<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-addresses-myanmars-buddhist-monks-avoids-using-the-term-rohingya-again-25447" target="_blank">Pope Francis addresses Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks, avoids using the term &#39;Rohingya&#39; again</a>

Pope Francis addressed a gathering<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346">&nbsp;of Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks today&nbsp;</a>and urged them to &quot;surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred&quot;. Pope Francis has avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar&#39;s military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported.

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&nbsp;

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Pope Francis addresses Myanmar's Buddhist monks, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' again Pope Francis addressed a gathering of Myanmar's Buddhist monks today and urged them to "surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred". Pope Francis has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported. After GES, Ivanka concludes India trip with visit to Golconda Fort Advisor to United States President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump on Wednesday concluded her three-day trip to India by visiting the iconic Golconda Fort. Ivanka, who posed for shutterbugs there, was taken on a guided tour of the fort and was accompanied by India's Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, and others. 'What is it that you have against our army,' PM Modi asks Congress at Gujarat election rally While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Congress "What is it that you have against our army?" Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress. I am Lashkar's biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) "biggest supporter" and that he is aware that they "like" him too. In an interview with Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed. BCCI retires Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 jersey The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has "unofficially" retired the No 10 jersey worn by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar all through his One Day International (ODI) career.

WION Evening News Brief, November 29, 2017

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, as the Muslim-majority country stepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by Pope Francis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religious minorities.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catholic-priest-disappears-in-bangladesh-before-pope-visit-25418">Walter William Rosario, a 40-year-old priest and headmaster of a Catholic school, went missing on Monday</a> in a village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death.

Gerves Rosario, bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped and that Catholics in the region were deeply worried.

&quot;He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don&#39;t want to go to Dhaka any more,&quot; he said.

News of his disappearance comes as Bangladesh tightens security in the capital Dhaka ahead of the arrival Thursday of the first pontiff to visit Bangladesh in more than three decades.

Police in Natore district said they had launched a major search for Rosario after his family reported him missing.

&quot;He has been missing since late Monday. His mobile has been switched off,&quot; local police chief Biplob Bijoy Talukder told AFP.

The family received a phone call from someone using the missing man&#39;s number to demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believed this was a hoax.

They have not ruled out the possibility he was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carried out attacks on religious minorities in the region in the past four years.

&#39;Our joy is gone&#39;&nbsp;

Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Bikash Hubert Rebeiro, the priest in Bonpara village where Rosario grew up, described him as a &quot;good man&quot; whose disappearance had cast a pall over the pope&#39;s visit.

&quot;Our joy is gone,&quot; he told AFP by phone. &quot;Everyone in the village is shocked. His elderly mother has being crying non stop.&quot;

Rebeiro said Rosario&#39;s family was friendly with the relatives of Sunil Gomes, the Catholic grocer murdered outside his shop last year.

Christians make up less than 0.5 percent of Bangladesh&#39;s 160 million people and have for centuries lived in harmony alongside the Muslim majority. But community leaders say a rise in Islamist extremism has strained relations.

Bangladesh authorities have escalated security in Christian areas of Dhaka in recent days as tens of thousands descend on the capital for an open-air mass on Friday.&nbsp;

On Tuesday police said they had killed three suspected Islamist militants in a raid on a house where they found hand grenades, pistols and bomb-making materials.

&quot;The pope&rsquo;s visit is a matter of honour for us.&nbsp; We are organising the highest level of security for him,&quot; police spokeswoman Sahely Ferdous told AFP.

The three-day visit will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled ethnic unrest in Myanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh.

Their arrival has added to the huge challenges already facing the poor, overpopulated country, which has seen a substantial rise in Islamist extremism in recent years.

In July last year Islamist militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

The government has denied the international group&#39;s involvement. Since the attack, security forces have killed more than 70 alleged militants in a crackdown condemned by rights activists and opposition parties.

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, as the Muslim-majority country stepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by Pope Francis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religious minorities

A Catholic priest has disappeared in Bangladesh, police said Wednesday, as the Muslim-majority country stepped up security ahead of a landmark visit by Pope Francis that follows a rise in Islamist attacks on religious minorities. Walter William Rosario, a 40-year-old priest and headmaster of a Catholic school, went missing on Monday in a village in northern Bangladesh where suspected Islamist extremists last year hacked a Catholic grocer to death. Gerves Rosario, bishop of the nearby city of Rajshahi, said he believed the priest had been kidnapped and that Catholics in the region were deeply worried. "He was organising for around 300 Catholics to travel to Dhaka to see the Pope and attend his holy mass. But his disappearance has marred their joy. They don't want to go to Dhaka any more," he said. News of his disappearance comes as Bangladesh tightens security in the capital Dhaka ahead of the arrival Thursday of the first pontiff to visit Bangladesh in more than three decades. Police in Natore district said they had launched a major search for Rosario after his family reported him missing. "He has been missing since late Monday. His mobile has been switched off," local police chief Biplob Bijoy Talukder told AFP. The family received a phone call from someone using the missing man's number to demand a ransom, but Talukder said police believed this was a hoax. They have not ruled out the possibility he was abducted by Islamist extremists, who have carried out attacks on religious minorities in the region in the past four years. 'Our joy is gone' Since 2015 at least three Christians, including two converts from Islam, have been hacked to death in attacks blamed on the militant Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Bikash Hubert Rebeiro, the priest in Bonpara village where Rosario grew up, described him as a "good man" whose disappearance had cast a pall over the pope's visit. "Our joy is gone," he told AFP by phone. "Everyone in the village is shocked. His elderly mother has being crying non stop." Rebeiro said Rosario's family was friendly with the relatives of Sunil Gomes, the Catholic grocer murdered outside his shop last year. Christians make up less than 0.5 percent of Bangladesh's 160 million people and have for centuries lived in harmony alongside the Muslim majority. But community leaders say a rise in Islamist extremism has strained relations. Bangladesh authorities have escalated security in Christian areas of Dhaka in recent days as tens of thousands descend on the capital for an open-air mass on Friday. On Tuesday police said they had killed three suspected Islamist militants in a raid on a house where they found hand grenades, pistols and bomb-making materials. "The pope’s visit is a matter of honour for us. We are organising the highest level of security for him," police spokeswoman Sahely Ferdous told AFP. The three-day visit will be dominated by the plight of more than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled ethnic unrest in Myanmar and taken refuge in Bangladesh. Their arrival has added to the huge challenges already facing the poor, overpopulated country, which has seen a substantial rise in Islamist extremism in recent years. In July last year Islamist militants stormed a Dhaka cafe and massacred 22 hostages including 18 foreigners in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The government has denied the international group's involvement. Since the attack, security forces have killed more than 70 alleged militants in a crackdown condemned by rights activists and opposition parties.

Bangladesh priest disappears ahead of Pope's visit

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-crisis-pope-francis-meets-myanmars-military-chief-25272">A day after meeting the military chief</a>, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in&nbsp;Naypyidaw today.

The Pope avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country.

Without referring directly to the Rohingya crisis, the Pope said Myanmar&nbsp;should respect&nbsp;&#39;&#39;each ethnicity and its identity&quot; and called for &quot;justice and respect for human rights&quot;.

Pope Francis met Aung San Suu Kyi for 45 minutes in the presidential palace.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-to-meet-myanmars-leader-suu-kyi-25328">The Pope who is on a four-day</a> visit to Myanmar had met General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday, during the meeting General &nbsp;Hlaing had said his country does not have any religious discrimination and the &quot;military performs for the peace and stability of the country&quot;.

The military has come under increasing criticism for its handling of the Rohingya crisis with reports of large-scale persecution by the Myanmar Army.

 
&nbsp;

Pope Francis met Aung San Suu Kyi for 45 minutes in the presidential palace with the Rohingya crisis being the prime focus of discussion.

A day after meeting the military chief, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw today. The Pope avoided using the term "Rohingya" during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country. Without referring directly to the Rohingya crisis, the Pope said Myanmar should respect ''each ethnicity and its identity" and called for "justice and respect for human rights". Pope Francis met Aung San Suu Kyi for 45 minutes in the presidential palace. The Pope who is on a four-day visit to Myanmar had met General Min Aung Hlaing on Monday, during the meeting General Hlaing had said his country does not have any religious discrimination and the "military performs for the peace and stability of the country". The military has come under increasing criticism for its handling of the Rohingya crisis with reports of large-scale persecution by the Myanmar Army.

Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term 'Rohingya'

Pope Francis, who is on a state visit to Myanmar, met with a group of 17 leaders from various religious faiths in Yangon on Tuesday, and urged them to defend their identities and resist cultural colonialism.

The Pope spoke in Spanish during the 40-minute long meeting and drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism.

&quot;Everyone has their values, their wealth and their shortcomings. Each faith has their traditions, their wealth to give, and this can only happen if we live in peace,&quot; he said.

The meeting between the Pope and the religious leaders was held at the archdiocesan headquarters, where the Pope is staying during his Myanmar visit which began on Monday.

The Bishop of the Pathein Diocese in Myanmar John Hsane Hgyi had opened the meeting, followed by leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths, according to Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke.

During the meeting the Pope urged Myanmar&#39;s religious leaders to understand the value of ethnic and religious differences they represented, rather than be daunted by them.

The Pope also met Buddhist leader Sitagu Sayadaw separately to discuss peaceful coexistence among communities in the country that has been in the glare for months over continuing atrocities against the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority community from the Rakhine region in western Myanmar.

The Pope later visited Naypyidaw and met Nobel Peace Laureate and the de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi.

(All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

In his address, the Pope drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism.

