Cuba has pardoned 787 convicts in response to Pope Francis&#39; Holy Year call to all heads of state for acts of clemency, the ruling Communist Party newspaper, Granma, reported on Tuesday.

Those pardoned include women, youths, people who are ill and &quot;other categories&quot;, according to Granma. A list of names has not been made public. Cuba, which has denied that it has political prisoners, said those convicted of murder, rape, child abuse and drug trafficking would be excluded from the pardons.

Pope Francis chose the theme of mercy for the Holy Year that Roman Catholics began celebrating last December. The period, officially proclaimed by the pontiff as the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, will end on Sunday.

Earlier this month in Vatican City, during a special Jubilee mass for prisoners, Pope Francis asked authorities worldwide to consider &quot;the possibility of carrying out an act of clemency towards prisoners they think can benefit from such a provision&quot;.

&ldquo;We&#39;re very happy with this decision by the Cuban state,&quot; said Dionisio Garcia, president of the Cuban Bishops&#39; Conference.

&nbsp;

The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, a non-government organisation&nbsp;that monitors human rights and prisoners&#39; issues, said it had not received any reports of what it views as political prisoners being freed. &quot;Until now, they are all common prisoners,&quot; said Gerardo Sanchez, the group&#39;s spokesman.

In September 2015, Cuba pardoned 3,522 common prisoners in what it called a humanitarian gesture ahead of a visit by Pope Francis, repeating similar actions it took before two previous papal visits.

Cuba has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, according to the London-based Institute for Criminal Policy Research, with 510 out of every 100,000 citizens behind bars. Cuban dissidents have said they are often targeted by authorities, most often detained for a few hours or days, for having a different opinion. The government has long considered dissidents a tiny and illegitimate minority.

In December 2014, the United States freed three convicted Cuban spies in return for the release of US&nbsp;foreign aid worker Alan Gross, imprisoned in Cuba in 2009, and of an intelligence agent who spied for the United States and had been held for nearly 20 years.

In January 2015, the Obama administration said that Cuba had completed the release of 53 prisoners it had promised to free during efforts to normalise relations between the two countries. The Commission for Human Rights estimates that Cuba is holding around 100 political prisoners.

(Reuters)

Those pardoned include women, youths, people who are ill and 'other categories', according to the Communist Party newspaper Granma

Cuba has pardoned 787 convicts in response to Pope Francis' Holy Year call to all heads of state for acts of clemency, the ruling Communist Party newspaper, Granma, reported on Tuesday. Those pardoned include women, youths, people who are ill and "other categories", according to Granma. A list of names has not been made public. Cuba, which has denied that it has political prisoners, said those convicted of murder, rape, child abuse and drug trafficking would be excluded from the pardons. Pope Francis chose the theme of mercy for the Holy Year that Roman Catholics began celebrating last December. The period, officially proclaimed by the pontiff as the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, will end on Sunday. Earlier this month in Vatican City, during a special Jubilee mass for prisoners, Pope Francis asked authorities worldwide to consider "the possibility of carrying out an act of clemency towards prisoners they think can benefit from such a provision". “We're very happy with this decision by the Cuban state," said Dionisio Garcia, president of the Cuban Bishops' Conference. The Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation, a non-government organisation that monitors human rights and prisoners' issues, said it had not received any reports of what it views as political prisoners being freed. "Until now, they are all common prisoners," said Gerardo Sanchez, the group's spokesman. In September 2015, Cuba pardoned 3,522 common prisoners in what it called a humanitarian gesture ahead of a visit by Pope Francis, repeating similar actions it took before two previous papal visits. Cuba has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, according to the London-based Institute for Criminal Policy Research, with 510 out of every 100,000 citizens behind bars. Cuban dissidents have said they are often targeted by authorities, most often detained for a few hours or days, for having a different opinion. The government has long considered dissidents a tiny and illegitimate minority. In December 2014, the United States freed three convicted Cuban spies in return for the release of US foreign aid worker Alan Gross, imprisoned in Cuba in 2009, and of an intelligence agent who spied for the United States and had been held for nearly 20 years. In January 2015, the Obama administration said that Cuba had completed the release of 53 prisoners it had promised to free during efforts to normalise relations between the two countries. The Commission for Human Rights estimates that Cuba is holding around 100 political prisoners. (Reuters)

Cuba pardons 787 convicts after Pope asks world leaders to show clemency

News network CNN accepted interim Democratic Committee chairman Donna Brazile&#39;s resignation after leaked emails showed that she offered Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton&#39;s campaign information about presidential debate questions.

A hacked email published by WikiLeaks earlier in October suggested that she may have tipped off Clinton&#39;s advisers about a March CNN town-hall debate question about the death penalty, Reuters said.

The news network announced the political commentator&#39;s departure after a subsequent leaked email showed Brazile said she had access to &quot;questions in advance&quot; and offered to &quot;send a few more&quot;. CNN reported that Bazile offered her resignation on October 14.

CNN said in a statement that it was &quot;completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor.&quot;

Brazile had denied accusations that she passed on information about debate questions saying that &quot;as a longtime political activist&quot; she had shared her thoughts &quot;with each and every campaign, and any suggestions that indicate otherwise are simply untrue,&quot; CNN reported.

&ldquo;CNN never gave Brazile access to any questions, prep material, attendee list, background information or meetings in advance of a town hall or debate,&rdquo; said CNN spokeswoman Lauren Pratapas in an email to The New York Post.

The Clinton campaign refused to comment &quot;on the authenticity of any individual emails that have been hacked by the Russian government&quot;.

Brazile&#39;s contract with CNN was suspended after she was appointed interim chairman in July. She posted several tweets after the news broke.

&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN">@CNN</a>. Honored to be a Democratic Strategist and commentator on the network. Godspeed to all my former colleagues.
&mdash; Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) <a href="https://twitter.com/donnabrazile/status/793119360646643713">October 31, 2016</a></blockquote>

FBI director James Comey announced on Friday that the agency was reopening the probe into Clinton&#39;s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state after the discovery of new emails.

(With inputs from Reuters)

The Vatican says the teaching -- no female priests -- is an infallible part of Catholic tradition.

