican Church, before becoming convinced that Catholicism was the only true faith and converting aged 44, rising through the hierarchy to become a cardinal.

Despite now paying him the highest honour, the Catholic Church was accused in 2008 of defying Newman's dying wish by trying to move his body from a small English cemetery to the grand Oratory church in Birmingham.

Newman, who died in 1890, had said he wished "with all my heart" to be buried alongside lifelong friend and fellow convert Ambrose St. John.

The men had lived together for 32 years, though it is not clear whether their relationship was a sexually active one.

The Church's bid to separate them failed when Newman's coffin was found empty, his body having decomposed.

'Miracles'

Most new saints must have two "miracles" to their names -- usually scientifically inexplicable healings, attributed to prayers made to the late candidate.

Newman is credited with curing an American man from Boston with a debilitating spinal disorder, who claimed in 2001 he could suddenly walk again after praying to the British cardinal.

His second "miracle" -- the inexplicable healing of a woman with a "life-threatening pregnancy" -- was approved this year.

Giant portraits of the new saints were hung from Saint Peter's Basilica for the ceremony, set to draw tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Among them is Marguerite Bays, a laywoman from Switzerland known for bearing the stigmata -- wounds corresponding to the injuries Christ suffered on the cross -- on her hands, feet and chest.

Born in 1815, the second of seven children, Buys showed an intense faith from very early on, often breaking off from playing with other village youngsters in order to pray quietly, according to the Vatican.

'Mother of the poor'

Despite suggestions, she should become a nun, she instead began an apprenticeship as a seamstress aged 15, before later becoming a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order -- a layperson who spread the Catholic faith.

Bays underwent surgery for bowel cancer in 1853, and prayed to the Virgin Mary to heal her, offering to swap her disease for the pains experienced by Jesus. The Church says she was cured, but given the stigmata in exchange.

Every Friday at 3pm she would be immobilised in "ecstasy" as she relived the suffering in body and mind, it says.

She will be canonised alongside Brazilian Sister Dulce Lopes Pontes, who was a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and considered a "mother of the poor".

Born in 1914 into an upper-middle-class family in Salvador, she started a health clinic for poor workers and opened a school, a hospital, and an orphanage, as well as care centres for the elderly and disabled.

Sister Dulce, dubbed the "good angel of Bahia", was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988.

She was visited in hospital the year before her death by Pope John Paul II, who called her work "an example for humanity".

Tens of thousands of people attended her funeral in 1992.

Pope Francis creates five new saints on Sunday, including Britain's Cardinal John Henry Newman -- one of the Catholic Church's most renowned converts -- and a nun dubbed the "Mother Teresa of Brazil".

Pope Francis creates five new saints on Sunday, including Britain's Cardinal John Henry Newman -- one of the Catholic Church's most renowned converts -- and a nun dubbed the "Mother Teresa of Brazil". Heads of state from across the world are expected at the Vatican ceremony, which will also raise a Swiss laywoman, an Indian nun and an Italian nun to the highest position within the centuries-old institution. Prince Charles -- the future head of the Church of England -- will lead the British delegation in honouring Newman, a 19th-century Anglican theologian who went on to become one of the Catholic Church's leading thinkers. Born in 1801, Newman attempted to "renew" the Anglican Church, before becoming convinced that Catholicism was the only true faith and converting aged 44, rising through the hierarchy to become a cardinal. Despite now paying him the highest honour, the Catholic Church was accused in 2008 of defying Newman's dying wish by trying to move his body from a small English cemetery to the grand Oratory church in Birmingham. Newman, who died in 1890, had said he wished "with all my heart" to be buried alongside lifelong friend and fellow convert Ambrose St. John. The men had lived together for 32 years, though it is not clear whether their relationship was a sexually active one. The Church's bid to separate them failed when Newman's coffin was found empty, his body having decomposed. 'Miracles' Most new saints must have two "miracles" to their names -- usually scientifically inexplicable healings, attributed to prayers made to the late candidate. Newman is credited with curing an American man from Boston with a debilitating spinal disorder, who claimed in 2001 he could suddenly walk again after praying to the British cardinal. His second "miracle" -- the inexplicable healing of a woman with a "life-threatening pregnancy" -- was approved this year. Giant portraits of the new saints were hung from Saint Peter's Basilica for the ceremony, set to draw tens of thousands of pilgrims. Among them is Marguerite Bays, a laywoman from Switzerland known for bearing the stigmata -- wounds corresponding to the injuries Christ suffered on the cross -- on her hands, feet and chest. Born in 1815, the second of seven children, Buys showed an intense faith from very early on, often breaking off from playing with other village youngsters in order to pray quietly, according to the Vatican. 'Mother of the poor' Despite suggestions, she should become a nun, she instead began an apprenticeship as a seamstress aged 15, before later becoming a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order -- a layperson who spread the Catholic faith. Bays underwent surgery for bowel cancer in 1853, and prayed to the Virgin Mary to heal her, offering to swap her disease for the pains experienced by Jesus. The Church says she was cured, but given the stigmata in exchange. Every Friday at 3pm she would be immobilised in "ecstasy" as she relived the suffering in body and mind, it says. She will be canonised alongside Brazilian Sister Dulce Lopes Pontes, who was a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception and considered a "mother of the poor". Born in 1914 into an upper-middle-class family in Salvador, she started a health clinic for poor workers and opened a school, a hospital, and an orphanage, as well as care centres for the elderly and disabled. Sister Dulce, dubbed the "good angel of Bahia", was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1988. She was visited in hospital the year before her death by Pope John Paul II, who called her work "an example for humanity". Tens of thousands of people attended her funeral in 1992.

Pope Francis to elevate British convert Newman to sainthood

Pope Francis has declared Indian nun a saint today in the Vatican city. Watch live visuals of the ceremony.

Kerala nun Thresia attains Sainthood

Pope Francis declares Indian nun a saint today

Pope Francis will canonise five new saints on Sunday, including Sister Mariam Thresia from Kerala, India.&nbsp;

Minister of state for external affairs, V Muraleedharan, who himself is from the southern Indian state of Kerala, will be representing India during the ceremony.

She will be canonised on Sunday morning at Mass in St Peter's Square along with Cardinal John Henry Newman, Giuseppina Vannini, Dulce Lopes Pontes, and Marquerite Bays.

According to the Vatican, she had "mystical experiences, including the gift of healing and prophecy".

Born in 1876, and named after Saint Teresa of Avila, she was the founder of Congregation of the Holy Family of Thrissur district in Kerala.

In 2000, on April 9, Sister Thresia was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Beatification is the first step towards canonisation and permitting public veneration.

According to the Vatican, she received stigmata or appearance of bodily wound corresponding to crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ around wrists and feet, something she kept as a secret.

Many miraculous cures have been linked to her including of one Mathew Pellissery who had congenital club feet but was cured after praying and invoking the help of Sister Mariam Thresia. Mathew's case was examined by the Vatican that played a role in Sister Mariam Thresia's sainthood.

Pope Francis will canonise five new saints on Sunday, including Sister Mariam Thresia from Kerala, India. Minister of state for external affairs, V Muraleedharan, who himself is from the southern Indian state of Kerala, will be representing India during the ceremony.