Pope Francis, who is on a state visit to Myanmar, met with a group of 17 leaders from various religious faiths in Yangon on Tuesday, and urged them to defend their identities and resist cultural colonialism. The Pope spoke in Spanish during the 40-minute long meeting and drew a difference between unity and uniformity, warning that while unity was beautiful, an insistence on uniformity could lead to cultural colonialism. "Everyone has their values, their wealth and their shortcomings. Each faith has their traditions, their wealth to give, and this can only happen if we live in peace," he said. The meeting between the Pope and the religious leaders was held at the archdiocesan headquarters, where the Pope is staying during his Myanmar visit which began on Monday. The Bishop of the Pathein Diocese in Myanmar John Hsane Hgyi had opened the meeting, followed by leaders from Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths, according to Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke. During the meeting the Pope urged Myanmar's religious leaders to understand the value of ethnic and religious differences they represented, rather than be daunted by them. The Pope also met Buddhist leader Sitagu Sayadaw separately to discuss peaceful coexistence among communities in the country that has been in the glare for months over continuing atrocities against the Rohingyas, a Muslim minority community from the Rakhine region in western Myanmar. The Pope later visited Naypyidaw and met Nobel Peace Laureate and the de-facto leader of the country Aung San Suu Kyi. (All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

Pope Francis warns Myanmar religious leaders against cultural colonialism

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US President daughter Donald Trump&#39;s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump is leading American delegation of officials, women entrepreneurs and businessmen for the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346">Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term &#39;Rohingya&#39;</a>

A day after meeting the military chief, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw today. The Pope avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Hyderabad Metro project today, he also took a ride along with Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao and Governer ESL Narasimhan.

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Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara jumped a couple of rungs to second, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the fifth spot in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, issued here today.

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Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali&#39;s Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.&nbsp;

GES Live Updates: I was extremely excited to come to Hyderabad, the IT hub - Ivanka Trump US President daughter Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump is leading American delegation of officials, women entrepreneurs and businessmen for the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad. Pope Francis meets Aung San Suu Kyi, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' A day after meeting the military chief, Pope Francis met Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi at the presidential palace in Naypyidaw today. The Pope avoided using the term "Rohingya" during the address to the nation which was closely watched by the mainly Buddhist population of the country. Watch: PM Modi inaugurates Hyderabad Metro, CM KC Rao, Governor Narasimhan join inaugural ride Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of Hyderabad Metro project today, he also took a ride along with Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao and Governer ESL Narasimhan. ICC Test rankings: Pujara climbs to 2nd spot, Kohli stays at 5th Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara jumped a couple of rungs to second, while skipper Virat Kohli held on to the fifth spot in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen, issued here today. Bali airport closed for second day over fears of volcano eruption Indonesian authorities on Tuesday extended the closure of the international airport on the resort island of Bali for a second day over fears of a volcanic eruption. Bali's Ngurah Rai airport will remain closed until at least Wednesday morning local time.

WION Evening News Brief, November 28, 2017

Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority.

The 80-year-old pontiff, the first to travel to Myanmar, was welcomed by children from different minority groups in bright, bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return.

Nuns in white habits were among the devotees to have travelled from across the country in his honour, waving flags as his motorcade swept by the golden Shwedagon Pagoda to the archbishop&#39;s residence in downtown Yangon, where the pope will stay on Monday night.

&quot;I saw the pope, he was sitting in the front of the car. I was so pleased, I cried!&quot; Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, said&nbsp; after the pope&rsquo;s convoy passed.

&quot;His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace.&quot;

But the joyful scenes stood in stark contrast to the gravity of the main issue that frames his trip.

Myanmar&#39;s military stands accused of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims.&nbsp;

More than 620,000 have fled a crackdown in northern Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh over the past three months.

The pope&#39;s four-day visit intensifies pressure on Myanmar over its treatment of the stateless minority, a group he has called his &quot;brothers and sisters&quot; in repeated entreaties to ease their plight.

His speeches will be scrutinised by Buddhist hardliners for any mention of the word &quot;Rohingya&quot;, an incendiary term in a country where the Muslim group are reviled and labelled &quot;Bengalis&quot; -- alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Francis will meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose luster has faded because of her failure to speak up publicly for the Rohingya. &nbsp;

He will also hold talks with army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- a meeting between a religious leader, who has championed the rights of refugees, and the man accused of overseeing the brutal campaign to drive out the Rohingya.

Speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: &quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope.&quot;

A few seconds

His visit is a historic chance for Myanmar&#39;s flock to get close to the head of their church.

Myanmar&#39;s estimated 700,000 Catholics makeup just over one percent of the country&#39;s 51 million people and are scattered in far-flung corners of the nation, many of them roiled by conflict.

Around 200,000 Catholics are pouring into Yangon, Myanmar&#39;s commercial capital, by plane, train and car ahead of a huge open-air mass on Wednesday.

&quot;People came from all corners of the country, even if we could only see him for a few seconds,&quot; Sister Genevieve Mu, an ethnic Karen nun told AFP.

&quot;I feel very good and proud of our Catholic people and our government for opening the country for his visit.&quot;

&nbsp;Prayers for peace&nbsp;

The Rohingya crisis looms large over the pope&#39;s visit.

The army, which ran the country with an iron fist for nearly half a century, insists its Rakhine operation was a proportionate response to Rohingya &quot;terrorists&quot; who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers.&nbsp;

But rights groups, the UN and the US have accused the army of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority it has oppressed for decades.

The deluge of desperate refugees arriving in Bangladesh has carried with them accounts of murder, rape, and arson, at the hands of troops and hardline Buddhist mobs.

Inside the country a different opinion dominates.

&quot;The vast majority of people in Myanmar do not believe the international narrative of abuse against the Rohingya and the refugee numbers that we&#39;re seeing in Bangladesh,&quot; said Myanmar-based political analyst Richard Horsey.

&quot;If the pope did come and weigh in heavily on this issue, it would inflame tensions and it would inflame public sentiment,&quot; he added.

Days before the pope&#39;s visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months.&nbsp;

But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of coming back without guarantees of basic rights.

Pope Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya Muslims in the capital Dhaka.

Nur Mohammad, a 45-year-old Rohingya imam at the Nayapara refugee camp in Cox&rsquo;s Bazar in Bangladesh, said he hoped the pope would tell the Myanmar government to accept Rohingya, &quot;give citizenship to them and end all discriminations against them.&quot;

Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority

Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority. The 80-year-old pontiff, the first to travel to Myanmar, was welcomed by children from different minority groups in bright, bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return. Nuns in white habits were among the devotees to have travelled from across the country in his honour, waving flags as his motorcade swept by the golden Shwedagon Pagoda to the archbishop's residence in downtown Yangon, where the pope will stay on Monday night. "I saw the pope, he was sitting in the front of the car. I was so pleased, I cried!" Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, said after the pope’s convoy passed. "His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace." But the joyful scenes stood in stark contrast to the gravity of the main issue that frames his trip. Myanmar's military stands accused of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims. More than 620,000 have fled a crackdown in northern Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh over the past three months. The pope's four-day visit intensifies pressure on Myanmar over its treatment of the stateless minority, a group he has called his "brothers and sisters" in repeated entreaties to ease their plight. His speeches will be scrutinised by Buddhist hardliners for any mention of the word "Rohingya", an incendiary term in a country where the Muslim group are reviled and labelled "Bengalis" -- alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Francis will meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose luster has faded because of her failure to speak up publicly for the Rohingya. He will also hold talks with army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- a meeting between a religious leader, who has championed the rights of refugees, and the man accused of overseeing the brutal campaign to drive out the Rohingya. Speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people in St Peter's Square, shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope." A few seconds His visit is a historic chance for Myanmar's flock to get close to the head of their church. Myanmar's estimated 700,000 Catholics makeup just over one percent of the country's 51 million people and are scattered in far-flung corners of the nation, many of them roiled by conflict. Around 200,000 Catholics are pouring into Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital, by plane, train and car ahead of a huge open-air mass on Wednesday. "People came from all corners of the country, even if we could only see him for a few seconds," Sister Genevieve Mu, an ethnic Karen nun told AFP. "I feel very good and proud of our Catholic people and our government for opening the country for his visit." Prayers for peace The Rohingya crisis looms large over the pope's visit. The army, which ran the country with an iron fist for nearly half a century, insists its Rakhine operation was a proportionate response to Rohingya "terrorists" who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers. But rights groups, the UN and the US have accused the army of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority it has oppressed for decades. The deluge of desperate refugees arriving in Bangladesh has carried with them accounts of murder, rape, and arson, at the hands of troops and hardline Buddhist mobs. Inside the country a different opinion dominates. "The vast majority of people in Myanmar do not believe the international narrative of abuse against the Rohingya and the refugee numbers that we're seeing in Bangladesh," said Myanmar-based political analyst Richard Horsey. "If the pope did come and weigh in heavily on this issue, it would inflame tensions and it would inflame public sentiment," he added. Days before the pope's visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of coming back without guarantees of basic rights. Pope Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya Muslims in the capital Dhaka. Nur Mohammad, a 45-year-old Rohingya imam at the Nayapara refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, said he hoped the pope would tell the Myanmar government to accept Rohingya, "give citizenship to them and end all discriminations against them."

Rohingya crisis: Pope arrives in Myanmar

&#39;&#39;My presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis.&nbsp;

&quot;I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope,&quot; Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter&#39;s Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip.

Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing.

AFP quoting Pope&#39;s aides stated Pope Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week&#39;s tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar.

The Pope&#39;s message will be spelled out at a Yangon mass expected to be attended by up to a third of the country&#39;s 660,000-strong Catholic community, who will be welcoming a pope to their homeland for the first time.

Francis is also due to meet the country&#39;s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, AFP reports quoting official sources.

Local Church officials hope some 100,000 Catholics will attend an open-air mass in the capital Dhaka that will be subject to tight security in a country where Islamist extremist attacks are on the increase.

In Bangladesh, Francis will be treading in the footsteps of predecessors, John Paul II, who visited Bangladesh in 1986, and Paul VI, who visited what was then East Pakistan in 1970, a year before the country gained independence.

Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing

''My presence is a sign of affinity and hope," said Pope Francis as he embarked on a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. AFP quoting Pope's aides stated Pope Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week's tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar. The Pope's message will be spelled out at a Yangon mass expected to be attended by up to a third of the country's 660,000-strong Catholic community, who will be welcoming a pope to their homeland for the first time. Francis is also due to meet the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing, AFP reports quoting official sources. Local Church officials hope some 100,000 Catholics will attend an open-air mass in the capital Dhaka that will be subject to tight security in a country where Islamist extremist attacks are on the increase. In Bangladesh, Francis will be treading in the footsteps of predecessors, John Paul II, who visited Bangladesh in 1986, and Paul VI, who visited what was then East Pakistan in 1970, a year before the country gained independence.

Rohingya crisis: Pope Francis heads to Myanmar & Bangladesh

Pope Francis will meet Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar in Dhaka when he visits the Bangladeshi capital next week, a Vatican spokesman said Wednesday.

Francis, who has repeatedly spoken out over the persecution of the religious minority by the Myanmar authorities, will meet a small group of Rohingyas during an interfaith meeting scheduled for Friday December 1.

The Argentine pontiff&#39;s trip to Bangladesh will be preceded by a three-day stop in neighbouring Myanmar, which will now include a private meeting with the head of the country&#39;s army, General Min Aung Hlaing.

The meeting with the military chief was organised on the recommendation of Charles Bo, the archbishop of Yangon, who also advised the pope not to use the term &quot;Rohingya&quot;, during his visit, for fear of inflaming tensions in the predominantly Buddhist country.

Army and government officials decline to use a term they see as giving the Muslims of Rakhine state the status of an ethnic minority, whereas the official line is that they are illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh.

The Vatican spokesman said the pope was not forbidden from employing the term but added that he planned to follow his archbishop&#39;s advice.

International condemnation of Myanmar&#39;s treatment of the Rohingya has mounted in recent days with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Wednesday that it amounted to ethnic cleansing.

More than 600,000 Rohingya, around a third of them children, have fled to Bangladesh since the military launched counter-insurgency operations in Rakhine state in August.

UN officials have also described what is happening as ethnic cleansing while Amnesty International has said the treatment of the Rohingya has been on a par with the institutionalised racism of apartheid South Africa.

Pope Francis will meet Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar in Dhaka when he visits the Bangladeshi capital next week

Pope Francis will meet Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar in Dhaka when he visits the Bangladeshi capital next week, a Vatican spokesman said Wednesday. Francis, who has repeatedly spoken out over the persecution of the religious minority by the Myanmar authorities, will meet a small group of Rohingyas during an interfaith meeting scheduled for Friday December 1. The Argentine pontiff's trip to Bangladesh will be preceded by a three-day stop in neighbouring Myanmar, which will now include a private meeting with the head of the country's army, General Min Aung Hlaing. The meeting with the military chief was organised on the recommendation of Charles Bo, the archbishop of Yangon, who also advised the pope not to use the term "Rohingya", during his visit, for fear of inflaming tensions in the predominantly Buddhist country. Army and government officials decline to use a term they see as giving the Muslims of Rakhine state the status of an ethnic minority, whereas the official line is that they are illegal immigrants from mainly Muslim Bangladesh. The Vatican spokesman said the pope was not forbidden from employing the term but added that he planned to follow his archbishop's advice. International condemnation of Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya has mounted in recent days with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Wednesday that it amounted to ethnic cleansing. More than 600,000 Rohingya, around a third of them children, have fled to Bangladesh since the military launched counter-insurgency operations in Rakhine state in August. UN officials have also described what is happening as ethnic cleansing while Amnesty International has said the treatment of the Rohingya has been on a par with the institutionalised racism of apartheid South Africa.

Pope to meet Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: Vatican

Myanmar&#39;s new leader forged diplomatic ties with the Vatican in May, but little did anyone know that six months down the line, those new relations would be the source of tension and international attention.

Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and the Catholic community amid a refugee crisis which has seen more than 600,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh since an August attack.

Given the sensitivity of the issue, Francis&#39; trip is expected to gain much limelight on what he chooses to do or say.

&quot;So, the Pope is not going to hold back on saying what he feels and what he thinks. But on the other hand, he doesn&#39;t then want his presence in Myanmar to create difficulties for the people themselves, in this case, specifically for the Rohingya,&quot; said Reuters&#39; Vatican correspondent, Philip Pullella, adding that the Pope must tread carefully to make sure he does not upset relations between the Holy-See and Myanmar.

Pullella said the Pope has been advised by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, to avoid using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; while in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; and does not recognise them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in their own right.

The Pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessors, has used the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; before to address the Muslim minority, which is also widely used by the international community such as the United Nations and the United States.

Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar of around 700,000 from among a population of more than 51 million.

Meanwhile, in Cox&#39;s Bazar the Pope is literally unknown. The hundreds of thousands of refugees have little information or interest in the inter-faith diplomacy going on in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Their main concerns are getting enough food for the day as their numbers continue to grow and as more make the perilous journey to cross the border.

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Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar's new leader forged diplomatic ties with the Vatican in May, but little did anyone know that six months down the line, those new relations would be the source of tension and international attention. Pope Francis is due to make his first-ever visit to Myanmar and will be meeting State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, senior officials and the Catholic community amid a refugee crisis which has seen more than 600,000 Rohingyas fled across the border into Bangladesh since an August attack. Given the sensitivity of the issue, Francis' trip is expected to gain much limelight on what he chooses to do or say. "So, the Pope is not going to hold back on saying what he feels and what he thinks. But on the other hand, he doesn't then want his presence in Myanmar to create difficulties for the people themselves, in this case, specifically for the Rohingya," said Reuters' Vatican correspondent, Philip Pullella, adding that the Pope must tread carefully to make sure he does not upset relations between the Holy-See and Myanmar. Pullella said the Pope has been advised by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, to avoid using the term "Rohingya" while in Myanmar. Predominantly Buddhist Myanmar rejects the term "Rohingya" and does not recognise them as citizens nor as an ethnic group in their own right. The Pope, a less predictable figure than his predecessors, has used the term "Rohingya" before to address the Muslim minority, which is also widely used by the international community such as the United Nations and the United States. Roman Catholics make up a tiny minority in Myanmar of around 700,000 from among a population of more than 51 million. Meanwhile, in Cox's Bazar the Pope is literally unknown. The hundreds of thousands of refugees have little information or interest in the inter-faith diplomacy going on in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Their main concerns are getting enough food for the day as their numbers continue to grow and as more make the perilous journey to cross the border.

Pope heads to Myanmar, Bangladesh

Pope Francis has ordered a ban on the sale of cigarettes inside the Vatican from next year because of health concerns, a spokesman said on Thursday.

&ldquo;The motive is very simple: the Holy See cannot be cooperating with a practice that is clearly harming the health of people,&rdquo; spokesman Greg Burke said in a statement.

He cited World Health Organization (WHO) statistics that smoking causes more than seven million deaths worldwide every year.

Cigarettes have been sold at a discounted price to Vatican employees and pensioners.

Vatican employees are allowed to buy five cartons of cigarettes a month. Many Italians ask their non-smoking friends who work in the Vatican to buy cigarettes for them because they cost much less than in Italy, where they are subject to heavy taxes.

Burke acknowledged that the sale of cigarettes has been a source of revenue for the Holy See, adding, &ldquo;However, no profit can be legitimate if it is costing people their lives.&rdquo;

The spokesman said the sale of large cigars would continue at least for the time being because the smoke is not inhaled.

The Vatican, a tiny walled city-state surrounded by Rome, is one of the few states to ban smoking. Bhutan, where smoking is deemed bad for one&rsquo;s karma, banned the sale of tobacco in 2005.

'The motive is very simple: the Holy See cannot be cooperating with a practice that is clearly harming the health of people,' the pope's spokesman Greg Burke said

Pope Francis has ordered a ban on the sale of cigarettes inside the Vatican from next year because of health concerns, a spokesman said on Thursday. “The motive is very simple: the Holy See cannot be cooperating with a practice that is clearly harming the health of people,” spokesman Greg Burke said in a statement. He cited World Health Organization (WHO) statistics that smoking causes more than seven million deaths worldwide every year. Cigarettes have been sold at a discounted price to Vatican employees and pensioners. Vatican employees are allowed to buy five cartons of cigarettes a month. Many Italians ask their non-smoking friends who work in the Vatican to buy cigarettes for them because they cost much less than in Italy, where they are subject to heavy taxes. Burke acknowledged that the sale of cigarettes has been a source of revenue for the Holy See, adding, “However, no profit can be legitimate if it is costing people their lives.” The spokesman said the sale of large cigars would continue at least for the time being because the smoke is not inhaled. The Vatican, a tiny walled city-state surrounded by Rome, is one of the few states to ban smoking. Bhutan, where smoking is deemed bad for one’s karma, banned the sale of tobacco in 2005.

Holy smoke! Vatican bans sale of cigarettes

Pope Francis will meet Myanmar&#39;s top Buddhist monks, its military generals, and civilian leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-takes-first-step-towards-calming-communal-hatred-21228" target="_blank">Aung San Suu Kyi i</a>n November when he visits that country and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-islamists-call-on-government-to-arm-rohingyas-21093" target="_blank">Bangladesh</a>, both caught up in a crisis over the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/rohingyas-head-towards-bangladesh-for-safety-5824" target="_blank">Rohingya Muslim minority</a>.

According to a full programme of the November 26-December 2 trip released by the Vatican on Tuesday, the pope will say two Masses in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and one in Bangladesh, which is predominantly Muslim.

Francis will be the first pope to visit Myanmar and the second to visit Bangladesh, where Pope John Paul visited in 1986.

The pope arrives in Yangon, the country&#39;s largest city, on November 27 after a flight of more than 10 hours and is scheduled to rest for about 24 hours before heading to the country&#39;s capital Naypyitaw for a day.

There, he will have separate private talks with President Htin Kyaw and Suu Kyi, who is both State Counsellor and Foreign Minister, making her effectively the country&#39;s civilian leader.

A senior Vatican official said military leaders are expected to attend a separate, public meeting where the pope will address politicians and diplomats. This is where he is expected to give the keynote speech of the trip.