News network CNN accepted interim Democratic Committee chairman Donna Brazile's resignation after leaked emails showed that she offered Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign information about presidential debate questions. A hacked email published by WikiLeaks earlier in October suggested that she may have tipped off Clinton's advisers about a March CNN town-hall debate question about the death penalty, Reuters said. The news network announced the political commentator's departure after a subsequent leaked email showed Brazile said she had access to "questions in advance" and offered to "send a few more". CNN reported that Bazile offered her resignation on October 14. CNN said in a statement that it was "completely uncomfortable with what we have learned about her interactions with the Clinton campaign while she was a CNN contributor." Brazile had denied accusations that she passed on information about debate questions saying that "as a longtime political activist" she had shared her thoughts "with each and every campaign, and any suggestions that indicate otherwise are simply untrue," CNN reported. “CNN never gave Brazile access to any questions, prep material, attendee list, background information or meetings in advance of a town hall or debate,” said CNN spokeswoman Lauren Pratapas in an email to The New York Post. The Clinton campaign refused to comment "on the authenticity of any individual emails that have been hacked by the Russian government". Brazile's contract with CNN was suspended after she was appointed interim chairman in July. She posted several tweets after the news broke. Thank you @CNN. Honored to be a Democratic Strategist and commentator on the network. Godspeed to all my former colleagues. — Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) October 31, 2016 FBI director James Comey announced on Friday that the agency was reopening the probe into Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state after the discovery of new emails. (With inputs from Reuters)

Pope says he believes ban on female priests is forever

Hours after the Vatican announced that the Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition had agreed on Monday to launch talks this month, a top opposition leader dismissed the claim.&nbsp;

The opposition leader said they did not agree to hold talks with the government&nbsp;after Pope Francis weighed in on the dispute. Henrique Capriles, a top figure in the opposition MUD coalition, said the announcement of talks was a ploy by President Nicolas Maduro to keep resisting the opposition&#39;s efforts to remove him from power.

&quot;What dialogue? No dialogue has been started in Venezuela,&quot; said Henrique Capriles, a senior MUD figure, in an address broadcast online.&nbsp;

The Vatican had intervened to calm tensions in the country after the opposition accused the President of trampling on democracy by blocking a referendum to vote him out of power.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the opposition said that President Maduro had jumped the gun&nbsp;by announcing the talks before terms had been agreed, with one leader accusing him of &nbsp;taking advantage of the Pope&#39;s &quot;good faith&quot;.&nbsp;

Earlier, the Vatican envoy to Argentina, Emil Paul Tscherring said that both sides had met and agreed to initiate a national dialogue with the purpose of establishing conditions for holding a plenary meeting later this month.&nbsp;

Capriles, however, added that he welcomed the Vatican&#39;s offer to help.

His announcement came after President Maduro received a private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis. &quot;I thanked him in the name of Venezuela for all the support, so that at last, definitively, a formal dialogue could be started in Venezuela between the opposition and the legitimate Bolivarian government that I lead,&quot; Maduro said in televised comments afterward.

The pope urged both parties &quot;to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion,&quot; a Vatican statement said.&nbsp;

The opposition had vowed mass protests to fight what it called Maduro&#39;s &quot;dictatorship&quot; as it embarked on a new strategy to oust him.&nbsp;

The brewing political tensions in the country have increased the risk of violent unrest in the South American nation that is already dealing with an economic crisis.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Senior opposition leader denied agreeing to hold talks with government, saying it was a ploy to resist efforts to remove Maduro from power

Hours after the Vatican announced that the Maduro government and the Venezuelan opposition had agreed on Monday to launch talks this month, a top opposition leader dismissed the claim. The opposition leader said they did not agree to hold talks with the government after Pope Francis weighed in on the dispute. Henrique Capriles, a top figure in the opposition MUD coalition, said the announcement of talks was a ploy by President Nicolas Maduro to keep resisting the opposition's efforts to remove him from power. "What dialogue? No dialogue has been started in Venezuela," said Henrique Capriles, a senior MUD figure, in an address broadcast online. The Vatican had intervened to calm tensions in the country after the opposition accused the President of trampling on democracy by blocking a referendum to vote him out of power. However, the opposition said that President Maduro had jumped the gun by announcing the talks before terms had been agreed, with one leader accusing him of taking advantage of the Pope's "good faith". Earlier, the Vatican envoy to Argentina, Emil Paul Tscherring said that both sides had met and agreed to initiate a national dialogue with the purpose of establishing conditions for holding a plenary meeting later this month. Capriles, however, added that he welcomed the Vatican's offer to help. His announcement came after President Maduro received a private audience at the Vatican with Pope Francis. "I thanked him in the name of Venezuela for all the support, so that at last, definitively, a formal dialogue could be started in Venezuela between the opposition and the legitimate Bolivarian government that I lead," Maduro said in televised comments afterward. The pope urged both parties "to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion," a Vatican statement said. The opposition had vowed mass protests to fight what it called Maduro's "dictatorship" as it embarked on a new strategy to oust him. The brewing political tensions in the country have increased the risk of violent unrest in the South American nation that is already dealing with an economic crisis. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Venezuela opposition: No talks with Maduro government

Pope Francis today sought to comfort close friends and families of victims of the July truck attack in Nice that left more than 80 dead. 
&nbsp; 
He began his address by urging those who were &quot;attacked by the demon&quot; to respond with &quot;forgiveness, love and respect for your neighbour&quot; rather than giving in to the temptation to react with hate and violence. 
 
Among some 1,000 people who attended the ceremony, were members of Nice&#39;s Jewish community and a local Muslim imam. 
 
&quot;It makes me happy to see that inter-religious relations are very vibrant among you, and this cannot but soothe the wounds left by this dramatic event,&quot; Francis said. 
 
On the evening of July 14, a 19-tonne cargo truck was deliberately driven into crowds celebrating France&rsquo;s national day. 
 
The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack that injured more than 400. 
 
Less than two weeks later, on July 26, two IS militants attacked participants in a Mass at a Catholic church in northern France and killed an elderly priest, Father Jacques Hamel. 
 
Following the attack, the pope declared &ldquo;the world is at war&rdquo;. 
 
But the pope also insisted the war was not a religious one, and that it was wrong to &quot;identify Islam with violence&quot;, suggesting instead that the lack of economic opportunities for young people in Europe was one of the causes of terrorism. 
 
After speaking briefly, the pope descended from the pulpit and spent more than 45 minutes meeting those who attended the ceremony. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

He urged them to respond with 'forgiveness, love and respect for your neighbour' rather than with hate and violence

Pope Francis today sought to comfort close friends and families of victims of the July truck attack in Nice that left more than 80 dead. He began his address by urging those who were "attacked by the demon" to respond with "forgiveness, love and respect for your neighbour" rather than giving in to the temptation to react with hate and violence. Among some 1,000 people who attended the ceremony, were members of Nice's Jewish community and a local Muslim imam. "It makes me happy to see that inter-religious relations are very vibrant among you, and this cannot but soothe the wounds left by this dramatic event," Francis said. On the evening of July 14, a 19-tonne cargo truck was deliberately driven into crowds celebrating France’s national day. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack that injured more than 400. Less than two weeks later, on July 26, two IS militants attacked participants in a Mass at a Catholic church in northern France and killed an elderly priest, Father Jacques Hamel. Following the attack, the pope declared “the world is at war”. But the pope also insisted the war was not a religious one, and that it was wrong to "identify Islam with violence", suggesting instead that the lack of economic opportunities for young people in Europe was one of the causes of terrorism. After speaking briefly, the pope descended from the pulpit and spent more than 45 minutes meeting those who attended the ceremony. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Pope offers comfort to friends, families of Nice attack victims

Pope Francis&rsquo; sex abuse panel will provide training to newly appointed bishops on how to deal with child abuse. 
 