Pope Francis will canonise five new saints on Sunday, including Sister Mariam Thresia from Kerala, India. Minister of state for external affairs, V Muraleedharan, who himself is from the southern Indian state of Kerala, will be representing India during the ceremony. She will be canonised on Sunday morning at Mass in St Peter's Square along with Cardinal John Henry Newman, Giuseppina Vannini, Dulce Lopes Pontes, and Marquerite Bays. According to the Vatican, she had "mystical experiences, including the gift of healing and prophecy". Born in 1876, and named after Saint Teresa of Avila, she was the founder of Congregation of the Holy Family of Thrissur district in Kerala. In 2000, on April 9, Sister Thresia was beatified by Pope John Paul II. Beatification is the first step towards canonisation and permitting public veneration. According to the Vatican, she received stigmata or appearance of bodily wound corresponding to crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ around wrists and feet, something she kept as a secret. Many miraculous cures have been linked to her including of one Mathew Pellissery who had congenital club feet but was cured after praying and invoking the help of Sister Mariam Thresia. Mathew's case was examined by the Vatican that played a role in Sister Mariam Thresia's sainthood.

Indian nun Mariam Thresia to be declared a saint today at the Vatican

Pope Francis on Sunday (October 6) appealed to conservatives not to be obsessed with the status quo as he opened an assembly of bishops to discuss the future of the Roman Catholic Church in the Amazon, including the possibility of introducing married priests.

Pope opens synod, urges conservatives to be open to changes in Church

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-installs-new-cardinals-puts-another-stamp-on-church-future-253982">Pope Francis opened a synod Sunday</a> to champion the Amazon's poverty-stricken and isolated indigenous communities by condemning the destructive "interests" he blamed for the fires that devastated the region.

"The fire set by interests that destroy, like the fire that recently devastated Amazonia, is not the fire of the Gospel," he said before the bishops from the nine countries of the pan-Amazonian region and representatives of indigenous peoples.

"The fire of God is the warmth that attracts and gathers into unity. It is fed by sharing, not by profits... The fire that destroys, on the other hand, blazes up when people want to promote only their own ideas, form their own group, wipe out differences in the attempt to make everyone and everything uniform", he added.

The global spotlight has recently been on the world's largest rainforest, which is vital for the planet but is suffering from its worst outbreak of fires in years, due in part to an acceleration in deforestation.

The working document for the synod denounced in scathing terms social injustices and crimes, including murders, and suggested a Church action plan.

"Listen to the cry of 'Mother Earth', assaulted and seriously wounded by the economic model of predatory and ecocidal development... which kills and plunders, destroys and devastates, expels and discards," the 80-page document said.

The run-up to the three-week synod, or assembly, saw some 260 events held in the Amazon region involving 80,000 people, in a bid to give the local populations a voice in the document.

Among those attending the synod as an observer was Sister Laura Vincuna, a missionary trying to protect the territories of the Caripuna indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon.

"Help us defend our motherland, we have no other home!" she said on Saturday.

"Earth, water, forest: without these three elements nobody can do anything," she said on the eve of the synod.

'New forms of colonialism'

Sunday's gathering comes as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a climate-change sceptic, told the United Nations that the world's media were lying about the Amazon, and attacked indigenous leaders as tools of foreign governments.

In his 2015 encyclical on ecology and climate change "Laudato Si", Francis denounced the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest in the name of "enormous international economic interests".

Last year, the world's first Latin American pope visited Puerto Maldonado, a village in southeastern Peru surrounded by the Amazon jungle, to meet thousands of indigenous Peruvians, Brazilians and Bolivians.

That trip was the first step towards the synod which opened Sunday.

"So many of our brothers and sisters in Amazonia are bearing heavy crosses and awaiting the liberating consolation of the Gospel, the Church's caress of love," the pope said in his homily. "For them, and with them, let us journey together."

He also warned against "the greed of new forms of colonialism".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-to-visit-thailand-japan-in-november-249418">Francis' hopes of bringing the Catholic faith to far-flung populations</a> will also see the bishops gathered in Rome debate a highly controversial proposal -&nbsp;allowing married men to become priests.

The issue deeply upsets some traditionalists, who argue that making an exception for the Amazon would open the door to the end of celibacy for priests, which is not a Church law and only dates back to the 11th century.

The German Catholic Church in particular, which has an influential progressive wing, has been hotly debating the subject.

The synod, which runs until October 27, will also reflect on making official roles for women, who already play a central part in the Amazonian Church.

Of the 184 prelates at the synod, 113 hail from the Amazonian region, including 57 from Brazil.

Others taking part include 17 representatives of Amazonian indigenous peoples and ethnic groups, and 35 women - who will not have the right to vote on the final document.

Pope Francis opened a synod Sunday to champion the Amazon's poverty-stricken and isolated indigenous communities by condemning the destructive "interests" he blamed for the fires that devastated the region.

Pope Francis opened a synod Sunday to champion the Amazon's poverty-stricken and isolated indigenous communities by condemning the destructive "interests" he blamed for the fires that devastated the region. "The fire set by interests that destroy, like the fire that recently devastated Amazonia, is not the fire of the Gospel," he said before the bishops from the nine countries of the pan-Amazonian region and representatives of indigenous peoples. "The fire of God is the warmth that attracts and gathers into unity. It is fed by sharing, not by profits... The fire that destroys, on the other hand, blazes up when people want to promote only their own ideas, form their own group, wipe out differences in the attempt to make everyone and everything uniform", he added. The global spotlight has recently been on the world's largest rainforest, which is vital for the planet but is suffering from its worst outbreak of fires in years, due in part to an acceleration in deforestation. The working document for the synod denounced in scathing terms social injustices and crimes, including murders, and suggested a Church action plan. "Listen to the cry of 'Mother Earth', assaulted and seriously wounded by the economic model of predatory and ecocidal development... which kills and plunders, destroys and devastates, expels and discards," the 80-page document said. The run-up to the three-week synod, or assembly, saw some 260 events held in the Amazon region involving 80,000 people, in a bid to give the local populations a voice in the document. Among those attending the synod as an observer was Sister Laura Vincuna, a missionary trying to protect the territories of the Caripuna indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon. "Help us defend our motherland, we have no other home!" she said on Saturday. "Earth, water, forest: without these three elements nobody can do anything," she said on the eve of the synod. 'New forms of colonialism' Sunday's gathering comes as Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a climate-change sceptic, told the United Nations that the world's media were lying about the Amazon, and attacked indigenous leaders as tools of foreign governments. In his 2015 encyclical on ecology and climate change "Laudato Si", Francis denounced the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest in the name of "enormous international economic interests". Last year, the world's first Latin American pope visited Puerto Maldonado, a village in southeastern Peru surrounded by the Amazon jungle, to meet thousands of indigenous Peruvians, Brazilians and Bolivians. That trip was the first step towards the synod which opened Sunday. "So many of our brothers and sisters in Amazonia are bearing heavy crosses and awaiting the liberating consolation of the Gospel, the Church's caress of love," the pope said in his homily. "For them, and with them, let us journey together." He also warned against "the greed of new forms of colonialism". Francis' hopes of bringing the Catholic faith to far-flung populations will also see the bishops gathered in Rome debate a highly controversial proposal - allowing married men to become priests. The issue deeply upsets some traditionalists, who argue that making an exception for the Amazon would open the door to the end of celibacy for priests, which is not a Church law and only dates back to the 11th century. The German Catholic Church in particular, which has an influential progressive wing, has been hotly debating the subject. The synod, which runs until October 27, will also reflect on making official roles for women, who already play a central part in the Amazonian Church. Of the 184 prelates at the synod, 113 hail from the Amazonian region, including 57 from Brazil. Others taking part include 17 representatives of Amazonian indigenous peoples and ethnic groups, and 35 women - who will not have the right to vote on the final document.

Pope blames Amazon fires on destructive 'interests'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-to-visit-thailand-japan-in-november-249418">Pope Francis</a> installed new cardinals on Saturday, putting his stamp on the future of the Roman Catholic Church with men who share his vision for social justice, the rights of immigrants and dialogue with Islam.

Ten of the 13 bishops elevated to the high rank are under the age of 80 and so are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope from their ranks.