Myanmar is facing international scrutiny over the plight of its Rohingya community. In February, Francis said they had been tortured and killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith.

Last August, some hard-line Buddhists were riled with the pope spoke about &quot;the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters&quot; and asked Catholics to pray for them, adding that they should be given &quot;their full rights&quot;.

On November 29, the pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country&#39;s highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy.

The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that Bangladesh border guards reported more than 11,000 Rohingya refugees crossing into their country from Myanmar on Monday alone.

The government offensive has drawn international condemnation and UN accusations of ethnic cleansing, which the government denies.

There are about 700,000 Roman Catholics in Myanmar according to the country&#39;s cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, out of a population of about 51.4 million.

Catholics make up a tiny minority in Bangladesh. Francis will be the second pope to visit that country, after Pope John Paul in 1986.

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According to a full programme of the November 26-December 2 trip released by the Vatican on Tuesday, the pope will say two Masses in Myanmar and one in Bangladesh

Pope Francis will meet Myanmar's top Buddhist monks, its military generals, and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in November when he visits that country and Bangladesh, both caught up in a crisis over the Rohingya Muslim minority. According to a full programme of the November 26-December 2 trip released by the Vatican on Tuesday, the pope will say two Masses in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and one in Bangladesh, which is predominantly Muslim. Francis will be the first pope to visit Myanmar and the second to visit Bangladesh, where Pope John Paul visited in 1986. The pope arrives in Yangon, the country's largest city, on November 27 after a flight of more than 10 hours and is scheduled to rest for about 24 hours before heading to the country's capital Naypyitaw for a day. There, he will have separate private talks with President Htin Kyaw and Suu Kyi, who is both State Counsellor and Foreign Minister, making her effectively the country's civilian leader. A senior Vatican official said military leaders are expected to attend a separate, public meeting where the pope will address politicians and diplomats. This is where he is expected to give the keynote speech of the trip. Myanmar is facing international scrutiny over the plight of its Rohingya community. In February, Francis said they had been tortured and killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith. Last August, some hard-line Buddhists were riled with the pope spoke about "the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters" and asked Catholics to pray for them, adding that they should be given "their full rights". On November 29, the pope will address the Sangha Maha Nayaka, the country's highest Buddhist authority, which is a government-backed panel of senior monks responsible for regulating the Buddhist clergy. The United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday that Bangladesh border guards reported more than 11,000 Rohingya refugees crossing into their country from Myanmar on Monday alone. The government offensive has drawn international condemnation and UN accusations of ethnic cleansing, which the government denies. There are about 700,000 Roman Catholics in Myanmar according to the country's cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, out of a population of about 51.4 million. Catholics make up a tiny minority in Bangladesh. Francis will be the second pope to visit that country, after Pope John Paul in 1986.

Pope to meet top Buddhist monks in Myanmar, address military

The pope has said he will fight fake news.&nbsp;

&quot;I have chose this theme for World Communications Day 2018: &#39;The truth will set you free&#39;. Fake news and journalism for peace,&quot; Francis tweeted on Friday.&nbsp;

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I have chosen this theme for World Communications Day 2018: &ldquo;The truth will set you free&rdquo; (Jn 8:32). Fake news and journalism for peace.
&mdash; Pope Francis (@Pontifex) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/913712457868181505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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AFP reported that Francis has often reminded journalists of their responsibility in a world dominated by social media.&nbsp;

Last year, AFP reported, Francis compared scandal-obsessed media outlets who smear politicians and spread gossip to people sexually excited by excrement.

He also described the readers of the media outlets as faeces eaters.

AFP reported the Vatican as saying on Friday that the Argentine pontiff wanted to tackle &quot;an often misleading distortion of facts&quot; and the spread of &quot;baseless information that contributes to generating and nurturing a strong polarisation of opinions&quot;.

The pope himself has been the victim of fake news.&nbsp;

In February this year, a fake front page of the Vatican&#39;s official newspaper with a fake interview of the pope on it was sent to numerous cardinals and bishops.

It is thought that was done to try and undermine Francis.&nbsp;

Francis has often reminded journalists of their responsibility in a world dominated by social media

The pope has said he will fight fake news. "I have chose this theme for World Communications Day 2018: 'The truth will set you free'. Fake news and journalism for peace," Francis tweeted on Friday. I have chosen this theme for World Communications Day 2018: “The truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32). Fake news and journalism for peace. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 29, 2017 × AFP reported that Francis has often reminded journalists of their responsibility in a world dominated by social media. Last year, AFP reported, Francis compared scandal-obsessed media outlets who smear politicians and spread gossip to people sexually excited by excrement. He also described the readers of the media outlets as faeces eaters. AFP reported the Vatican as saying on Friday that the Argentine pontiff wanted to tackle "an often misleading distortion of facts" and the spread of "baseless information that contributes to generating and nurturing a strong polarisation of opinions". The pope himself has been the victim of fake news. In February this year, a fake front page of the Vatican's official newspaper with a fake interview of the pope on it was sent to numerous cardinals and bishops. It is thought that was done to try and undermine Francis.

Pope says he will fight 'fake news'

Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, saying the situation had become &quot;too hot&quot; and the world risked a devastating war.

Francis said he believed &quot;a good part of humanity&quot; would be destroyed in any widespread war.

Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting.

In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become &quot;too watered down&quot;.

(Reuters)

Pope Francis said the situation had become 'too hot' and the world risked a devastating war

Pope Francis said on Saturday a third country should try to mediate the dispute between North Korea and Washington, saying the situation had become "too hot" and the world risked a devastating war. Francis said he believed "a good part of humanity" would be destroyed in any widespread war. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back from Cairo, Francis also said he was ready to meet US President Donald Trump when he is in Europe next month but that he was not aware that Washington had made a request for a meeting. In answer to a question about the tensions between the United States and North Korea, Francis said the United Nations should re-assert its leadership in world diplomacy because it had become "too watered down". (Reuters)

Pope Francis urges mediation to end North Korean crisis

Pope expresses hope that science and technology innovations would come with social equality and inclusion