Francis set up the panel to root out sexual molestation by priests. 
 
The move, announced on Monday, is a big step for the panel, made up of clerics and lay people, including women, mostly with little previous Vatican experience, that has struggled to be fully accepted within the Church&#39;s power structure. 
 
The decision to draw on the expertise of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors comes after a French monsignor who taught so-called &quot;baby bishops&quot; courses for new Church leaders, caused an uproar by telling them they did not necessarily have to report abuse to civil authorities. 
 
Cardinal Sean O&#39;Malley of Boston, the president of the commission, later rebuked monsignor Tony Anatrella. He said bishops had &quot;a moral and ethical responsibility&quot; to do so. 
 
The worldwide sex abuse scandal first came to light in Boston in 2001 when it was revealed that predatory priests were shunted from parish to parish instead of being defrocked and handed over to the police. 
 
Francis has compared the abuse of children by priests to devil worship and vowed a &quot;zero tolerance&quot; approach, setting up the commission in 2014, a year after taking office, to advise him on how to root out sexual abuse within the Church. 
 
But the slow pace of change in the Vatican has not received a positive response from some of the commission members.&nbsp; 
 
To add to that, a British member who went public with his criticisms was put on leave of absence after the panel passed a no-confidence motion in him. 
 
Peter Saunders, head of Britain&#39;s National Association for People Abused in Childhood, who was abused by two priests as a child, called for the commission to go beyond its advisory mandate and speak out on specific cases. 
 
The commission has decided it will participate in two courses in the Vatican for new bishops, including the one that the French monsignor Anatrella spoke to last year. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The move is a big step for the panel, made up of lay people, that has struggled to be fully accepted within the Church's power structure

Pope Francis’ sex abuse panel will provide training to newly appointed bishops on how to deal with child abuse. Francis set up the panel to root out sexual molestation by priests. The move, announced on Monday, is a big step for the panel, made up of clerics and lay people, including women, mostly with little previous Vatican experience, that has struggled to be fully accepted within the Church's power structure. The decision to draw on the expertise of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors comes after a French monsignor who taught so-called "baby bishops" courses for new Church leaders, caused an uproar by telling them they did not necessarily have to report abuse to civil authorities. Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston, the president of the commission, later rebuked monsignor Tony Anatrella. He said bishops had "a moral and ethical responsibility" to do so. The worldwide sex abuse scandal first came to light in Boston in 2001 when it was revealed that predatory priests were shunted from parish to parish instead of being defrocked and handed over to the police. Francis has compared the abuse of children by priests to devil worship and vowed a "zero tolerance" approach, setting up the commission in 2014, a year after taking office, to advise him on how to root out sexual abuse within the Church. But the slow pace of change in the Vatican has not received a positive response from some of the commission members. To add to that, a British member who went public with his criticisms was put on leave of absence after the panel passed a no-confidence motion in him. Peter Saunders, head of Britain's National Association for People Abused in Childhood, who was abused by two priests as a child, called for the commission to go beyond its advisory mandate and speak out on specific cases. The commission has decided it will participate in two courses in the Vatican for new bishops, including the one that the French monsignor Anatrella spoke to last year. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Pope's sex abuse panel to help new bishops improve child protection

Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa, the celebrated nun, has been proclaimed a saint of the Roman Catholic Church today. 
 
Tens of thousands of people gathered to attend a service led by Pope Francis in St Peter&#39;s Square at the Vatican to honour the nun, also known as the &#39;Saint of the Gutters&#39;, who worked with the poorest of the poor in eastern Indian city of Kolkata for about four decades.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;For the honour of the Blessed Trinity... we declare and define Blessed&nbsp;Teresa&nbsp;of Calcutta (Kolkata) to be a Saint and we enroll her among the Saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church,&quot; Pope Francis said in Lation as he&nbsp;declared the revered nun a&nbsp;a saint.&nbsp; 
 
From India, a 12-member central delegation led by Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and two state government-level delegations from northern Delhi and eastern state of West Bengal, led by chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, are attending the function. 
 
The sainthood ceremony, for which the Vatican could easily have issued twice as many tickets, comes one day short of the 19th anniversary of Teresa&#39;s death, at 87, in the Indian city where she spent her adult life, first teaching, then tending to the dying poor. 
&nbsp;
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The sainthood ceremony, for which the Vatican could easily have issued twice as many tickets, comes one day short of the 19th anniversary of Teresa&#39;s death.&nbsp;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" death="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The sainthood ceremony, for which the Vatican could easily have issued twice as many tickets, comes one day short of the 19th anniversary of Teresa" s="">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
 
 
&#39;Pope had no doubt about her eligibility for sainthood&#39; 
 
Mother Teresa&#39;s legacy fits neatly with Francis&#39;s vision of a poor church that strives to serve the poor. The canonisation ceremony is the highlight of his Holy Year of Mercy which runs until November 8. 
 
However, Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity (MoC) order have been criticised both during her life and since her death in 1997, but many Catholics revere her as a model of compassion. 
 
The debate over the nun&#39;s legacy has continued after her death with researchers uncovering financial irregularities in the running of her Order and evidence mounting of patients&#39; neglect, insalubrious conditions and questionable conversions of the vulnerable in her missions. 
&nbsp;
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>The debate over the nun&#39;s legacy has continued after her death with researchers uncovering financial irregularities in the running of her Order.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a after="" class="twitter popup" continued="" death="" financial="" has="" her="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The debate over the nun" in="" irregularities="" legacy="" of="" order.="" researchers="" running="" s="" the="" uncovering="" with="">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
 
 
Critics say she did little to alleviate the pain of the terminally ill and nothing to tackle the root causes of poverty. Atheist writer Christopher Hitchens made a documentary about her called &quot;Hell&#39;s Angel&quot;. 
 
She was also accused of trying to convert the destitute in predominantly-Hindu India to Christianity, a charge her mission has repeatedly denied. 
 
But Pope John Paul II, who met her often, had no doubt about her eligibility for sainthood, and put her on a fast track to elevation two years after her death instead of the usual five. 
 