Francis has now appointed more than half of the 128 cardinal electors, increasing the possibility that the next pope will continue his progressive policies.

Over six years he has appointed more cardinal electors than those still alive who were named by former Pope Benedict and the late Pope John Paul combined.

At a ceremony in St&nbsp;Peter's Basilica, known as a consistory, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-on-madagascar-visit-condemns-clan-culture-of-privilege-graft-248410">Francis</a> gave the new cardinals their trademark red biretta, or hat, and asked them to always be compassionate with others and loyal.

The geographical distribution of the new cardinal electors reflects Francis's desire to give more clout to small national churches outside of Europe and North America, countries on the periphery of world political power. Nearly 50 per cent of the cardinal electors now come from the developing world.

Pope Francis installed new cardinals on Saturday, putting his stamp on the future of the Roman Catholic Church with men who share his vision for social justice, the rights of immigrants and dialogue with Islam.

Pope Francis installed new cardinals on Saturday, putting his stamp on the future of the Roman Catholic Church with men who share his vision for social justice, the rights of immigrants and dialogue with Islam. Ten of the 13 bishops elevated to the high rank are under the age of 80 and so are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope from their ranks. Francis has now appointed more than half of the 128 cardinal electors, increasing the possibility that the next pope will continue his progressive policies. Over six years he has appointed more cardinal electors than those still alive who were named by former Pope Benedict and the late Pope John Paul combined. At a ceremony in St Peter's Basilica, known as a consistory, Francis gave the new cardinals their trademark red biretta, or hat, and asked them to always be compassionate with others and loyal. The geographical distribution of the new cardinal electors reflects Francis's desire to give more clout to small national churches outside of Europe and North America, countries on the periphery of world political power. Nearly 50 per cent of the cardinal electors now come from the developing world.

Pope installs new cardinals, puts another stamp on Church future

Pope Francis will travel to Thailand in November, the Vatican said Friday, in a visit to Asia that will sweep in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which were both decimated by atomic bombs in 1945.

It has been nearly four decades since a pontiff visited Thailand and Japan, both Buddhist-majority countries.

The late Pope John Paul II went to Japan -- where Shinto and Buddhism are the main religions -- in 1981, and he travelled to Thailand three years later where he met with the late King Rama IX and the Queen Mother.

The current pontiff will travel to Thailand from November 20-23, and then Japan to November 26, the Vatican said.

In Bangkok, Pope Francis will "preside at religious ceremonies and pastoral visits to Catholic communities," said a press statement from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand.

He would hold "two masses", added Monsignor Vissanu Thanya-anan of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand.

The four-day papal visit will mark the 350th anniversary of the founding of the "Mission de Siam", which was first established by Pope Clement IX in 1669.

Today, the 388,000-strong Christian community makes up an estimated 1 per cent of the population in Thailand, with the majority residing in the north and many within ethnic minority groups like the Jarai and the Akha.

Embattled ethnic groups, like the Montagnards who fled religious persecution in neighbouring communist Vietnam, also reside in Thailand seeking asylum.

Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, the Pope's second cousin who runs a Catholic girls' school in northeast Thailand, said his visit to a Buddhist-majority Thailand is meant as an outreach to other religions.

"This visit shows his desire... to bring a message of peace," she told AFP, adding that she would be with her cousin during the Bangkok visit and hopes for some "private" time.

A-bomb sites

The Vatican also provided more details of a visit to Japan, which was announced in January. The Pope had wanted to work in the country as a missionary in his youth but the plan was abandoned following a lung operation.

Japan is home to some 450,000 Catholics and 510,000 Protestants.

"During the latter visit, the Holy Father will visit Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima," said the statement, adding that an official schedule will be provided on a later date.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki were decimated after the US dropped nuclear bombs at the end of World War II in 1945.

More than 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima, while the port city of Nagasaki suffered a death toll of 74,000.

The Pope has referenced the bombings in the past.

In January last year, he printed cards with a 1945 photo of victims of the Nagasaki bombing, inscribing the words "the fruit of war" in Italian on the card above his signature.

The photo, captured by American photographer Joe O'Donnell, showed a young boy standing ramrod straight carrying his dead younger brother on his back while waiting for his turn at a cremation site.

Since Pope Francis' election six years ago, he has made two trips to Asia, visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2014, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017.

In Dhaka, he met with Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown, which UN investigators have said amounts to "genocide".

Referring to the Muslim minority group as "Rohingya", he asked for their forgiveness for their persecution -- his words sparking great controversy in neighbouring Myanmar, where they are reviled as so-called "Bengali" illegal immigrants.

Pope Francis on Tuesday returned to Rome after a weeklong visit to Africa, with stops in Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius -- a prosperous island nation where he urged citizens to welcome migrants in search of a better life.

Pope Francis will travel to Thailand in November, the Vatican said Friday, in a visit to Asia that will sweep in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which were both decimated by atomic bombs in 1945.

Pope Francis will travel to Thailand in November, the Vatican said Friday, in a visit to Asia that will sweep in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which were both decimated by atomic bombs in 1945. It has been nearly four decades since a pontiff visited Thailand and Japan, both Buddhist-majority countries. The late Pope John Paul II went to Japan -- where Shinto and Buddhism are the main religions -- in 1981, and he travelled to Thailand three years later where he met with the late King Rama IX and the Queen Mother. The current pontiff will travel to Thailand from November 20-23, and then Japan to November 26, the Vatican said. In Bangkok, Pope Francis will "preside at religious ceremonies and pastoral visits to Catholic communities," said a press statement from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand. He would hold "two masses", added Monsignor Vissanu Thanya-anan of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand. The four-day papal visit will mark the 350th anniversary of the founding of the "Mission de Siam", which was first established by Pope Clement IX in 1669. Today, the 388,000-strong Christian community makes up an estimated 1 per cent of the population in Thailand, with the majority residing in the north and many within ethnic minority groups like the Jarai and the Akha. Embattled ethnic groups, like the Montagnards who fled religious persecution in neighbouring communist Vietnam, also reside in Thailand seeking asylum. Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, the Pope's second cousin who runs a Catholic girls' school in northeast Thailand, said his visit to a Buddhist-majority Thailand is meant as an outreach to other religions. "This visit shows his desire... to bring a message of peace," she told AFP, adding that she would be with her cousin during the Bangkok visit and hopes for some "private" time. A-bomb sites The Vatican also provided more details of a visit to Japan, which was announced in January. The Pope had wanted to work in the country as a missionary in his youth but the plan was abandoned following a lung operation. Japan is home to some 450,000 Catholics and 510,000 Protestants. "During the latter visit, the Holy Father will visit Tokyo, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima," said the statement, adding that an official schedule will be provided on a later date. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were decimated after the US dropped nuclear bombs at the end of World War II in 1945. More than 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima, while the port city of Nagasaki suffered a death toll of 74,000. The Pope has referenced the bombings in the past. In January last year, he printed cards with a 1945 photo of victims of the Nagasaki bombing, inscribing the words "the fruit of war" in Italian on the card above his signature. The photo, captured by American photographer Joe O'Donnell, showed a young boy standing ramrod straight carrying his dead younger brother on his back while waiting for his turn at a cremation site. Since Pope Francis' election six years ago, he has made two trips to Asia, visiting the Philippines and Sri Lanka in 2014, followed by Myanmar and Bangladesh in 2017. In Dhaka, he met with Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar following a brutal military crackdown, which UN investigators have said amounts to "genocide". Referring to the Muslim minority group as "Rohingya", he asked for their forgiveness for their persecution -- his words sparking great controversy in neighbouring Myanmar, where they are reviled as so-called "Bengali" illegal immigrants. Pope Francis on Tuesday returned to Rome after a weeklong visit to Africa, with stops in Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius -- a prosperous island nation where he urged citizens to welcome migrants in search of a better life.