Pope Francis, who surprised many by giving a TED talk on Tuesday, not only urged harmony over division, but also had an interesting message for the tech industry. In the 18-minute long video, which was filmed in Vatican City and broadcast to the audience at the annual TED 2017 conference in Vancouver, Pope expressed hope that science and technology innovations would come with social equality and inclusion. “How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us. How wonderful would it be if solidarity, this beautiful and, at times, inconvenient word, were not simply reduced to social work, and became, instead, the default attitude in political, economic and scientific choices, as well as in the relationships among individuals, peoples and countries,” he said. Expressing his belief, Pope said that only by educating people to a true solidarity we will be able to overcome the "culture of waste," which doesn't concern only food and goods, but also the people who are cast aside by economic systems that rely increasingly on automation. He also made a point highlighting how products are kept ahead of people by companies around the world. Warning the rich and powerful, Pope said, ”The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly," adding, "If you don't, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other,” he added. Francis embraced the theme of this year's conference - 'The Future is You' - saying it was relations and connections between people that would shape society going forward. It was the first time Francis addressed an international conference, according to TED organisers. His talk was not listed on the program and kept secret by organisers. It took many discussions to make the talk happen, and repeated trips to Rome over more than a year, according to TED international curator Bruno Giussani. TED Talk lectures have grown in popularity, having been viewed cumulatively over 4.6 billion times since going online in 2006. Other speakers slated to appear at the annual conference this week include Tesla founder Elon Musk, tennis superstar Serena Williams and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Here's the full transcript of Pope Francis' TED talk. Good evening – or, good morning, I am not sure what time it is there. Regardless of the hour, I am thrilled to be participating in your conference. I very much like its title – "The Future You" – because, while looking at tomorrow, it invites us to open a dialogue today, to look at the future through a "you." "The Future You:" the future is made of yous, it is made of encounters, because life flows through our relations with others. Quite a few years of life have strengthened my conviction that each and everyone's existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not time merely passing by, life is about interactions. As I meet, or lend an ear to those who are sick, to the migrants who face terrible hardships in search of a brighter future, to prison inmates who carry a hell of pain inside their hearts, and to those, many of them young, who cannot find a job, I often find myself wondering: "Why them and not me?" I, myself, was born in a family of migrants; my father, my grandparents, like many other Italians, left for Argentina and met the fate of those who are left with nothing. I could have very well ended up among today's "discarded" people. And that's why I always ask myself, deep in my heart: "Why them and not me?" First and foremost, I would love it if this meeting could help to remind us that we all need each other, none of us is an island, an autonomous and independent "I," separated from the other, and we can only build the future by standing together, including everyone. We don’t think about it often, but everything is connected, and we need to restore our connections to a healthy state. Even the harsh judgment I hold in my heart against my brother or my sister, the open wound that was never cured, the offense that was never forgiven, the rancor that is only going to hurt me, are all instances of a fight that I carry within me, a flare deep in my heart that needs to be extinguished before it goes up in flames, leaving only ashes behind. Many of us, nowadays, seem to believe that a happy future is something impossible to achieve. While such concerns must be taken very seriously, they are not invincible. They can be overcome when we don't lock our door to the outside world. Happiness can only be discovered as a gift of harmony between the whole and each single component. Even science – and you know it better than I do – points to an understanding of reality as a place where every element connects and interacts with everything else. And this brings me to my second message. How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion. How wonderful would it be, while we discover faraway planets, to rediscover the needs of the brothers and sisters orbiting around us. How wonderful would it be if solidarity, this beautiful and, at times, inconvenient word, were not simply reduced to social work, and became, instead, the default attitude in political, economic and scientific choices, as well as in the relationships among individuals, peoples and countries. Only by educating people to a true solidarity will we be able to overcome the "culture of waste," which doesn't concern only food and goods but, first and foremost, the people who are cast aside by our techno-economic systems which, without even realizing it, are now putting products at their core, instead of people. Solidarity is a term that many wish to erase from the dictionary. Solidarity, however, is not an automatic mechanism. It cannot be programmed or controlled. It is a free response born from the heart of each and everyone. Yes, a free response! When one realizes that life, even in the middle of so many contradictions, is a gift, that love is the source and the meaning of life, how can they withhold their urge to do good to another fellow being? In order to do good, we need memory, we need courage and we need creativity. And I know that TED gathers many creative minds. Yes, love does require a creative, concrete and ingenious attitude. Good intentions and conventional formulas, so often used to appease our conscience, are not enough. Let us help each other, all together, to remember that the other is not a statistic or a number. The other has a face. The "you" is always a real presence, a person to take care of. There is a parable Jesus told to help us understand the difference between those who'd rather not be bothered and those who take care of the other. I am sure you have heard it before. It is the Parable of the Good Samaritan. When Jesus was asked: "Who is my neighbour?" - namely, "Who should I take care of?" - he told this story, the story of a man who had been assaulted, robbed, beaten and abandoned along a dirt road. Upon seeing him, a priest and a Levite, two very influential people of the time, walked past him without stopping to help. After a while, a Samaritan, a very much despised ethnicity at the time, walked by. Seeing the injured man lying on the ground, he did not ignore him as if he weren't even there. Instead, he felt compassion for this man, which compelled him to act in a very concrete manner. He poured oil and wine on the wounds of the helpless man, brought him to a hostel and paid out of his pocket for him to be assisted. The story of the Good Samaritan is the story of today’s humanity. People's paths are riddled with suffering, as everything is centered around money, and things, instead of people. And often there is this habit, by people who call themselves "respectable," of not taking care of the others, thus leaving behind thousands of human beings, or entire populations, on the side of the road. Fortunately, there are also those who are creating a new world by taking care of the other, even out of their own pockets. Mother Teresa actually said: "One cannot love, unless it is at their own expense." We have so much to do, and we must do it together. But how can we do that with all the evil we breathe every day? Thank God, no system can nullify our desire to open up to the good, to compassion and to our capacity to react against evil, all of which stem from deep within our hearts. Now you might tell me, "Sure, these are beautiful words, but I am not the Good Samaritan, nor Mother Teresa of Calcutta." On the contrary: we are precious, each and every one of us. Each and every one of us is irreplaceable in the eyes of God. Through the darkness of today's conflicts, each and every one of us can become a bright candle, a reminder that light will overcome darkness, and never the other way around. To Christians, the future does have a name, and its name is Hope. Feeling hopeful does not mean to be optimistically naïve and ignore the tragedy humanity is facing. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn't lock itself into darkness, that doesn't dwell on the past, does not simply get by in the present, but is able to see a tomorrow. Hope is the door that opens onto the future. Hope is a humble, hidden seed of life that, with time, will develop into a large tree. It is like some invisible yeast that allows the whole dough to grow, that brings flavor to all aspects of life. And it can do so much, because a tiny flicker of light that feeds on hope is enough to shatter the shield of darkness. A single individual is enough for hope to exist, and that individual can be you. And then there will be another "you," and another "you," and it turns into an "us." And so, does hope begin when we have an "us?" No. Hope began with one "you." When there is an "us," there begins a revolution. The third message I would like to share today is, indeed, about revolution: the revolution of tenderness. And what is tenderness? It is the love that comes close and becomes real. It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands. Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future. To listen also to the silent cry of our common home, of our sick and polluted earth. Tenderness means to use our hands and our heart to comfort the other, to take care of those in need. Tenderness is the language of the young children, of those who need the other. A child’s love for mom and dad grows through their touch, their gaze, their voice, their tenderness. I like when I hear parents talk to their babies, adapting to the little child, sharing the same level of communication. This is tenderness: being on the same level as the other. God himself descended into Jesus to be on our level. This is the same path the Good Samaritan took. This is the path that Jesus himself took. He lowered himself, he lived his entire human existence practicing the real, concrete language of love. Yes, tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women. Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. Please, allow me to say it loud and clear: the more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other. There is a saying in Argentina: "Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach." You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance, and you will end up hurting yourself and those around you, if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness. Through humility and concrete love, on the other hand, power – the highest, the strongest one – becomes a service, a force for good. The future of humankind isn't exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies. Yes, they do hold an enormous responsibility. But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a "you" and themselves as part of an "us." We all need each other. And so, please, think of me as well with tenderness, so that I can fulfill the task I have been given for the good of the other, of each and every one, of all of you, of all of us. Thank you. (WION)

WATCH TED talk: Pope urges tech industry to be more compassionate

Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at a TED talk conference on Tuesday, urging powerful leaders &quot;to act humbly&quot; and said he hoped technological innovation would not leave people behind.

The 18-minute video was filmed in Vatican City and broadcast to the audience at the annual TED 2017 conference in Vancouver.

&quot;The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly,&quot; said the pontiff, while seated at a desk.

&quot;If you don&#39;t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other.&quot;

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The comments echoed Francis&#39; frequent themes to not ignore the plight of immigrants, the poor and other vulnerable people

Speaking in Italian with subtitles, Francis urged solidarity to overcome a &quot;culture of waste&quot; that had affected not only food but people cast aside by economic systems that rely increasingly on automation.

&quot;How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and

social inclusion,&quot; he said.

TED Talk lectures have grown in popularity, having been viewed cumulatively over 4.6 billion times since going online in 2006 (www.ted.com).

Other speakers slated to appear at the annual conference this week include tennis superstar Serena Williams and entrepreneur Elon Musk.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

'The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly,' he said

Pope Francis made a surprise appearance at a TED talk conference on Tuesday, urging powerful leaders "to act humbly" and said he hoped technological innovation would not leave people behind. The 18-minute video was filmed in Vatican City and broadcast to the audience at the annual TED 2017 conference in Vancouver. "The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly," said the pontiff, while seated at a desk. "If you don't, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other." The more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly,' Pope Francis said × The comments echoed Francis' frequent themes to not ignore the plight of immigrants, the poor and other vulnerable people Speaking in Italian with subtitles, Francis urged solidarity to overcome a "culture of waste" that had affected not only food but people cast aside by economic systems that rely increasingly on automation. "How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion," he said. TED Talk lectures have grown in popularity, having been viewed cumulatively over 4.6 billion times since going online in 2006 (www.ted.com). Other speakers slated to appear at the annual conference this week include tennis superstar Serena Williams and entrepreneur Elon Musk. (Reuters)

Pope gives TED talk, tells powerful leaders to 'act humbly'

Pope Francis urged governments on Saturday to get migrants and refugees out of holding centres, saying many had become &quot;concentration camps&quot;.

During a visit to a Rome basilica, where he met migrants, Francis told of his trip to a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos last year.

He met a Muslim refugee from the Middle East there who told him how &quot;terrorists came to our country&quot;. Islamists had slit the throat of the man&#39;s Christian wife because she refused to throw her crucifix on the ground.

&quot;I don&#39;t know if he managed to leave that concentration camp, because refugee camps, many of them, are of concentration (type) because of the great number of people left there inside them,&quot; the pope said.

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) later urged the pope &quot;to reconsider his regrettable choice of words&quot; for using the term concentration camp.

&quot;The conditions in which migrants are currently living in some European countries may well be difficult, and deserve still greater international attention, but concentration camps they certainly are not,&quot; the AJC&#39;s head, David Harris, said in a statement.

&quot;The Nazis and their allies erected and used concentration camps for slave labor and the extermination of millions of people during World War II. There is no comparison to the magnitude of that tragedy,&quot; he said.

Francis praised countries helping refugees and thanked them for &quot;bearing this extra burden, because it seems that international accords are more important than human rights&quot;.

He did not elaborate but appeared to be referring to agreements that keep migrants from crossing borders, such as deals between the European Union (EU) and Libya and the EU and Turkey. Humanitarian groups have criticised both deals.

The pope urged people in northern Italy, home to an anti-immigrant party, to take more migrants, hoping that the generosity of southern Italy could &quot;infect the north a bit&quot;.

Noting that Italy had one of the world&#39;s lowest birth rates, he said: &quot;If we also close the door to migrants, this is called suicide.&quot;

The basilica of St Bartholomew is a shine to Christians killed for their faith in the 20th and 21st centuries.

It contains a prayer book used by Father Jacques Hamel, the 85-year-old French priest killed by Islamist militants who stormed into a church in Saint-&Eacute;tienne-du-Rouvray last year, forced Hamel to his knees, and slit his throat while they chanted in Arabic. His sister Roselyne attended the service.

(Reuters)

The American Jewish Committee later urged the pope to reconsider his regrettable choice of words'

Pope Francis urged governments on Saturday to get migrants and refugees out of holding centres, saying many had become "concentration camps". During a visit to a Rome basilica, where he met migrants, Francis told of his trip to a camp on the Greek island of Lesbos last year. He met a Muslim refugee from the Middle East there who told him how "terrorists came to our country". Islamists had slit the throat of the man's Christian wife because she refused to throw her crucifix on the ground. "I don't know if he managed to leave that concentration camp, because refugee camps, many of them, are of concentration (type) because of the great number of people left there inside them," the pope said. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) later urged the pope "to reconsider his regrettable choice of words" for using the term concentration camp. "The conditions in which migrants are currently living in some European countries may well be difficult, and deserve still greater international attention, but concentration camps they certainly are not," the AJC's head, David Harris, said in a statement. "The Nazis and their allies erected and used concentration camps for slave labor and the extermination of millions of people during World War II. There is no comparison to the magnitude of that tragedy," he said. Francis praised countries helping refugees and thanked them for "bearing this extra burden, because it seems that international accords are more important than human rights". He did not elaborate but appeared to be referring to agreements that keep migrants from crossing borders, such as deals between the European Union (EU) and Libya and the EU and Turkey. Humanitarian groups have criticised both deals. The pope urged people in northern Italy, home to an anti-immigrant party, to take more migrants, hoping that the generosity of southern Italy could "infect the north a bit". Noting that Italy had one of the world's lowest birth rates, he said: "If we also close the door to migrants, this is called suicide." The basilica of St Bartholomew is a shine to Christians killed for their faith in the 20th and 21st centuries. It contains a prayer book used by Father Jacques Hamel, the 85-year-old French priest killed by Islamist militants who stormed into a church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray last year, forced Hamel to his knees, and slit his throat while they chanted in Arabic. His sister Roselyne attended the service. (Reuters)

Pope likens migrant holding centres to 'concentration camps'

Pope Francis denounced &quot;oppressive regimes&quot; in his Easter message on Sunday but in an apparent call for restraint urged world leaders to prevent the spread of conflicts, as tensions rose in North Korea and Syria.