The miracles&nbsp; 
 
By historical standards, Teresa has been fast-tracked to sainthood, thanks largely to one of the few people to have achieved canonisation faster, John Paul II. 
 
The Polish cleric was a personal friend of Teresa and as the pope at the time of her death, he was responsible for her being beatified in 2003. 
 
Achieving sainthood requires the Vatican to approve accounts of two miracles occurring as a result of prayers for Teresa&#39;s intercession. 
&nbsp;
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Achieving sainthood requires the Vatican to approve accounts of two miracles occurring as a result of prayers for Teresa&#39;s intercession.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Achieving sainthood requires the Vatican to approve accounts of two miracles occurring as a result of prayers for Teresa" intercession.="" s="">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
 
The first one, ratified in 2002, was of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, who says she recovered from ovarian cancer a year after Teresa&#39;s death, something local health officials have put down to medical advances rather than the power of prayer. 
 
In the second, approved last year, Brazilian Marcilio Haddad Andrino says his wife&#39;s prayers to Teresa led to brain tumours disappearing. Eight years later, Andrino and his wife Fernanda will be in the congregation on Sunday. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters, AFP)&nbsp;

Teresa, also known as the 'saint of the gutters', worked with the poorest of the poor in Indian city of Kolkata for nearly four decades

Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa, the celebrated nun, has been proclaimed a saint of the Roman Catholic Church today. Tens of thousands of people gathered to attend a service led by Pope Francis in St Peter's Square at the Vatican to honour the nun, also known as the 'Saint of the Gutters', who worked with the poorest of the poor in eastern Indian city of Kolkata for about four decades. "For the honour of the Blessed Trinity... we declare and define Blessed Teresa of Calcutta (Kolkata) to be a Saint and we enroll her among the Saints, decreeing that she is to be venerated as such by the whole Church," Pope Francis said in Lation as he declared the revered nun a a saint. From India, a 12-member central delegation led by Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and two state government-level delegations from northern Delhi and eastern state of West Bengal, led by chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, are attending the function. The sainthood ceremony, for which the Vatican could easily have issued twice as many tickets, comes one day short of the 19th anniversary of Teresa's death, at 87, in the Indian city where she spent her adult life, first teaching, then tending to the dying poor. The sainthood ceremony, for which the Vatican could easily have issued twice as many tickets, comes one day short of the 19th anniversary of Teresa's death. 'Pope had no doubt about her eligibility for sainthood' Mother Teresa's legacy fits neatly with Francis's vision of a poor church that strives to serve the poor. The canonisation ceremony is the highlight of his Holy Year of Mercy which runs until November 8. However, Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity (MoC) order have been criticised both during her life and since her death in 1997, but many Catholics revere her as a model of compassion. The debate over the nun's legacy has continued after her death with researchers uncovering financial irregularities in the running of her Order and evidence mounting of patients' neglect, insalubrious conditions and questionable conversions of the vulnerable in her missions. The debate over the nun's legacy has continued after her death with researchers uncovering financial irregularities in the running of her Order. Critics say she did little to alleviate the pain of the terminally ill and nothing to tackle the root causes of poverty. Atheist writer Christopher Hitchens made a documentary about her called "Hell's Angel". She was also accused of trying to convert the destitute in predominantly-Hindu India to Christianity, a charge her mission has repeatedly denied. But Pope John Paul II, who met her often, had no doubt about her eligibility for sainthood, and put her on a fast track to elevation two years after her death instead of the usual five. The miracles By historical standards, Teresa has been fast-tracked to sainthood, thanks largely to one of the few people to have achieved canonisation faster, John Paul II. The Polish cleric was a personal friend of Teresa and as the pope at the time of her death, he was responsible for her being beatified in 2003. Achieving sainthood requires the Vatican to approve accounts of two miracles occurring as a result of prayers for Teresa's intercession. Achieving sainthood requires the Vatican to approve accounts of two miracles occurring as a result of prayers for Teresa's intercession. The first one, ratified in 2002, was of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, who says she recovered from ovarian cancer a year after Teresa's death, something local health officials have put down to medical advances rather than the power of prayer. In the second, approved last year, Brazilian Marcilio Haddad Andrino says his wife's prayers to Teresa led to brain tumours disappearing. Eight years later, Andrino and his wife Fernanda will be in the congregation on Sunday. (WION with inputs from Reuters, AFP)

Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa elevated to sainthood

Pope Francis, who has condemned human trafficking as a crime against humanity, on Friday made a surprise visit to a Rome safe house where a Catholic charity is protecting women freed from a life of forced prostitution.

The Vatican, which did not disclose the exact location of the house, said the pope met 20 women from Romania, Albania, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Italy. He encouraged them to &quot;be strong&quot; as they start new lives, a Vatican official said.

The statement said the pope made the visit to the Pope John XXIII Community,&nbsp;started by an Italian priest to help free women from their pimps,&nbsp;in order to &quot;appeal to consciences to fight human trafficking&quot;.

Under his papacy, the Vatican has hosted a series of conferences bringing together international police organisations, legislators and religious groups to find ways to work together to fight human trafficking and modern slavery.

Addressing one such group in 2014, he called trafficking an open wound for society and a crime against humanity.

Using the promise of a job, traffickers bring women to Italy and other Western European countries from Africa and Eastern Europe and then force them into prostitution.

Human rights groups estimate that millions of people around the world are victims of human trafficking and forms of modern slavery such as forced prostitution or unpaid manual labour. 
 
(Reuters)

The Vatican said the pope met 20 women from Romania, Albania, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Italy and encouraged them to be strong

Pope Francis, who has condemned human trafficking as a crime against humanity, on Friday made a surprise visit to a Rome safe house where a Catholic charity is protecting women freed from a life of forced prostitution. The Vatican, which did not disclose the exact location of the house, said the pope met 20 women from Romania, Albania, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Italy. He encouraged them to "be strong" as they start new lives, a Vatican official said. The statement said the pope made the visit to the Pope John XXIII Community, started by an Italian priest to help free women from their pimps, in order to "appeal to consciences to fight human trafficking". Under his papacy, the Vatican has hosted a series of conferences bringing together international police organisations, legislators and religious groups to find ways to work together to fight human trafficking and modern slavery. Addressing one such group in 2014, he called trafficking an open wound for society and a crime against humanity. Using the promise of a job, traffickers bring women to Italy and other Western European countries from Africa and Eastern Europe and then force them into prostitution. Human rights groups estimate that millions of people around the world are victims of human trafficking and forms of modern slavery such as forced prostitution or unpaid manual labour. (Reuters)

Pope visits Rome safe house for women forced into prostitution

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Islam could not be equated with terrorism and warned Europe was pushing its young into the hands of extremists. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not true and it&#39;s not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism,&quot; he told journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from a trip to Poland. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it is right to equate Islam with violence&quot;. 
 