Pope Francis to visit Thailand, Japan in November

Pope&nbsp;Francis, on a&nbsp;visit&nbsp;to Madagascar, on Sunday condemned what he said was its&nbsp;clan&nbsp;culture&nbsp;of&nbsp;privilege&nbsp;and corruption that allows a very few to live in wealth while the vast majority languish in grinding poverty.

He spoke in a homily of a Mass on a sprawling field on the outskirts of the capital Antananarivo for hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom had spent the night outdoors in unseasonably cool weather. The Vatican said local organisers had estimated the crowd at about a million people.

As he has since the start of his three-country swing through sub-Saharan Africa, Francis spoke out about the gap between the haves and have-nots on the continent. He has already&nbsp;visited Mozambique and will move on to Mauritius on Monday.

Francis decried a&nbsp;clan&nbsp;culture&nbsp;that provided a boost only to those connected to it while leaving many others permanently excluded, or at best marginalised without opportunities to improve their lives.

"When 'family' becomes the decisive criterion for what we consider right and good, we end up justifying and even

'consecrating' practices that lead to the&nbsp;culture&nbsp;of&nbsp;privilege&nbsp;and exclusion: favouritism, patronage and - as a consequence - corruption," the pontiff said in his homily.

Madagascar&nbsp;is the world's fourth-largest island and one of its poorest countries.

The UN&nbsp;World Food Programme estimates that more than 90 per cent&nbsp;of&nbsp;Madagascar's 26 million population live on less than $2 a day, with chronic child malnutrition widespread.

Corruption is rampant among the country's political and business class, according to organisations such as Transparency International, which ranks&nbsp;Madagascar&nbsp;in the lowest quarter of its global Corruption Perceptions Index.

"As we look around us, how many men and women, young people and children are suffering and in utter need!" the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-stuck-in-elevator-for-25-minutes-freed-by-fire-brigade-246992">pope</a>&nbsp;said.

While in Antananarivo, Francis's motorcade passed by people plying trades like metalworking and carpentry on the sides of dusty roads, followed minutes later by walled-off, European-style villas with gardens and pools.

Francis has often called for greater income equality and a fairer distribution of wealth between prosperous and developing countries, and he has defended the right of countries to control their mineral resources.

After the Mass, Francis was due to&nbsp;visit&nbsp;Akamasoa, a district of the capital known as "The City of Friendship."

It was founded by Father Pedro Opeka, a 71-year-old missionary who studied theology under the future&nbsp;pope&nbsp;in their native Argentina before dedicating his life to building communities for the families of&nbsp;Madagascar.

Over the last 50 years, an organization founded by Opeka has built homes for 25,000 people, 100 schools, six clinics, and&nbsp;two football stadiums. Next year they plan to build a college for paramedics.

Pope Francis, on a visit to Madagascar, on Sunday condemned what he said was its clan culture of privilege and corruption that allows a very few to live in wealth while the vast majority languish in grinding poverty.

Pope Francis, on a visit to Madagascar, on Sunday condemned what he said was its clan culture of privilege and corruption that allows a very few to live in wealth while the vast majority languish in grinding poverty. He spoke in a homily of a Mass on a sprawling field on the outskirts of the capital Antananarivo for hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom had spent the night outdoors in unseasonably cool weather. The Vatican said local organisers had estimated the crowd at about a million people. As he has since the start of his three-country swing through sub-Saharan Africa, Francis spoke out about the gap between the haves and have-nots on the continent. He has already visited Mozambique and will move on to Mauritius on Monday. Francis decried a clan culture that provided a boost only to those connected to it while leaving many others permanently excluded, or at best marginalised without opportunities to improve their lives. "When 'family' becomes the decisive criterion for what we consider right and good, we end up justifying and even 'consecrating' practices that lead to the culture of privilege and exclusion: favouritism, patronage and - as a consequence - corruption," the pontiff said in his homily. Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island and one of its poorest countries. The UN World Food Programme estimates that more than 90 per cent of Madagascar's 26 million population live on less than $2 a day, with chronic child malnutrition widespread. Corruption is rampant among the country's political and business class, according to organisations such as Transparency International, which ranks Madagascar in the lowest quarter of its global Corruption Perceptions Index. "As we look around us, how many men and women, young people and children are suffering and in utter need!" the pope said. While in Antananarivo, Francis's motorcade passed by people plying trades like metalworking and carpentry on the sides of dusty roads, followed minutes later by walled-off, European-style villas with gardens and pools. Francis has often called for greater income equality and a fairer distribution of wealth between prosperous and developing countries, and he has defended the right of countries to control their mineral resources. After the Mass, Francis was due to visit Akamasoa, a district of the capital known as "The City of Friendship." It was founded by Father Pedro Opeka, a 71-year-old missionary who studied theology under the future pope in their native Argentina before dedicating his life to building communities for the families of Madagascar. Over the last 50 years, an organization founded by Opeka has built homes for 25,000 people, 100 schools, six clinics, and two football stadiums. Next year they plan to build a college for paramedics.

Pope Francis, on Madagascar visit, condemns clan culture of privilege, graft

Pope Francis arrived late for his weekly address in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, explaining that he had been stuck in an elevator in the Vatican for 25 minutes and had to be freed by firefighters.

Pope Francis arrived late for his weekly address in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, explaining that he had been stuck in an elevator in the Vatican for 25 minutes and had to be freed by firefighters. "I have to beg your pardon," the smiling pontif said as he started the address about 10 minutes late. He then explained that there had been a electrical power problem in the Vatican and that he had been stuck in the elevator until freed by Vatican fire officers. "A round of applause for the fire brigade," he told the crowd.

Pope stuck in elevator for 25 minutes, freed by fire brigade

Brazil on Sunday deployed two Hercules C-130 aircraft to douse fires devouring parts of the Amazon rainforest, as hundreds of new blazes were ignited ahead of nationwide protests over the destruction.

Brazil on Sunday deployed two Hercules C-130 aircraft to douse fires devouring parts of the Amazon rainforest, as hundreds of new blazes were ignited ahead of nationwide protests over the destruction. Heavy smoke covered the city of Porto Velho in the northwestern state of Rondonia where the defence ministry said the planes have started dumping thousands of litres of water, amid a global uproar over the worst fires in years. Swathes of the remote region bordering Bolivia have been scorched by the blazes, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky and increasing air pollution across the world's largest rainforest. Experts say increased land clearing during the months-long dry season to make way for crops or grazing has aggravated the problem this year. "It gets worse every year this year, the smoke has been really serious," Deliana Amorim, 46, told AFP in Porto Velho where half a million people live. At least seven states, including Rondonia, have requested the army's help in the Amazon, where more than 43,000 troops are based and available to combat fires, officials said. The fires have triggered a global outcry and are a major topic of concern at the G7 meeting in Biarritz in southern France. World leaders at the summit have agreed to help the countries affected by the fires "as fast as possible," French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday. His remarks come amid an escalating war of words with his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro, who he has accused of lying over Brazil's stance on climate change. Bolsonaro has denounced what he calls Macron's "colonialist mentality." Trade deal at risk The fires threaten to torpedo a huge trade agreement between the European Union and South American countries, including Brazil, that took 20 years to negotiate. Pope Francis on Sunday also voiced concern for the rainforest, which he described as a "vital" lung for the planet. The latest official figures show 79,513 forest fires have been recorded in Brazil this year, the highest number of any year since 2013. More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin, where more than 20 million people live. Some 1,130 new fires were ignited between Friday and Saturday, according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The new data come as protesters plan to take to the streets across Brazil on Sunday after thousands held demonstrations in the country and Europe on Friday.