Francis, marking the fifth Easter season of his pontificate, said Mass before tens of thousands of people under exceptional security measures in St Peter&#39;s Square following recent vehicle attacks against pedestrians in London and Stockholm.

More police vans and army vehicles than usual were positioned at the entrances to the Vatican area and the faithful were stopped at several check points leading into the square, which was decorated with 35,000 flowers and trees.

In his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message, delivered from the central balcony of St Peter&#39;s Basilica, Francis spoke of a world lacerated by conflicts and laced with tensions.

From the same balcony from where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election in 2013, Francis spoke of God walking &quot;beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes&quot;.

He did not name any specific governments.

&quot;In the complex and often dramatic situations of today&#39;s world, may the Risen Lord guide the steps of all those who work for justice and peace. May he grant the leaders of nations the courage they need to prevent the spread of conflicts and to put a halt to the arms trade,&quot; he said.

Francis spoke hours after North Korea warned the United States to end its &quot;military hysteria&quot; or face retaliation as a US aircraft carrier group steamed towards the region and the reclusive state marked the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father.

Concern has grown since the US Navy fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airfield last week in response to a deadlygas attack. That raised questions about US President DonaldTrump&#39;s plans for North Korea, which has conducted missile andnuclear tests in defiance of United Nations and unilateral sanctions.

Francis also condemned the bomb blast on a crowded Syrian bus convoy that killed at least 112 people outside Aleppo as an &quot;ignoble&quot; attack, asking God to bring healing and comfort to civilian population in what he called the &quot;beloved and martyred Syria&quot;.

Speaking on the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, he called for peace in South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.

A surprise downpour hit Rome as the Mass was held but it passed quickly, allowing Francis to ride around in an open popemobile so people at the back of the crowd could see him.

Repeatedly during Holy Week services, Francis has drawn attention to the plight of war victims, refugees and migrants.

On Good Friday, he spoke of the &quot;shame&quot; of humanity becoming inured to daily scenes of bombed cities and drowning migrants.

(Reuters)

Francis urged world leaders to prevent spread of conflict as tensions are on the rise in the Korean peninsula and Syria

Pope Francis denounced "oppressive regimes" in his Easter message on Sunday but in an apparent call for restraint urged world leaders to prevent the spread of conflicts, as tensions rose in North Korea and Syria. Francis, marking the fifth Easter season of his pontificate, said Mass before tens of thousands of people under exceptional security measures in St Peter's Square following recent vehicle attacks against pedestrians in London and Stockholm. More police vans and army vehicles than usual were positioned at the entrances to the Vatican area and the faithful were stopped at several check points leading into the square, which was decorated with 35,000 flowers and trees. In his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message, delivered from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica, Francis spoke of a world lacerated by conflicts and laced with tensions. From the same balcony from where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election in 2013, Francis spoke of God walking "beside all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes". He did not name any specific governments. "In the complex and often dramatic situations of today's world, may the Risen Lord guide the steps of all those who work for justice and peace. May he grant the leaders of nations the courage they need to prevent the spread of conflicts and to put a halt to the arms trade," he said. Francis spoke hours after North Korea warned the United States to end its "military hysteria" or face retaliation as a US aircraft carrier group steamed towards the region and the reclusive state marked the 105th birth anniversary of its founding father. Concern has grown since the US Navy fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airfield last week in response to a deadlygas attack. That raised questions about US President DonaldTrump's plans for North Korea, which has conducted missile andnuclear tests in defiance of United Nations and unilateral sanctions. Francis also condemned the bomb blast on a crowded Syrian bus convoy that killed at least 112 people outside Aleppo as an "ignoble" attack, asking God to bring healing and comfort to civilian population in what he called the "beloved and martyred Syria". Speaking on the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, he called for peace in South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine. A surprise downpour hit Rome as the Mass was held but it passed quickly, allowing Francis to ride around in an open popemobile so people at the back of the crowd could see him. Repeatedly during Holy Week services, Francis has drawn attention to the plight of war victims, refugees and migrants. On Good Friday, he spoke of the "shame" of humanity becoming inured to daily scenes of bombed cities and drowning migrants. (Reuters)

On Easter, Pope Francis denounces 'oppressive regimes'

A New Jersey teen pleaded guilty Monday to a plot allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group to kill Pope Francis during his 2015 visit to the United States.

The US Justice Department said Santos Colon, 15 years old at the time, sought to recruit a sniper to shoot the pope as he celebrated mass in Philadelphia on September 27, 2015. Colon also allegedly planned to set off explosives.

But the teen unwittingly recruited an undercover FBI agent for the job, and was arrested quietly 12 days before the event.

&quot;Colon engaged someone he believed would be the sniper, but in reality was an undercover FBI employee. Colon engaged in target reconnaissance with an FBI confidential source and instructed the source to purchase materials to make explosive devices,&quot; the Justice Department said in a statement.&nbsp;

Court documents said Colon sought to carry out the act in support of the Islamic State group and that he had used the adopted name Ahmad Shakoor.

In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Colon, now 17, agreed to forego trial and plead guilty as an adult to one charge of providing material support to a terror group.&nbsp;

With the deal, prosecutors dropped three other charges filed against him as a juvenile.&nbsp;

Court documents said the charges were in relation to the Islamic State group, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization.&nbsp;

But there were no details on how Colon became interested in the group and if or how he communicated with them.

Pope Francis celebrated mass for tens of thousands of followers in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the historic east coast city to cap a week-long visit for the World Meeting of Families

Colon&#39;s home is in Lindenwold, New Jersey, just east of Philadelphia.

Colon faces a maximum of 15 years in prison but sentencing would likely be held off until 2021 while he undergoes psychiatric treatment in a secure facility.&nbsp;

In a plea statement, Colon acknowledged having been a patient in a mental institution in the past.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The US Justice Department said Santos Colon, 15 years old at the time, sought to recruit a sniper to shoot the pope in 2015

A New Jersey teen pleaded guilty Monday to a plot allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group to kill Pope Francis during his 2015 visit to the United States. The US Justice Department said Santos Colon, 15 years old at the time, sought to recruit a sniper to shoot the pope as he celebrated mass in Philadelphia on September 27, 2015. Colon also allegedly planned to set off explosives. But the teen unwittingly recruited an undercover FBI agent for the job, and was arrested quietly 12 days before the event. "Colon engaged someone he believed would be the sniper, but in reality was an undercover FBI employee. Colon engaged in target reconnaissance with an FBI confidential source and instructed the source to purchase materials to make explosive devices," the Justice Department said in a statement. Court documents said Colon sought to carry out the act in support of the Islamic State group and that he had used the adopted name Ahmad Shakoor. In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Colon, now 17, agreed to forego trial and plead guilty as an adult to one charge of providing material support to a terror group. With the deal, prosecutors dropped three other charges filed against him as a juvenile. Court documents said the charges were in relation to the Islamic State group, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization. But there were no details on how Colon became interested in the group and if or how he communicated with them. Pope Francis celebrated mass for tens of thousands of followers in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the historic east coast city to cap a week-long visit for the World Meeting of Families Colon's home is in Lindenwold, New Jersey, just east of Philadelphia. Colon faces a maximum of 15 years in prison but sentencing would likely be held off until 2021 while he undergoes psychiatric treatment in a secure facility. In a plea statement, Colon acknowledged having been a patient in a mental institution in the past. (AFP)

US teen pleads guilty to IS-inspired plot to kill Pope Francis

Pope Francis asked for forgiveness on Monday for the &quot;sins and failings of the Church&quot; during Rwanda&#39;s 1994 genocide, saying he hoped his apology would help heal the African state&#39;s wounds.

But Rwanda&#39;s government indicated it felt the apology did not go far enough, saying the local Church was still complicit in protecting the perpetrators of the genocide.

At a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Pope Francis said that priests and Roman Catholic faithful had taken part in the slaughter of some 800,000 people from the ethnic Tutsi minority as well as moderates from the Hutu majority.

&quot;(The pope) implored anew God&rsquo;s forgiveness for the sins and failings of the Church and its members, among whom priests, and religious men and women who succumbed to hatred and violence,&quot; the Vatican said in a statement.

An official Rwandan statement repeated the government&#39;s long-standing accusation of Catholic complicity in the massacres.

&quot;Today, genocide denial and trivialisation continue to flourish in certain groups within the Church and genocide suspects have been shielded from justice within Catholic institutions,&quot; said a government statement.

Kagame, a Tutsi, led a rebel force to halt the slaughter in 1994 and accusations immediately surfaced that some priests and nuns had taken part in the killings.

Some of the ugliest massacres were committed in churches, missions and parishes where Tutsis who took shelter were hunted down by extremist Hutu militias.

A UN court in 2006 jailed a former Catholic priest for 15 years for ordering bulldozers to level a church, killing 2,000 people who were hiding inside.

Rwandan authorities have said other clergy implicated in the killings were allowed to start new lives in Europe and were protected by the Church.

A Rwandan military court sentenced a missing priest in absentia to life in prison on charges of rape and delivering Tutsi refugees from his church to militias who killed them.

Later arrested in France, where he was a popular priest in a rural parish, his case was eventually dropped and he was allowed to remain working at the parish. He has denied the charges.

The Catholic Church in Rwanda last year offered an apology, saying some of its members had fanned the ethnic hatred that led to the killings, but Kagame said at the time that he wanted the pope himself to say sorry.