Francis defended his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal jihadist murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
&quot;In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too.&quot; 
 
&quot;If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics.&quot; 
 
The pontiff was speaking after Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the murder of the priest, whose throat was slit at the altar of his church. 
 
In an echo of remarks made during his five-day trip to Poland for a Catholic youth festival, Francis said religion was not the driving force behind the violence. 
 
&quot;You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife,&quot; he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. 
 
He said Europe should look closer to home, saying &quot;terrorism... grows where the God of money is put first&quot; and &quot;where there are no other options&quot;. 
 
&quot;How many of our European young have we left empty of ideals, with no work, so they turn to drugs, to alcohol, and sign up with fundamentalist groups?&quot; he asked. 
 
(AFP)

Pope defended his decision not to name Islam while condemning brutal jihadist murder of Catholic priest in recent church attack in France

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Islam could not be equated with terrorism and warned Europe was pushing its young into the hands of extremists. "It's not true and it's not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism," he told journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from a trip to Poland. "I don't think it is right to equate Islam with violence". Francis defended his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal jihadist murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. "In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too." "If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics." The pontiff was speaking after Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the murder of the priest, whose throat was slit at the altar of his church. In an echo of remarks made during his five-day trip to Poland for a Catholic youth festival, Francis said religion was not the driving force behind the violence. "You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife," he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. He said Europe should look closer to home, saying "terrorism... grows where the God of money is put first" and "where there are no other options". "How many of our European young have we left empty of ideals, with no work, so they turn to drugs, to alcohol, and sign up with fundamentalist groups?" he asked. (AFP)

Islam is not terrorism: Pope

Pope Francis said today that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in Normandy, France yesterday was proof that the &quot;world is at war&quot;. 
 
However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. 
 
&quot;The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war,&quot; he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. 
 
&quot;Let&#39;s recognise it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces,&quot; he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. 
 
&quot;Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organised and it is war,&quot; he said. &quot;We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace.&quot; 
 
About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted &quot;to clarify&quot; that he was not referring to a war of religion. 
 
&quot;Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?&quot; he said. 
 
He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, &quot;a saintly priest&quot;, but said he was just one of many innocent victims. 
 
He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the Pope on Tuesday. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Pope insisted that he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests

Pope Francis said today that a string of recent attacks, including the murder of a priest in Normandy, France yesterday was proof that the "world is at war". However, speaking to reporters aboard a plane taking him to Poland, the pope said he was not talking about a war of religion, but rather one of domination of peoples and economic interests. "The word that is being repeated often is insecurity, but the real word is war," he said in brief comments to reporters while flying to southern Poland for a five-day visit. "Let's recognise it. The world is in a state of war in bits and pieces," he said, adding that the attacks could be seen as another world war, specifically mentioning World War One and Two. "Now there is this one (war). It is perhaps not organic but it is organised and it is war," he said. "We should not be afraid to speak this truth. The world is at war because it has lost peace." About 15 minutes later, after greeting journalists individually, Francis took the microphone again and said he wanted "to clarify" that he was not referring to a war of religion. "Not a war of religion. There is a war of interests. There is a war for money. There is a war for natural resources. There is a war for domination of peoples. This is the war," he said. "All religions want peace. Others want war. Do you understand?" he said. He called Jacques Hamel, the priest forced to his knees by Islamist militants on Tuesday who then slit his throat, "a saintly priest", but said he was just one of many innocent victims. He thanked the many people around the world who have sent their condolences over the killing of Father Hamel, particularly French President Francois Hollande, who spoke to the Pope on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Pope Francis: Attacks show 'world is at war', religion not to blame

The parents of an American student who went missing in Rome only to be found dead in the Tiber River met with Pope Francis on Wednesday, as video evidence emerged of the last moments of his life. 
 
The Argentine expressed his &quot;profound emotion&quot; over the death of Beau Solomon, 19, who Italian police believe was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man, who pushed him into the river. 
 
The pontiff, who met Solomon&#39;s parents at the start of an audience with French pilgrims, assured them of his &quot;compassion and spiritual closeness through prayer&quot;, Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a note. 
 
The teenager&#39;s body was found on Monday after he disappeared in the early hours of Friday following an evening out in the hip Trastevere district near the Tiber with fellow foreign students. 
 
Investigators believe Solomon, in Rome for a five-week summer course at the John Cabot University, was robbed before his death, forced to hand over his wallet and mobile phone. 
 
He is then thought to have chased after the thieves, following them to the river. 
 
It is there he apparently ran into and brawled with 40-year-old homeless Italian Massimo Galioto, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter. 
 
After witnesses told police they had seen a man being thrown into the water following a drunken altercation, a grainy video emerged, filmed by the owner of a summer festival stall still open on the opposite bank, which showed Galioto and Solomon. 
 
And footage recovered from a security camera in the area captures the moment the Wisconsin youngster fell in the river. 
 
Solomon&#39;s bank card was used in the days he went missing 
 
Galioto&#39;s companion, with whom he shared a tent on the embankment, told journalists he had not meant to hurt the student. 
 
&quot;They began to argue. They were pushing each other. Massimo pushed him, the boy pushed back, and then he fell in,&quot; she said. 
 
The young sports fan, who reportedly survived a rare form of cancer as a child and hoped to enter politics after university, suffered a wound to the head and his shirt was bloodied. 
 
Police suspect he may have hit his head on a rock when he fell. 
 
Galioto was detained for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested after he was implicated by the rest of the group. 
 
The Repubblica daily said prosecutor Marcello Monteleone was investigating whether Solomon had been a victim of a criminal gang specialised in robbing tourists before his death. 
 
His bank card was used in the days he was missing by someone who withdrew over 1,500 euros ($1,675) in Milan. 
 
The Repubblica also carried an interview it had done last year with Galioto, on being a homeless man in Rome, in which he described life in his tent with his companion and their mongrel dogs. 
 
The self-declared former fishmonger said his world fell apart when he caught his wife in bed with another man. 
 
He severed all ties with his family, including his now 17-year old son, and was making what money he could through street juggling, before the arrest warrant fell. 
 