Brazil's army fights Amazon fires after hundreds of new blazes ignite

A French man at the centre of a bitter row over right-to-die legislation passed away in hospital on Thursday more than a week after doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes, his family told AFP.&nbsp;

"Vincent died at 8:24 am (0624 GMT) this morning," his nephew Francois Lambert told AFP.&nbsp;

Lambert, 42, was involved in a near-fatal car crash in 2008 that left him a quadriplegic with severe <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-six-year-battle-over-a-mans-life-support-220150">brain damage which doctors had long said was irreversible</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Left in a vegetative state, the question of whether to continue keeping him alive artificially divided his family and the nation.

Doctors at a hospital in the northern city of Reims began removing the tubes on July 2 while keeping him heavily sedated following a years-long legal battle that has raged in the highest courts in France and Europe.

The case rekindled a charged debate over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/parents-appeal-to-french-president-in-right-to-die-case-219660">France's right-to-die laws</a>, which allow so-called "passive" euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients who are being kept alive artificially with no chance of recovery.&nbsp;

In May, even Pope Francis got involved, tweeting that it was necessary to "always safeguard life, God's gift, from its beginning until its natural end".

Lambert's wife Rachel, who is his legal guardian under French law, had said her husband made clear even before his accident that he would not want to be kept alive artificially, though this was never put in writing.

Multiple medical assessments ordered by the courts over the years found that the former psychiatric nurse, who was poised to become a father shortly before his accident, had no chance of recovering.

'Not a vegetable'&nbsp;

But his parents, devout Catholics who between them have nine children, had over the years successfully challenged five different attempts by doctors to halt his life-support.

The last time they tried to do so was in May, but it was quickly overturned by a Paris appeals court.

That ruling was then taken to France's top appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, which on June 28 said doctors could legally end his life support in what was hailed as a definitive final judgment by lawyers for his wife.&nbsp;

With their efforts spurned by the highest courts in France as well as by the European Court of Human Rights, Lambert's parents have threatened to file charges of "murder" when their son dies.&nbsp;

On July 1, his mother Viviane turned to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in a last-ditch plea for help.&nbsp;

"Without your intervention, my son, Vincent Lambert, will be euthanised because of his mental handicap," she said.&nbsp;

"He is in a state of minimal consciousness but he is not a vegetable."

But by Monday, the couple had accepted that the death of their son was now "unavoidable".

"We have nowhere else to turn and now it's too late. Vincent is dying," they said in a statement through their lawyers sent to AFP, saying that his condition was now "medically irreversible".&nbsp;

In early May, the UN committee on disabled rights also asked France to keep Lambert alive while it conducted its investigation into his fate, but the government said it was not legally bound to abide by its request.&nbsp;

A French man at the centre of a bitter row over right-to-die legislation passed away in hospital on Thursday more than a week after doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes, his family told AFP.

A French man at the centre of a bitter row over right-to-die legislation passed away in hospital on Thursday more than a week after doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes, his family told AFP. "Vincent died at 8:24 am (0624 GMT) this morning," his nephew Francois Lambert told AFP. Lambert, 42, was involved in a near-fatal car crash in 2008 that left him a quadriplegic with severe brain damage which doctors had long said was irreversible. Left in a vegetative state, the question of whether to continue keeping him alive artificially divided his family and the nation. Doctors at a hospital in the northern city of Reims began removing the tubes on July 2 while keeping him heavily sedated following a years-long legal battle that has raged in the highest courts in France and Europe. The case rekindled a charged debate over France's right-to-die laws, which allow so-called "passive" euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients who are being kept alive artificially with no chance of recovery. In May, even Pope Francis got involved, tweeting that it was necessary to "always safeguard life, God's gift, from its beginning until its natural end". Lambert's wife Rachel, who is his legal guardian under French law, had said her husband made clear even before his accident that he would not want to be kept alive artificially, though this was never put in writing. Multiple medical assessments ordered by the courts over the years found that the former psychiatric nurse, who was poised to become a father shortly before his accident, had no chance of recovering. 'Not a vegetable' But his parents, devout Catholics who between them have nine children, had over the years successfully challenged five different attempts by doctors to halt his life-support. The last time they tried to do so was in May, but it was quickly overturned by a Paris appeals court. That ruling was then taken to France's top appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, which on June 28 said doctors could legally end his life support in what was hailed as a definitive final judgment by lawyers for his wife. With their efforts spurned by the highest courts in France as well as by the European Court of Human Rights, Lambert's parents have threatened to file charges of "murder" when their son dies. On July 1, his mother Viviane turned to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in a last-ditch plea for help. "Without your intervention, my son, Vincent Lambert, will be euthanised because of his mental handicap," she said. "He is in a state of minimal consciousness but he is not a vegetable." But by Monday, the couple had accepted that the death of their son was now "unavoidable". "We have nowhere else to turn and now it's too late. Vincent is dying," they said in a statement through their lawyers sent to AFP, saying that his condition was now "medically irreversible". In early May, the UN committee on disabled rights also asked France to keep Lambert alive while it conducted its investigation into his fate, but the government said it was not legally bound to abide by its request.

Brain-damaged French patient dies after doctors remove life support: Family

Pope Francis expressed his sorrow for the migrants killed by air strikes against a detention centre in Libya that killed at least 53 people, including six children.

Pope Francis Prays For Victims In Libya

Migrants are human beings who symbolise all those rejected by globalisation, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-urges-libya-peace-return-of-refugees-to-syria-212319">Pope Francis</a> told a special mass on Monday, saying "the weakest and most vulnerable must be helped".

"These least ones are abandoned and cheated into dying in the desert," the pope told the mass to mark the sixth anniversary of the pope's visit to Lampedusa, where many asylum seekers arrive after a perilous sea journey from Libya.

"These least ones are tortured, abused and violated in detention camps, these least ones face the waves of an unforgiving sea," the pope told the mass, attended by 250 people including migrants, asylum seekers, and rescue workers.

Italy has in recent weeks been trying to keep its ports closed to charity ships which have rescued migrants from the Mediterranean, usually shipwrecked after leaving war-torn and lawless Libya.

"They are persons, these are not merely social or migrant issues!" the pope said.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/migrant-rescue-sailboat-defies-italys-salvini-docks-in-italy-233653">Matteo Salvini</a> has regularly used social media to attack migrants and the NGOs that help them.

"Migrants are first of all human persons, and... they are the symbol of all those rejected by today’s globalised society," the pope said.

Francis travelled to Lampedusa in July 2013, four months after he was elected but before the 2013-2017 wave of migrant arrivals and shipwrecks, condemning "the globalisation of indifference" towards migrants.

Since then, the pope has repeatedly called for the welcoming of migrants fleeing war or poverty.

Unfortunately, he said, the outskirts of Italian cities were "densely populated with persons who have been thrown away, marginalised, oppressed, discriminated against, abused, exploited, abandoned, poor and suffering".

Migrants are human beings who symbolise all those rejected by globalisation, Pope Francis told a special mass on Monday, saying "the weakest and most vulnerable must be helped".