&quot;Why doesn&#39;t he apologise like he does with other cases where more minor crimes were committed by comparison with here?,&quot; he said, referring to sexual abuse cases where the pope has regularly apologised to victims and their families.

Francis said on Monday he hoped his &quot;humble recognition of the failings of that period, which, unfortunately, disfigured the face of the Church, may contribute to a &#39;purification of memory&#39; and may promote, in hope and renewed trust, a future of peace&quot;.

(Reuters)

Rwanda's government indicated it felt the apology did not go far enough

Pope Francis asked for forgiveness on Monday for the "sins and failings of the Church" during Rwanda's 1994 genocide, saying he hoped his apology would help heal the African state's wounds. But Rwanda's government indicated it felt the apology did not go far enough, saying the local Church was still complicit in protecting the perpetrators of the genocide. At a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Pope Francis said that priests and Roman Catholic faithful had taken part in the slaughter of some 800,000 people from the ethnic Tutsi minority as well as moderates from the Hutu majority. "(The pope) implored anew God’s forgiveness for the sins and failings of the Church and its members, among whom priests, and religious men and women who succumbed to hatred and violence," the Vatican said in a statement. An official Rwandan statement repeated the government's long-standing accusation of Catholic complicity in the massacres. "Today, genocide denial and trivialisation continue to flourish in certain groups within the Church and genocide suspects have been shielded from justice within Catholic institutions," said a government statement. Kagame, a Tutsi, led a rebel force to halt the slaughter in 1994 and accusations immediately surfaced that some priests and nuns had taken part in the killings. Some of the ugliest massacres were committed in churches, missions and parishes where Tutsis who took shelter were hunted down by extremist Hutu militias. A UN court in 2006 jailed a former Catholic priest for 15 years for ordering bulldozers to level a church, killing 2,000 people who were hiding inside. Rwandan authorities have said other clergy implicated in the killings were allowed to start new lives in Europe and were protected by the Church. A Rwandan military court sentenced a missing priest in absentia to life in prison on charges of rape and delivering Tutsi refugees from his church to militias who killed them. Later arrested in France, where he was a popular priest in a rural parish, his case was eventually dropped and he was allowed to remain working at the parish. He has denied the charges. The Catholic Church in Rwanda last year offered an apology, saying some of its members had fanned the ethnic hatred that led to the killings, but Kagame said at the time that he wanted the pope himself to say sorry. "Why doesn't he apologise like he does with other cases where more minor crimes were committed by comparison with here?," he said, referring to sexual abuse cases where the pope has regularly apologised to victims and their families. Francis said on Monday he hoped his "humble recognition of the failings of that period, which, unfortunately, disfigured the face of the Church, may contribute to a 'purification of memory' and may promote, in hope and renewed trust, a future of peace". (Reuters)

Pope asks forgiveness for 'sins and failings of the Church' during Rwanda genocide

Pope Francis said in an interview published Thursday that the church may consider ordaining married men who could potentially then work in remote areas faced with a shortage of priests.&nbsp;

&quot;We must think about whether viri probati are a possibility,&quot; Francis said referring to older, married men who are already involved in church business.&nbsp;

&quot;Then we have to decide what tasks they can take on, for example in remote communities,&quot; he added in the interview with German weekly Die Zeit.&nbsp;

Many in the church believe, given the lack of priests in many places, that a new path to ordination should be opened.

They think that in addition to priests who take a vow of celibacy, older, married men with a long commitment to the church could also be considered.

Pope Francis said in May 2014 that &quot;there are married priests in the Church&quot; citing married Anglican ministers who joined the Catholic Church, Coptic Catholics and the priests of some Eastern churches.

The church, and notably the current pope&#39;s predecessor Benedict XVI, had previously said that celibacy was not a matter of inflexible church dogma unlike, for example, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

However, Francis said allowing priests in training to choose whether or not to be celibate was &quot;not the solution&quot;.

(AFP)

Many in the church believe, given the lack of priests in many places, that a new path to ordination should be opened

Pope Francis said in an interview published Thursday that the church may consider ordaining married men who could potentially then work in remote areas faced with a shortage of priests. "We must think about whether viri probati are a possibility," Francis said referring to older, married men who are already involved in church business. "Then we have to decide what tasks they can take on, for example in remote communities," he added in the interview with German weekly Die Zeit. Many in the church believe, given the lack of priests in many places, that a new path to ordination should be opened. They think that in addition to priests who take a vow of celibacy, older, married men with a long commitment to the church could also be considered. Pope Francis said in May 2014 that "there are married priests in the Church" citing married Anglican ministers who joined the Catholic Church, Coptic Catholics and the priests of some Eastern churches. The church, and notably the current pope's predecessor Benedict XVI, had previously said that celibacy was not a matter of inflexible church dogma unlike, for example, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, Francis said allowing priests in training to choose whether or not to be celibate was "not the solution". (AFP)

Church may consider making married men priests: Pope Francis

Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of clerical sex abuse, resigned Wednesday from Pope Francis&#39;s child protection panel, accusing senior Vatican officials of &quot;shameful&quot; blocking of reforms approved by the pontiff.

Collins&#39;s departure and her depiction of high-level obstruction of change is an embarrassing blow to the pontiff&#39;s attempts to demonstrate that the Church is effectively combating a scourge that has profoundly damaged its image over recent decades.

The 70-year-old, who was raped by a hospital chaplain at 13, explained her decision in an article for the National Catholic Reporter (NCR).

&quot;As a survivor I have watched events unfold with dismay,&quot; she wrote.

Her resignation happened days after Francis came under fire for reducing sanctions imposed on some paedophile priests in line with his desire for the Church to be more merciful across a range of issues.

Collins&#39;s departure leaves the Pontifical Commission on the Protection of Minors with no abuse survivors working for it.

Briton Peter Saunders was sidelined last year after a row over the panel&#39;s handling of allegations of serial abuse by an Italian priest that were brought to its attention.

He described Collins&#39;s departure as &quot;sad but somewhat inevitable&quot;.

The final straw

&quot;For the Commission it is a disaster to have no survivors represented. It has blown a huge hole in its credentials,&quot; he told AFP.

In her resignation letter, Collins said she believed Francis had acted sincerely when he set up the panel in March 2014 with a brief to advise him on concrete steps to ensure the safety of minors within Catholic institutions.

&quot;However, despite the Holy Father approving all the recommendations made to him by the Commission, there have been constant setbacks,&quot; she said.

&quot;This has been directly due to the resistance by some members of the Vatican Curia (administration) to the work of the Commission. The lack of co-operation, particularly by the dicastery (Vatican ministry) most closely involved in dealing with cases of abuse, has been shameful.&quot;

Collins said the final straw came in January when officials refused to guarantee that all letters from victims/survivors would receive a response or to cooperate with the commission on developing safeguarding guidelines.

&quot;It is a reflection of how this whole abuse crisis in the Church has been handled: with fine words in public and contrary actions behind closed doors,&quot; she wrote in her NCR article.

&#39;Education needed&#39;

The panel&#39;s chair, American cardinal Sean O&#39;Malley, said the body would &quot;listen carefully&quot; to Collins&#39;s criticisms.

Another panel member, German priest and academic Hans Zollner, said that while he understood his colleague&#39;s frustration, reformers had to be realistic about the pace of change.

&quot;This is a long-term education job,&quot; he told AFP.

Saunders, who was asked to leave the commission last year after denouncing it as an exercise in window dressing, said it needed &quot;an injection of outside blood&quot;.

He added: &quot;Unless Francis pulls his finger out and gets rid of some people nothing is going to change. Will he do that? That is the big question. But he really needs to sit down with survivors and child protection experts and talk with them about what needs to happen.&quot;

Crime and sin

Since his election in 2013, Francis has repeatedly promised to root out abusers, once describing their actions as comparable to participating in a Satanic mass.

He has also attempted to end what critics say is a cover-up culture, notably by introducing new rules allowing for negligent bishops to be dismissed over abuse cases in their dioceses.

In his most recent comment on the issue, in a December letter to bishops, he called for a renewed commitment to &quot;zero tolerance,&quot; implicitly acknowledging much remains to be done.

Critics say the Church remains reluctant to hand paedophile priests over to criminal authorities.

And last week&#39;s confirmation that Francis had authorised a reduction of sanctions imposed on some paedophile priests triggered fresh accusations of complacency.

&quot;Pope Francis needs to remember that there is a difference between crime and sin,&quot; said Joelle Casteix of the US survivor network SNAP.

&quot;The place for mercy is with victims and children, not offending clergy.&quot;

(AFP)

Collins departure has dealt a blow to the pontiff's efforts to remove the scourge that has damaged the church's reputation