(AFP)

Italian police believe the student was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man

The parents of an American student who went missing in Rome only to be found dead in the Tiber River met with Pope Francis on Wednesday, as video evidence emerged of the last moments of his life. The Argentine expressed his "profound emotion" over the death of Beau Solomon, 19, who Italian police believe was killed during a late-night drunken skirmish with a homeless man, who pushed him into the river. The pontiff, who met Solomon's parents at the start of an audience with French pilgrims, assured them of his "compassion and spiritual closeness through prayer", Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi said in a note. The teenager's body was found on Monday after he disappeared in the early hours of Friday following an evening out in the hip Trastevere district near the Tiber with fellow foreign students. Investigators believe Solomon, in Rome for a five-week summer course at the John Cabot University, was robbed before his death, forced to hand over his wallet and mobile phone. He is then thought to have chased after the thieves, following them to the river. It is there he apparently ran into and brawled with 40-year-old homeless Italian Massimo Galioto, who was arrested on Tuesday for manslaughter. After witnesses told police they had seen a man being thrown into the water following a drunken altercation, a grainy video emerged, filmed by the owner of a summer festival stall still open on the opposite bank, which showed Galioto and Solomon. And footage recovered from a security camera in the area captures the moment the Wisconsin youngster fell in the river. Solomon's bank card was used in the days he went missing Galioto's companion, with whom he shared a tent on the embankment, told journalists he had not meant to hurt the student. "They began to argue. They were pushing each other. Massimo pushed him, the boy pushed back, and then he fell in," she said. The young sports fan, who reportedly survived a rare form of cancer as a child and hoped to enter politics after university, suffered a wound to the head and his shirt was bloodied. Police suspect he may have hit his head on a rock when he fell. Galioto was detained for questioning over the weekend with seven fellow homeless people from the area, but was initially released, before being arrested after he was implicated by the rest of the group. The Repubblica daily said prosecutor Marcello Monteleone was investigating whether Solomon had been a victim of a criminal gang specialised in robbing tourists before his death. His bank card was used in the days he was missing by someone who withdrew over 1,500 euros ($1,675) in Milan. The Repubblica also carried an interview it had done last year with Galioto, on being a homeless man in Rome, in which he described life in his tent with his companion and their mongrel dogs. The self-declared former fishmonger said his world fell apart when he caught his wife in bed with another man. He severed all ties with his family, including his now 17-year old son, and was making what money he could through street juggling, before the arrest warrant fell. (AFP)

Pope meets parents of US student killed in Rome

Pope Francis on Tuesday criticised countries which are arming the warring parties in Syria while speaking at the same time of peace. 
 
The pontiff did not name any countries. President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s government is receiving military and other help from Russia and Iran, while some opposition groups have the backing of Sunni Muslim regional powers and the West. 
 
&quot;While the people suffer, incredible quantities of money are being spent to supply weapons to fighters. And some of the countries supplying these arms are also among those that talk of peace,&quot; Francis said in a video message to a charity group holding a conference on Syria. 
 
&quot;How can you believe in someone who caresses you with the right hand and strikes you with the left hand?&quot; 
 
More than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 11 million displaced in Syria&#39;s five-year-old civil war, which has led to Europe&#39;s biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. 
 
UN-brokered peace talks have stalled. The United Nations&#39; envoy to Syria told the UN Security Council last week it remained unclear when the next round peace talks would take place. 
 
Francis has made many appeals for peace in Syria and has criticised arms manufacters and traffickers, saying they cannot in good conscience call themselves Christians. 
 
(Reuters)

More than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 11 million displaced in Syria's five-year-old civil war

Pope Francis on Tuesday criticised countries which are arming the warring parties in Syria while speaking at the same time of peace. The pontiff did not name any countries. President Bashar al-Assad's government is receiving military and other help from Russia and Iran, while some opposition groups have the backing of Sunni Muslim regional powers and the West. "While the people suffer, incredible quantities of money are being spent to supply weapons to fighters. And some of the countries supplying these arms are also among those that talk of peace," Francis said in a video message to a charity group holding a conference on Syria. "How can you believe in someone who caresses you with the right hand and strikes you with the left hand?" More than a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than 11 million displaced in Syria's five-year-old civil war, which has led to Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. UN-brokered peace talks have stalled. The United Nations' envoy to Syria told the UN Security Council last week it remained unclear when the next round peace talks would take place. Francis has made many appeals for peace in Syria and has criticised arms manufacters and traffickers, saying they cannot in good conscience call themselves Christians. (Reuters)

Pope raps countries that talk of peace in Syria but supply arms

Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way they have been treated. 
 
Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome from Armenia, he also said the Church should ask forgiveness for the way it has treated women, for turning a blind eye to child labour and for &quot;blessing so many weapons&quot; in the past. 
 
In the hour-long freewheeling conversation that has become a trademark of his international travels, Francis was asked if he agreed with recent comments by a German Roman Catholic cardinal that the Church should apologise to gays. 
 
Pope recalls Church teachings&nbsp; 
Francis looked sad when the reporter asked if an apology was made more urgent by the killing of 49 people at a gay club in Orlando, Florida this month. 
 
He recalled Church teachings that homosexuals &quot;should not be discriminated against. They should be respected, accompanied pastorally.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think that the Church not only should apologise ... to a gay person whom it offended but it must also apologise to the poor as well, to the women who have been exploited, to children who have been exploited by (being forced to) work. It must apologise for having blessed so many weapons.&quot; 
 
The Church teaches that homosexual tendencies are not sinful but homosexual acts are, and that homosexuals should try to be chaste. 
 
Francis repeated a slightly modified version of the now-famous &quot;Who am I to judge?&quot; comment he made about gays on his first foreign trip after his election in 2013. 
 
&quot;The questions is: if a person who has that condition, who has good will, and who looks for God, who are we to judge?&quot; 
 
&#39;Forgiveness, not apology&#39; &nbsp; 
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said that the pope, by saying &quot;has that condition&quot;, did not imply a medical condition but &quot;a person in that situation&quot;. In Italian, the word &quot;condition&quot; can also mean &quot;situation&quot;. 
 
&quot;We Christians have to apologise for so many things, not just for this (treatment of gays), but we must ask for forgiveness, not just apologise! Forgiveness! Lord, it is a word we forget so often!&quot; he said. 
 
Francis has been hailed by many in the gay community for being the most merciful pope towards them in recent history and conservative Catholics have criticised him for making comments they say are ambiguous about sexual morality. 
 
He told reporters on the plane &quot;there are traditions in some countries, some cultures, that have a different mentality about this question (homosexuals)&quot; and there are &quot;some (gay) demonstrations that are too offensive for some&quot;. 
 
But he suggested that those were not grounds for discrimination or marginalisation of gays. 
 
Pope insists on &#39;re-creating&#39; while talking about Brexit 
The pope did not elaborate on what he meant by seeking forgiveness for the Church &quot;having blessed so many weapons&quot;, but it appeared to be a reference to some Churchmen who actively backed wars in the past. 
 
In other parts of the conversation, Francis said he hoped the European Union &nbsp;(EU) would be able to give itself another form after the United Kingdom&#39;s decision to leave. 
 