Migrants are human beings who symbolise all those rejected by globalisation, Pope Francis told a special mass on Monday, saying "the weakest and most vulnerable must be helped". "These least ones are abandoned and cheated into dying in the desert," the pope told the mass to mark the sixth anniversary of the pope's visit to Lampedusa, where many asylum seekers arrive after a perilous sea journey from Libya. "These least ones are tortured, abused and violated in detention camps, these least ones face the waves of an unforgiving sea," the pope told the mass, attended by 250 people including migrants, asylum seekers, and rescue workers. Italy has in recent weeks been trying to keep its ports closed to charity ships which have rescued migrants from the Mediterranean, usually shipwrecked after leaving war-torn and lawless Libya. "They are persons, these are not merely social or migrant issues!" the pope said. Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has regularly used social media to attack migrants and the NGOs that help them. "Migrants are first of all human persons, and... they are the symbol of all those rejected by today’s globalised society," the pope said. Francis travelled to Lampedusa in July 2013, four months after he was elected but before the 2013-2017 wave of migrant arrivals and shipwrecks, condemning "the globalisation of indifference" towards migrants. Since then, the pope has repeatedly called for the welcoming of migrants fleeing war or poverty. Unfortunately, he said, the outskirts of Italian cities were "densely populated with persons who have been thrown away, marginalised, oppressed, discriminated against, abused, exploited, abandoned, poor and suffering".

Pope Francis says migrants symbol of 'all who are rejected by globalisation'

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome Thursday for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's populist government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West.

Rome's historic centre is on security lockdown for the visit with 50 streets blocked to traffic and Italian media reporting that mobile phone signals could be scrambled.

Putin landed around an hour late at Fiumicino airport and his convoy drove into Rome and the Vatican City where he met the pope for closed-door talks.

Putin has arrived late for all three of their encounters, the last of which was in 2015 when the pope urged all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to make a "sincere effort" for peace.

Thursday's meeting comes a day before the pope receives leaders of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-to-meet-pope-in-shadow-of-ukraine-crisis-232987">Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church</a>.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are mostly Russian Orthdodox, while those they fight are Orthodox and Greek Catholic.

Improved ties&nbsp;

Francis first met Putin in 2013, as the Roman Catholic Church sought to improve ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Only in 2009 did the Vatican and Moscow re-establish full diplomatic ties which were severed during Soviet times.

Relations have improved since the coming to power in the same year of Patriarch Kirill, who headed up the Russian Orthodox Church's diplomatic arm for years.

The Russian Orthodox Church has frequently accused the Catholic Church of proselytising in Russia, an Orthodox Christian country of 144 million.

The pope in 2016 held a historic meeting with Kirill in Cuba, the first encounter between the heads of the two largest Christian churches since Christianity split into Western and Eastern branches in the 11th Century&nbsp;-- an event known as "The Great Schism."

Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that "for the time being a possible invitation for the pope to visit Russia is not on the agenda."

The pope and Putin were to discuss matters including "preserving Christian holy sites in Syria", the Kremlin said.

After meeting the pope, Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and President Sergio Mattarella.

Putin is being driven around in his six-metre-long (20-foot) armoured limo by a chauffeur who has been practising negotiating his way around the Eternal City's narrow streets. His talks with Italian leaders should be easier.

Far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has often expressed admiration for Putin, and his coalition government advocates reviewing EU sanctions against Russia.&nbsp;

On the eve of the visit, Putin praised Salvini and his Lega party for having a "welcoming attitude" to Russia.

"They are pushing for a rapid abolition of the anti-Russian sanctions introduced by the US and the EU," Putin said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

The US and EU have progressively imposed sanctions on Russia since its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow's involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.

Salvini has previously visited Moscow and been pictured in pro-Putin T-shirts.&nbsp;

When his party won most Italian votes in May's European elections, Salvini posted a photo of himself with&nbsp;a picture of Putin in the background.

"Men like him (Putin) who act in the interest of their own citizens, there should be dozens in this country", Salvini said last year.

The Kremlin says Putin wants to discuss Russia-EU relations, the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Libya and Iran's nuclear programme.

Sanctions revision 

An EU summit last month extended economic sanctions targeting whole sectors of the Russian economy, including its crucial oil and gas industry, until the end of 2019.

Italy has not vetoed the sanctions but the EU front appears less united thanks to Rome's pro-Russian overtures.

Salvini and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio will attend a dinner for Putin in the evening, after which the russian president will meet his old friend and former premier Silvio Berlusconi, known for his sex scandals and "bunga bunga" parties.

"We are bound by a friendship stretching back many years," Putin said in the Corriere interview, hailing "a politician of global stature".

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome Thursday for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's populist government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome Thursday for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's populist government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West. Rome's historic centre is on security lockdown for the visit with 50 streets blocked to traffic and Italian media reporting that mobile phone signals could be scrambled. Putin landed around an hour late at Fiumicino airport and his convoy drove into Rome and the Vatican City where he met the pope for closed-door talks. Putin has arrived late for all three of their encounters, the last of which was in 2015 when the pope urged all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to make a "sincere effort" for peace. Thursday's meeting comes a day before the pope receives leaders of Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church. Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are mostly Russian Orthdodox, while those they fight are Orthodox and Greek Catholic. Improved ties Francis first met Putin in 2013, as the Roman Catholic Church sought to improve ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Only in 2009 did the Vatican and Moscow re-establish full diplomatic ties which were severed during Soviet times. Relations have improved since the coming to power in the same year of Patriarch Kirill, who headed up the Russian Orthodox Church's diplomatic arm for years. The Russian Orthodox Church has frequently accused the Catholic Church of proselytising in Russia, an Orthodox Christian country of 144 million. The pope in 2016 held a historic meeting with Kirill in Cuba, the first encounter between the heads of the two largest Christian churches since Christianity split into Western and Eastern branches in the 11th Century -- an event known as "The Great Schism." Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that "for the time being a possible invitation for the pope to visit Russia is not on the agenda." The pope and Putin were to discuss matters including "preserving Christian holy sites in Syria", the Kremlin said. After meeting the pope, Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and President Sergio Mattarella. Putin is being driven around in his six-metre-long (20-foot) armoured limo by a chauffeur who has been practising negotiating his way around the Eternal City's narrow streets. His talks with Italian leaders should be easier. Far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has often expressed admiration for Putin, and his coalition government advocates reviewing EU sanctions against Russia. On the eve of the visit, Putin praised Salvini and his Lega party for having a "welcoming attitude" to Russia. "They are pushing for a rapid abolition of the anti-Russian sanctions introduced by the US and the EU," Putin said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. The US and EU have progressively imposed sanctions on Russia since its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow's involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. Salvini has previously visited Moscow and been pictured in pro-Putin T-shirts. When his party won most Italian votes in May's European elections, Salvini posted a photo of himself with a picture of Putin in the background. "Men like him (Putin) who act in the interest of their own citizens, there should be dozens in this country", Salvini said last year. The Kremlin says Putin wants to discuss Russia-EU relations, the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Libya and Iran's nuclear programme. Sanctions revision An EU summit last month extended economic sanctions targeting whole sectors of the Russian economy, including its crucial oil and gas industry, until the end of 2019. Italy has not vetoed the sanctions but the EU front appears less united thanks to Rome's pro-Russian overtures. Salvini and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio will attend a dinner for Putin in the evening, after which the russian president will meet his old friend and former premier Silvio Berlusconi, known for his sex scandals and "bunga bunga" parties. "We are bound by a friendship stretching back many years," Putin said in the Corriere interview, hailing "a politician of global stature".

Putin meets pope, 'welcoming' populist govt during Italy trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders meet at the Vatican to discuss the crisis in their country, and amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia.

Putin, who has met Francis twice before, is due to arrive at the Vatican in the early afternoon at the start of a lightning visit to Italy that will also include talks with Italian leaders.

Ukraine, which remains a difficult issue in relations between the Vatican and Russia, is expected to be a main topic of discussions in the official papal library in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

When they last met in 2015, the pope urged Putin to make a "sincere and great effort" to achieve peace in Ukraine and help bring an end to fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels in the East.

On Friday, leaders of Ukraine's Catholic Church and Vatican officials begin two days of meetings to discuss various problems in their country, a former Soviet republic.

Ukraine's religious world was made tense last year when the country's Orthodox Church, which for centuries effectively had been under control of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared its independence and set up a national Church.