Marie Collins, an Irish survivor of clerical sex abuse, resigned Wednesday from Pope Francis's child protection panel, accusing senior Vatican officials of "shameful" blocking of reforms approved by the pontiff. Collins's departure and her depiction of high-level obstruction of change is an embarrassing blow to the pontiff's attempts to demonstrate that the Church is effectively combating a scourge that has profoundly damaged its image over recent decades. The 70-year-old, who was raped by a hospital chaplain at 13, explained her decision in an article for the National Catholic Reporter (NCR). "As a survivor I have watched events unfold with dismay," she wrote. Her resignation happened days after Francis came under fire for reducing sanctions imposed on some paedophile priests in line with his desire for the Church to be more merciful across a range of issues. Collins's departure leaves the Pontifical Commission on the Protection of Minors with no abuse survivors working for it. Briton Peter Saunders was sidelined last year after a row over the panel's handling of allegations of serial abuse by an Italian priest that were brought to its attention. He described Collins's departure as "sad but somewhat inevitable". The final straw "For the Commission it is a disaster to have no survivors represented. It has blown a huge hole in its credentials," he told AFP. In her resignation letter, Collins said she believed Francis had acted sincerely when he set up the panel in March 2014 with a brief to advise him on concrete steps to ensure the safety of minors within Catholic institutions. "However, despite the Holy Father approving all the recommendations made to him by the Commission, there have been constant setbacks," she said. "This has been directly due to the resistance by some members of the Vatican Curia (administration) to the work of the Commission. The lack of co-operation, particularly by the dicastery (Vatican ministry) most closely involved in dealing with cases of abuse, has been shameful." Collins said the final straw came in January when officials refused to guarantee that all letters from victims/survivors would receive a response or to cooperate with the commission on developing safeguarding guidelines. "It is a reflection of how this whole abuse crisis in the Church has been handled: with fine words in public and contrary actions behind closed doors," she wrote in her NCR article. 'Education needed' The panel's chair, American cardinal Sean O'Malley, said the body would "listen carefully" to Collins's criticisms. Another panel member, German priest and academic Hans Zollner, said that while he understood his colleague's frustration, reformers had to be realistic about the pace of change. "This is a long-term education job," he told AFP. Saunders, who was asked to leave the commission last year after denouncing it as an exercise in window dressing, said it needed "an injection of outside blood". He added: "Unless Francis pulls his finger out and gets rid of some people nothing is going to change. Will he do that? That is the big question. But he really needs to sit down with survivors and child protection experts and talk with them about what needs to happen." Crime and sin Since his election in 2013, Francis has repeatedly promised to root out abusers, once describing their actions as comparable to participating in a Satanic mass. He has also attempted to end what critics say is a cover-up culture, notably by introducing new rules allowing for negligent bishops to be dismissed over abuse cases in their dioceses. In his most recent comment on the issue, in a December letter to bishops, he called for a renewed commitment to "zero tolerance," implicitly acknowledging much remains to be done. Critics say the Church remains reluctant to hand paedophile priests over to criminal authorities. And last week's confirmation that Francis had authorised a reduction of sanctions imposed on some paedophile priests triggered fresh accusations of complacency. "Pope Francis needs to remember that there is a difference between crime and sin," said Joelle Casteix of the US survivor network SNAP. "The place for mercy is with victims and children, not offending clergy." (AFP)

Survivor of clerical sex abuse quits panel, slams Vatican for not effecting reforms

Pope Francis on Saturday warned against populism, saying it could lead to the election of &quot;saviours&quot; like Hitler.

In an hour-long interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais conducted as Donald Trump was being sworn in as US president, the pontiff also condemned the idea of using walls and barbed wire to keep out foreigners.

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&quot;Of course crises provoke fears and worries,&quot; he said but added that for him &quot;the example of populism in the European sense of the word is Germany in 1933&quot;.

&quot;Germany... was looking for a leader, someone who would give her back her identity and there was a little man named Adolf Hitler who said &#39;I can do it&#39;.&quot;

&quot;Hitler did not steal power,&quot; the pope said. &quot;He was elected by his people and then he destroyed his people.&quot;

The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with &quot;walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity,&quot; he said.

&quot;The case of Germany is classic,&quot; he said, adding that Hitler gave them a &quot;deformed identity and we know what it produced.&quot;

Pope Francis however underscored that it was too early to pass judgement on Trump.

&quot;Let&#39;s see. Let&#39;s see what he does and then we will evaluate,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

The comments were made to Spanish newspaper El Pais as Donald Trump was being sworn in as president of the US

Pope Francis on Saturday warned against populism, saying it could lead to the election of "saviours" like Hitler. In an hour-long interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais conducted as Donald Trump was being sworn in as US president, the pontiff also condemned the idea of using walls and barbed wire to keep out foreigners. The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with 'walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity' × "Of course crises provoke fears and worries," he said but added that for him "the example of populism in the European sense of the word is Germany in 1933". "Germany... was looking for a leader, someone who would give her back her identity and there was a little man named Adolf Hitler who said 'I can do it'." "Hitler did not steal power," the pope said. "He was elected by his people and then he destroyed his people." The Germans at that time also wanted to protect themselves with "walls and barbed wire so that others cannot take away their identity," he said. "The case of Germany is classic," he said, adding that Hitler gave them a "deformed identity and we know what it produced." Pope Francis however underscored that it was too early to pass judgement on Trump. "Let's see. Let's see what he does and then we will evaluate," he said. (AFP)

Pope warns against populism, 'saviours' like Hitler

In a bid to make peace with its critics in the Vatican,&nbsp;McDonald&#39;s served 50 meals to the homeless on Monday, adopting Pope Francis&#39;s sermon of feeding the hungry.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;American fast-food giant drew flak last month when it opened a branch just steps from St. Peter Square, with some cardinals disagreeing that the building could have been used to house the poor.&nbsp;

McDonald&#39;s tied up with charity,&nbsp;Medicina Solidale to donate food&nbsp;to the needy in the next six months.&nbsp;

On Monday, through the charity, McDonald&#39;s donated double cheeseburger, apple and a bottle of water.&nbsp;

Medicina Solidale initiated the project, the group&#39;s&nbsp;representative Fotini Iordanoglou said.&nbsp;&quot;McDonald&#39;s responded, giving us this chance to help,&quot; Iordanoglou said. &quot;We absolutely won&#39;t resolve hunger but we are trying to give a small meal to people who need it.&quot;

Pierfrancesco Spiga, 46,&nbsp;lost his job as a gardener and now sleeps in a residence run by a cooperative, said &quot;It would be good if these multi-national companies gave food at the end of the day to poor people who don&#39;t have any, instead of throwing it away,&quot; adding other companies should also take the initiative.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

With the help of Medicina Solidale charity, McDonald's fed the city's poor and needy, abiding Pope's Francis sermon of feeding the hungry

In a bid to make peace with its critics in the Vatican, McDonald's served 50 meals to the homeless on Monday, adopting Pope Francis's sermon of feeding the hungry. The American fast-food giant drew flak last month when it opened a branch just steps from St. Peter Square, with some cardinals disagreeing that the building could have been used to house the poor. McDonald's tied up with charity, Medicina Solidale to donate food to the needy in the next six months. On Monday, through the charity, McDonald's donated double cheeseburger, apple and a bottle of water. Medicina Solidale initiated the project, the group's representative Fotini Iordanoglou said. "McDonald's responded, giving us this chance to help," Iordanoglou said. "We absolutely won't resolve hunger but we are trying to give a small meal to people who need it." Pierfrancesco Spiga, 46, lost his job as a gardener and now sleeps in a residence run by a cooperative, said "It would be good if these multi-national companies gave food at the end of the day to poor people who don't have any, instead of throwing it away," adding other companies should also take the initiative. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

McDonald's donates cheeseburgers to Rome's poor

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the Middle East with Pope Francis on Saturday and said prospects for peace there will suffer if US&nbsp;president-elect Donald Trump moves Washington&#39;s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

&quot;We are waiting to see if it happens. If it does, it will not help peace and we hope it does not happen,&quot; Abbas told reporters outside the Vatican gates minutes after 25 minutes of talks with the pope.

Abbas, who spoke through an interpreter, stopped in Rome to open the new embassy of the State of Palestine to the Vatican.

Trump&#39;s promise to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would upend decades of US policy. Israel and the Palestinians, who are seeking a state of their own, both claim Jerusalem as their capital. Successive US&nbsp;administrations have said the city&rsquo;s status must be negotiated.

Jerusalem, which Israeli has declared its &quot;united and eternal capital,&quot; is home to sites sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

The Vatican, which keeps its embassy to Israel in Jaffa and also backs a two-state solution, implicitly recognised a Palestinian state for years but in 2015 made it official by signing a treaty with the State of Palestine.

As he was leaving the pope&#39;s study, Abbas said the opening of the new embassy to the Vatican was &quot;a sign that the pope loves the people of Palestine and loves peace.&quot;

In a statement, the Vatican called for a resumption of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians &quot;to bring an end to the violence that causes unacceptable suffering to civilian populations, and to find a just and lasting solution.&quot;

It called for a climate that could lead to &quot;courageous decisions&quot;.

In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper on Saturday Abbas said he had written to Trump to warn him against moving the embassy.

&quot;Not only would it strip the United States of all its legitimacy to play a role in resolving the conflict, but it would reduce to nothing a two-state solution.&quot;

He said the Palestinians would discuss several options on how to respond after consultations with Arab states.

&quot;Going back on our recognition of Israel is one of them, but we hope that we won&#39;t get there and will be able to work with the next American administration,&quot; Abbas said.

(Reuters)

Trump has promised to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem - a city which both Israel and Palestine claim as their capital

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the Middle East with Pope Francis on Saturday and said prospects for peace there will suffer if US president-elect Donald Trump moves Washington's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. "We are waiting to see if it happens. If it does, it will not help peace and we hope it does not happen," Abbas told reporters outside the Vatican gates minutes after 25 minutes of talks with the pope. Abbas, who spoke through an interpreter, stopped in Rome to open the new embassy of the State of Palestine to the Vatican. Trump's promise to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would upend decades of US policy. Israel and the Palestinians, who are seeking a state of their own, both claim Jerusalem as their capital. Successive US administrations have said the city’s status must be negotiated. Jerusalem, which Israeli has declared its "united and eternal capital," is home to sites sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The Vatican, which keeps its embassy to Israel in Jaffa and also backs a two-state solution, implicitly recognised a Palestinian state for years but in 2015 made it official by signing a treaty with the State of Palestine. As he was leaving the pope's study, Abbas said the opening of the new embassy to the Vatican was "a sign that the pope loves the people of Palestine and loves peace." In a statement, the Vatican called for a resumption of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians "to bring an end to the violence that causes unacceptable suffering to civilian populations, and to find a just and lasting solution." It called for a climate that could lead to "courageous decisions". In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper on Saturday Abbas said he had written to Trump to warn him against moving the embassy. "Not only would it strip the United States of all its legitimacy to play a role in resolving the conflict, but it would reduce to nothing a two-state solution." He said the Palestinians would discuss several options on how to respond after consultations with Arab states. "Going back on our recognition of Israel is one of them, but we hope that we won't get there and will be able to work with the next American administration," Abbas said. (Reuters)

Palestinian president warns peace prospect will suffer in US embassy move

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