&quot;There is something that is not working in that bulky union, but let&rsquo;s not throw the baby out with the bath water, let&rsquo;s try to jump-start things, to re-create,&quot; he said. 
 
He also denied reports that former Pope Benedict, who resigned in 2013, was still exercising influence inside the Vatican. 
 
&quot;There is only one pope,&quot; he said. He praised Benedict, 89, for &quot;protecting me, having my back, with his prayers&quot;. 
 
Francis said he had heard that when some Church officials had gone to Benedict to complain that Francis was too liberal, Benedict &quot;sent them packing&quot;. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Also says Church should ask forgiveness for how it has treated women, child labour and for 'blessing so many weapons in the past'

Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should seek forgiveness from homosexuals for the way they have been treated. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him back to Rome from Armenia, he also said the Church should ask forgiveness for the way it has treated women, for turning a blind eye to child labour and for "blessing so many weapons" in the past. In the hour-long freewheeling conversation that has become a trademark of his international travels, Francis was asked if he agreed with recent comments by a German Roman Catholic cardinal that the Church should apologise to gays. Pope recalls Church teachings Francis looked sad when the reporter asked if an apology was made more urgent by the killing of 49 people at a gay club in Orlando, Florida this month. He recalled Church teachings that homosexuals "should not be discriminated against. They should be respected, accompanied pastorally." "I think that the Church not only should apologise ... to a gay person whom it offended but it must also apologise to the poor as well, to the women who have been exploited, to children who have been exploited by (being forced to) work. It must apologise for having blessed so many weapons." The Church teaches that homosexual tendencies are not sinful but homosexual acts are, and that homosexuals should try to be chaste. Francis repeated a slightly modified version of the now-famous "Who am I to judge?" comment he made about gays on his first foreign trip after his election in 2013. "The questions is: if a person who has that condition, who has good will, and who looks for God, who are we to judge?" 'Forgiveness, not apology' Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said that the pope, by saying "has that condition", did not imply a medical condition but "a person in that situation". In Italian, the word "condition" can also mean "situation". "We Christians have to apologise for so many things, not just for this (treatment of gays), but we must ask for forgiveness, not just apologise! Forgiveness! Lord, it is a word we forget so often!" he said. Francis has been hailed by many in the gay community for being the most merciful pope towards them in recent history and conservative Catholics have criticised him for making comments they say are ambiguous about sexual morality. He told reporters on the plane "there are traditions in some countries, some cultures, that have a different mentality about this question (homosexuals)" and there are "some (gay) demonstrations that are too offensive for some". But he suggested that those were not grounds for discrimination or marginalisation of gays. Pope insists on 're-creating' while talking about Brexit The pope did not elaborate on what he meant by seeking forgiveness for the Church "having blessed so many weapons", but it appeared to be a reference to some Churchmen who actively backed wars in the past. In other parts of the conversation, Francis said he hoped the European Union (EU) would be able to give itself another form after the United Kingdom's decision to leave. "There is something that is not working in that bulky union, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water, let’s try to jump-start things, to re-create," he said. He also denied reports that former Pope Benedict, who resigned in 2013, was still exercising influence inside the Vatican. "There is only one pope," he said. He praised Benedict, 89, for "protecting me, having my back, with his prayers". Francis said he had heard that when some Church officials had gone to Benedict to complain that Francis was too liberal, Benedict "sent them packing". (Reuters)

Be a good Christian, ask homosexuals for forgiveness: Pope

Armenia expects more countries to recognise the 1915 massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire a century ago as a &quot;genocide&quot; after remarks by Pope Francis and the stance taken by Germany&#39;s Parliament, its President said. 
 
Germany&#39;s lower house adopted a resolution this month declaring the killings of Christian Armenians by Ottoman forces in World War I a &quot;genocide&quot;, a term used by many Western historians and parliaments, but rejected by Ankara. 
 
During a visit to Armenia on Friday, the pope departed from his prepared text to use the term, angering Turks. 
 
Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces at the time, but contests assertions that up to 1.5 million were killed, and denies the killings were orchestrated and so constitute a genocide. 
 
&quot;The principled position of the pope and the views expressed by the Bundestag will pave the way for new recognitions by other nations,&quot; President Serzh Sarksyan told Reuters in an interview. 
 
&quot;Germany is a very important and significant actor on the international stage and this (decision) will serve as a good example for other nations to follow and to learn from it,&quot; he said. 
 
Sarksyan criticised Turkey&#39;s position over its aspiration to join the European Union, saying Ankara was trying to use a policy of dictatorship to bring pressure to bear on the bloc. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think that Turkey is ... an actor that can impose its views, or exercise pressure, on the European Union,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t honestly see any prospects that would pave the way for Turkey joining the EU.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Germany adopted a resolution declaring the killings of Christian Armenians by Ottoman forces in World War I a 'genocide' rejected by Ankara

Armenia expects more countries to recognise the 1915 massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire a century ago as a "genocide" after remarks by Pope Francis and the stance taken by Germany's Parliament, its President said. Germany's lower house adopted a resolution this month declaring the killings of Christian Armenians by Ottoman forces in World War I a "genocide", a term used by many Western historians and parliaments, but rejected by Ankara. During a visit to Armenia on Friday, the pope departed from his prepared text to use the term, angering Turks. Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces at the time, but contests assertions that up to 1.5 million were killed, and denies the killings were orchestrated and so constitute a genocide. "The principled position of the pope and the views expressed by the Bundestag will pave the way for new recognitions by other nations," President Serzh Sarksyan told Reuters in an interview. "Germany is a very important and significant actor on the international stage and this (decision) will serve as a good example for other nations to follow and to learn from it," he said. Sarksyan criticised Turkey's position over its aspiration to join the European Union, saying Ankara was trying to use a policy of dictatorship to bring pressure to bear on the bloc. "I don't think that Turkey is ... an actor that can impose its views, or exercise pressure, on the European Union," he said. "I don't honestly see any prospects that would pave the way for Turkey joining the EU." (Reuters)

Armenia expects wider recognition of 'genocide' after German vote, pope's remarks

The Vatican hit back today at Turkey&#39;s depiction of Pope Francis as having a &quot;Crusader mentality&quot; after he used the word genocide to describe the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago. 
 
&quot;The pope is on no crusade. He is not trying to organise wars or build walls, but he wants to build bridges,&quot; spokesman father Federico Lombardi told reporters. &quot;He has not said a word against the Turkish people.&quot; 
 
Addressing Armenia&#39;s president, the government and diplomats on Friday, Francis departed from his prepared text to use the word &quot;genocide&quot;, a description that infuriated Turkey when he first used it a year ago. 
 