Russia opposes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church having autocephalous, or self-governing status, saying the move had more political than religious motives.

Putin has aligned himself closely with the Russian Orthodox Church and has accused the government in Kiev of flagrantly meddling in the life of Orthodoxy in Ukraine.

Thursday's meeting between the pope and Putin will be their first since Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill met in 2016, a landmark step in healing the 1,000-year-old rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, and Boris Yeltsin, the first president of post-Soviet Russia, had invited the late Pope John Paul to visit.

But a trip was not possible because of tensions between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest and most influential in world Orthodoxy, with 165 million of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians.

Apart from his meeting three years ago with Kirill, which was the first in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch, Francis has made a number of visits to countries with predominantly Orthodox populations.

The latest were to Romania and to Bulgaria and North Macedonia earlier this year.

From the Vatican, Putin will meet with Italy's prime minister and president and attend a conference on Italian-Russian dialogue at the foreign ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders meet at the Vatican to discuss the crisis in their country, and amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders meet at the Vatican to discuss the crisis in their country, and amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia. Putin, who has met Francis twice before, is due to arrive at the Vatican in the early afternoon at the start of a lightning visit to Italy that will also include talks with Italian leaders. Ukraine, which remains a difficult issue in relations between the Vatican and Russia, is expected to be a main topic of discussions in the official papal library in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. When they last met in 2015, the pope urged Putin to make a "sincere and great effort" to achieve peace in Ukraine and help bring an end to fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels in the East. On Friday, leaders of Ukraine's Catholic Church and Vatican officials begin two days of meetings to discuss various problems in their country, a former Soviet republic. Ukraine's religious world was made tense last year when the country's Orthodox Church, which for centuries effectively had been under control of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared its independence and set up a national Church. Russia opposes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church having autocephalous, or self-governing status, saying the move had more political than religious motives. Putin has aligned himself closely with the Russian Orthodox Church and has accused the government in Kiev of flagrantly meddling in the life of Orthodoxy in Ukraine. Thursday's meeting between the pope and Putin will be their first since Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill met in 2016, a landmark step in healing the 1,000-year-old rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, and Boris Yeltsin, the first president of post-Soviet Russia, had invited the late Pope John Paul to visit. But a trip was not possible because of tensions between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest and most influential in world Orthodoxy, with 165 million of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians. Apart from his meeting three years ago with Kirill, which was the first in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch, Francis has made a number of visits to countries with predominantly Orthodox populations. The latest were to Romania and to Bulgaria and North Macedonia earlier this year. From the Vatican, Putin will meet with Italy's prime minister and president and attend a conference on Italian-Russian dialogue at the foreign ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet pope in shadow of Ukraine crisis

A <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/from-hiding-ex-vatican-envoy-accuses-pope-of-blatantly-lying-226087">Vatican</a> document on Monday said the Church should consider ordaining older married men as priests in remote areas of the Amazon, a historic shift which some say could pave the way for their use in other areas where clergy are scarce.

The recommendation, contained in a working document prepared by the Vatican for a synod of bishops from the Amazon scheduled for October, also called for some kind of "official ministry" for women in the area, although it did not elaborate.

It was the most direct mention ever in a Vatican document of the possibility of a married priesthood, albeit limited, and a greater ministerial role for women in one area of the world.

The document spoke of the possibility of ordaining what are known as "viri probati" - Latin for men of proven character - to deal with the shortage of priests. Such men would be elderly, outstanding members of the local Catholic community and with grown-up families.

"While affirming that celibacy is a gift for the Church, there have been requests that, for the most remote areas of the region, (the Church) studies the possibility of conferring priestly ordination on elderly men, preferably indigenous, respected and accepted members of their communities," the document said.

It said such men could be ordained "even if they already have an established and stable family, in order to guarantee the sacraments that accompany and sustain Christian life."

Only priests can say Mass or hear confessions, meaning that Catholics in isolated communities in the Amazon can go for many months without participating in either of the sacraments.

Monsignor Fabio Fabene, the undersecretary of the Vatican department that organises synods, told Reuters that in responses to questionnaires to bishops in the region, there had been "very widespread" requests for "Viri Probati" to be considered.

Some Catholic scholars have said the approval of "viri probati" in the Amazon may eventually pave the way for their use elsewhere in the world as a response to the shortage of priests.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-scandals-pope-orders-his-diplomats-to-toe-the-line-226905">Pope Francis</a>, in an interview with a German newspaper in 2017, said he was willing to consider ordaining "viri probati" men as priests in isolated communities. He has also mentioned their possible use on remote Pacific islands.

But he ruled out a general opening the priesthood to all married men or watering down the Catholic Church’s commitment to celibacy, seen as a virtue that frees priests to devote their lives fully to serve God.

The synod on Oct 6-27 at the Vatican will include bishops and other representatives, including indigenous peoples, from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana.

At the end of their conference, participants will vote on various articles in a final document, which will then go to the pope, who will decide whether to make it an official Apostolic Exhortation based on the synod meetings.

The document also issues a strong defence for the protection of the environment in the Amazon, deforestation, illegal mining and development projects that threaten native cultures and the delicate ecosystem vital for the planet.

A Vatican document on Monday said the Church should consider ordaining older married men as priests in remote areas of the Amazon, a historic shift which some say could pave the way for their use in other areas where clergy are scarce.

A Vatican document on Monday said the Church should consider ordaining older married men as priests in remote areas of the Amazon, a historic shift which some say could pave the way for their use in other areas where clergy are scarce. The recommendation, contained in a working document prepared by the Vatican for a synod of bishops from the Amazon scheduled for October, also called for some kind of "official ministry" for women in the area, although it did not elaborate. It was the most direct mention ever in a Vatican document of the possibility of a married priesthood, albeit limited, and a greater ministerial role for women in one area of the world. The document spoke of the possibility of ordaining what are known as "viri probati" - Latin for men of proven character - to deal with the shortage of priests. Such men would be elderly, outstanding members of the local Catholic community and with grown-up families. "While affirming that celibacy is a gift for the Church, there have been requests that, for the most remote areas of the region, (the Church) studies the possibility of conferring priestly ordination on elderly men, preferably indigenous, respected and accepted members of their communities," the document said. It said such men could be ordained "even if they already have an established and stable family, in order to guarantee the sacraments that accompany and sustain Christian life." Only priests can say Mass or hear confessions, meaning that Catholics in isolated communities in the Amazon can go for many months without participating in either of the sacraments. Monsignor Fabio Fabene, the undersecretary of the Vatican department that organises synods, told Reuters that in responses to questionnaires to bishops in the region, there had been "very widespread" requests for "Viri Probati" to be considered. Some Catholic scholars have said the approval of "viri probati" in the Amazon may eventually pave the way for their use elsewhere in the world as a response to the shortage of priests. Pope Francis, in an interview with a German newspaper in 2017, said he was willing to consider ordaining "viri probati" men as priests in isolated communities. He has also mentioned their possible use on remote Pacific islands. But he ruled out a general opening the priesthood to all married men or watering down the Catholic Church’s commitment to celibacy, seen as a virtue that frees priests to devote their lives fully to serve God. The synod on Oct 6-27 at the Vatican will include bishops and other representatives, including indigenous peoples, from Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana. At the end of their conference, participants will vote on various articles in a final document, which will then go to the pope, who will decide whether to make it an official Apostolic Exhortation based on the synod meetings. The document also issues a strong defence for the protection of the environment in the Amazon, deforestation, illegal mining and development projects that threaten native cultures and the delicate ecosystem vital for the planet.

In historic shift, Vatican to consider married priests for Amazon region

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-says-church-hasnt-known-how-to-listen-193036">Pope Francis</a> on Thursday told his ambassadors around the world, some of whom have been involved in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/priests-bishops-sexually-abused-nuns-pope-francis-admits-publicly-195459">sexual and financial scandals</a>, to live humble, exemplary lives and be closer to the poor than to the elite.

In a document handed to more than 100 ambassadors in Rome for meetings with top Vatican officials, Francis told the envoys that they-they had to "live for the things of God and not for those of the world".

The Vatican is a sovereign state as well as the headquarters of the 1.3-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, and it has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries. Its ambassadors, known as nuncios, are often the highest ranking and most visible diplomats in a given country.

In recent years, some nuncios or other Vatican diplomats have been mired in scandal.

The nuncio in France, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, is under investigation in Paris over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/church-should-admit-history-of-abuse-of-women-male-domination-pope-francis-207525">accusations of sexual molestation</a>.

In 2013, Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, the ambassador in the Dominican Republic, was charged with paying boys for sex. He was recalled, kept in detention in the Vatican and dismissed from the priesthood, but died in 2015 before his trial.

Last year, a Vatican court sentenced an Italian priest, Carlo Alberto Capella, to five years in jail for possessing child pornography while he was a diplomat in Washington.

"A man of God does not deceive or defraud others, does not give in to gossip or bad-mouthing others. He conserves a pure mind and heart, not allowing his eyes and ears to be contaminated by the filth of the world," the pope said.

Nuncios who "go off the rails damage even the Church," he told them.

Some Vatican ambassadors have also come under fire for lavish lifestyles.

"It is ugly to see a nuncio looking for luxury, for designer clothes, in the midst of people who are deprived of life's necessities," Francis said.

He instructed them to reject gifts by the powerful who wanted to influence them and to spend time with the poor and others on the margins of society.

As the Church under Francis has become more polarised, some nuncios have taken to social media to criticise directly some of the pope's decisions or draw attention to criticism by conservative groups.

Francis pointedly told the envoys that it was incompatible with their role to "criticise the pope behind his back".

Pope Francis on Thursday told his ambassadors around the world, some of whom have been involved in sexual and financial scandals, to live humble, exemplary lives and be closer to the poor than to the elite.

Pope Francis on Thursday told his ambassadors around the world, some of whom have been involved in sexual and financial scandals, to live humble, exemplary lives and be closer to the poor than to the elite. In a document handed to more than 100 ambassadors in Rome for meetings with top Vatican officials, Francis told the envoys that they-they had to "live for the things of God and not for those of the world". The Vatican is a sovereign state as well as the headquarters of the 1.3-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, and it has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries. Its ambassadors, known as nuncios, are often the highest ranking and most visible diplomats in a given country. In recent years, some nuncios or other Vatican diplomats have been mired in scandal. The nuncio in France, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, is under investigation in Paris over accusations of sexual molestation. In 2013, Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, the ambassador in the Dominican Republic, was charged with paying boys for sex. He was recalled, kept in detention in the Vatican and dismissed from the priesthood, but died in 2015 before his trial. Last year, a Vatican court sentenced an Italian priest, Carlo Alberto Capella, to five years in jail for possessing child pornography while he was a diplomat in Washington. "A man of God does not deceive or defraud others, does not give in to gossip or bad-mouthing others. He conserves a pure mind and heart, not allowing his eyes and ears to be contaminated by the filth of the world," the pope said. Nuncios who "go off the rails damage even the Church," he told them. Some Vatican ambassadors have also come under fire for lavish lifestyles. "It is ugly to see a nuncio looking for luxury, for designer clothes, in the midst of people who are deprived of life's necessities," Francis said. He instructed them to reject gifts by the powerful who wanted to influence them and to spend time with the poor and others on the margins of society. As the Church under Francis has become more polarised, some nuncios have taken to social media to criticise directly some of the pope's decisions or draw attention to criticism by conservative groups. Francis pointedly told the envoys that it was incompatible with their role to "criticise the pope behind his back".

After scandals, Pope orders his diplomats to toe the line

A longtime Vatican dissident broke months of silence Monday to accuse Pope Francis of "blatantly lying" in denying knowledge of the sexual abuse allegations against a now-defrocked American cardinal.

Retired Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano told the Washington Post in a series of emails that Francis and his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI must come clean about what they knew of ex-Washington archbishop Theodore McCarrick's alleged decades of abuse.

Vigano said it is "immensely sad" that Francis was "blatantly lying to the whole world to cover up his wicked deeds" in allegedly protecting McCarrick.

Vigano reiterated his earlier claims that he warned Francis in 2013 about McCarrick.

"How could anybody, especially a pope, forget this?" he said, according to the Post.

Vigano, an iconoclastic Catholic conservative who has rocked the Vatican for years with accusations of corruption and abuse at the highest levels, disappeared last August after penning a sweeping 11-page attack on Francis and Benedict over McCarrick.

In that letter, he said he warned church leaders in 2006 about allegations that McCarrick engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct and abuse with male seminarians over a period of decades. The allegations only became public in 2018.&nbsp;

He also wrote of deeply embedded "homosexual networks" that "are strangling the entire church."

Vigano, who is backed by an ultra-conservative US church faction, called for the pope to resign over his alleged silence.

Francis has rejected the criticism, denying he knew of the powerful McCarrick's transgressions.

But the pope has become more vocal in calling for the church to be honest and open about the priest sex scandals.

Vigano, 78, whose 2012 accusations of corruption in the Vatican sparked the "Vatileaks" scandal, would not divulge to the Post where he is staying since he retired from the church.

He said his life "is quite normal," without providing any details.

But he defended his August letter.

"My silence would make me complicit with the abusers, and lead to yet more victims," he said.

"The results of an honest investigation would be disastrous for the current papacy," he added.

A longtime Vatican dissident broke months of silence Monday to accuse Pope Francis of "blatantly lying" in denying knowledge of the sexual abuse allegations against a now-defrocked American cardinal.

A longtime Vatican dissident broke months of silence Monday to accuse Pope Francis of "blatantly lying" in denying knowledge of the sexual abuse allegations against a now-defrocked American cardinal. Retired Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano told the Washington Post in a series of emails that Francis and his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI must come clean about what they knew of ex-Washington archbishop Theodore McCarrick's alleged decades of abuse. Vigano said it is "immensely sad" that Francis was "blatantly lying to the whole world to cover up his wicked deeds" in allegedly protecting McCarrick. Vigano reiterated his earlier claims that he warned Francis in 2013 about McCarrick. "How could anybody, especially a pope, forget this?" he said, according to the Post. Vigano, an iconoclastic Catholic conservative who has rocked the Vatican for years with accusations of corruption and abuse at the highest levels, disappeared last August after penning a sweeping 11-page attack on Francis and Benedict over McCarrick. In that letter, he said he warned church leaders in 2006 about allegations that McCarrick engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct and abuse with male seminarians over a period of decades. The allegations only became public in 2018. He also wrote of deeply embedded "homosexual networks" that "are strangling the entire church." Vigano, who is backed by an ultra-conservative US church faction, called for the pope to resign over his alleged silence. Francis has rejected the criticism, denying he knew of the powerful McCarrick's transgressions. But the pope has become more vocal in calling for the church to be honest and open about the priest sex scandals. Vigano, 78, whose 2012 accusations of corruption in the Vatican sparked the "Vatileaks" scandal, would not divulge to the Post where he is staying since he retired from the church. He said his life "is quite normal," without providing any details. But he defended his August letter. "My silence would make me complicit with the abusers, and lead to yet more victims," he said. "The results of an honest investigation would be disastrous for the current papacy," he added.

From hiding, ex-Vatican envoy accuses pope of 'blatantly lying'

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