Turkey&#39;s Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Saturday it was &quot;very unfortunate&quot; the pope had used the word, adding: &quot;It is unfortunately possible to see all the reflections and traces of Crusader mentality in the actions of the papacy and the pope.&quot; 
 
Francis, who returns to Rome today after visiting a monastery near the border with Turkey, first used the word last year in a ceremony at the Vatican. An infuriated Turkey responded by recalling its ambassador to the Vatican and keeping him away for 10 months. 
 
Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but contests the figures and denies that the killings were systematically orchestrated, and constitute a genocide. It also says many Muslim Turks perished at that time. 
 
Today morning, at the last main event of his three-day trip to Armenia, Francis again made reference to the massacre, paying homage to &quot;the many victims of hatred who suffered and gave their lives for the faith&quot;. 
 
Unusually for the pope, he was a guest in a Christian liturgy where someone else called &quot;His Holiness&quot; presided. 
 
The &quot;divine liturgy&quot; was presided over by Catholicos Karekin II, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which split from Rome over a theological dispute in the fifth century and is part of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. 
 
Francis sat to one side as Karekin led an elaborate service filled with chanting in the compound at Holy Etchmiadzin, the headquarters of the Armenian Church near Yerevan. 
 
The pope, who delighted his hosts by referring several times to the slaughters and visiting Yerevan&#39;s genocide memorial, has urged Armenia and Turkey to seek reconciliation and to shun &quot;the illusory power of vengeance&quot;. 
 
The dispute about the massacres and differences over Yerevan&#39;s support of the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, have led to fraught relations that include closed borders and a lack of diplomatic ties. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The Vatican defended saying he is not trying to 'organise wars or build walls, but wants to build bridges'.

The Vatican hit back today at Turkey's depiction of Pope Francis as having a "Crusader mentality" after he used the word genocide to describe the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago. "The pope is on no crusade. He is not trying to organise wars or build walls, but he wants to build bridges," spokesman father Federico Lombardi told reporters. "He has not said a word against the Turkish people." Addressing Armenia's president, the government and diplomats on Friday, Francis departed from his prepared text to use the word "genocide", a description that infuriated Turkey when he first used it a year ago. Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Saturday it was "very unfortunate" the pope had used the word, adding: "It is unfortunately possible to see all the reflections and traces of Crusader mentality in the actions of the papacy and the pope." Francis, who returns to Rome today after visiting a monastery near the border with Turkey, first used the word last year in a ceremony at the Vatican. An infuriated Turkey responded by recalling its ambassador to the Vatican and keeping him away for 10 months. Turkey accepts that many Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but contests the figures and denies that the killings were systematically orchestrated, and constitute a genocide. It also says many Muslim Turks perished at that time. Today morning, at the last main event of his three-day trip to Armenia, Francis again made reference to the massacre, paying homage to "the many victims of hatred who suffered and gave their lives for the faith". Unusually for the pope, he was a guest in a Christian liturgy where someone else called "His Holiness" presided. The "divine liturgy" was presided over by Catholicos Karekin II, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, which split from Rome over a theological dispute in the fifth century and is part of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. Francis sat to one side as Karekin led an elaborate service filled with chanting in the compound at Holy Etchmiadzin, the headquarters of the Armenian Church near Yerevan. The pope, who delighted his hosts by referring several times to the slaughters and visiting Yerevan's genocide memorial, has urged Armenia and Turkey to seek reconciliation and to shun "the illusory power of vengeance". The dispute about the massacres and differences over Yerevan's support of the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, have led to fraught relations that include closed borders and a lack of diplomatic ties. (Reuters)

Vatican hits back at Turkey for calling pope 'crusader'

Turkey has condemned as &quot;very unfortunate&quot; Pope Francis&#39;s declaration that the mass killings of Armenians a century ago by Ottoman forces amounted to a genocide, saying it bore traces of &quot;the mentality of the Crusades.&quot; 
 
&quot;It is not an objective statement that conforms with reality,&quot; Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canlikli said late on Saturday, quoted by the state-run news agency Anadolu. 
 
The pope on Friday denounced the World War I killing of Armenians as a genocide, prompting Turkey&#39;s anger. 
 
&quot;Sadly this tragedy, this genocide, was the first of the deplorable series of catastrophes of the past century,&quot; the pope said at the presidential palace in Yerevan. 
 
Canikli said: &quot;It is possible to see all the hallmarks or reflections of the mentality of the Crusades in the Pope&#39;s activities.&quot; 
 
When Francis last used the term in the Vatican in 2015, on the centenary of the killings, Ankara angrily recalled its envoy from the Holy See for nearly a year. 
 
The pope on Saturday visited the Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan but sought to strike a conciliatory tone during evening prayers. 
 
&quot;May God bless your future and grant that the people of Armenia and Turkey take up again the path of reconciliation, and may peace also spring forth in Nagorny Karabakh,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Armenians have long sought international recognition for the World War I killings as genocide. 
 
Turkey -- the Ottoman Empire&#39;s successor state -- argues that it was a collective tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians died. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

'It is not an objective statement that conforms with reality,' said deputy prime minister Nurettin Canlikli

Turkey has condemned as "very unfortunate" Pope Francis's declaration that the mass killings of Armenians a century ago by Ottoman forces amounted to a genocide, saying it bore traces of "the mentality of the Crusades." "It is not an objective statement that conforms with reality," Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canlikli said late on Saturday, quoted by the state-run news agency Anadolu. The pope on Friday denounced the World War I killing of Armenians as a genocide, prompting Turkey's anger. "Sadly this tragedy, this genocide, was the first of the deplorable series of catastrophes of the past century," the pope said at the presidential palace in Yerevan. Canikli said: "It is possible to see all the hallmarks or reflections of the mentality of the Crusades in the Pope's activities." When Francis last used the term in the Vatican in 2015, on the centenary of the killings, Ankara angrily recalled its envoy from the Holy See for nearly a year. The pope on Saturday visited the Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan but sought to strike a conciliatory tone during evening prayers. "May God bless your future and grant that the people of Armenia and Turkey take up again the path of reconciliation, and may peace also spring forth in Nagorny Karabakh," he said. Armenians have long sought international recognition for the World War I killings as genocide. Turkey -- the Ottoman Empire's successor state -- argues that it was a collective tragedy in which both Turks and Armenians died. (AFP)

After Pope calls massacre of Armenians genocide, Turkey retorts: 'Crusades mentality'

A sombre Pope Francis paid tribute on Saturday to the 1.5 million Armenians massacred in 1915, an event which he has labelled a genocide, risking Turkey&#39;s ire. 
 
Francis, on the second day of his trip to Armenia, made an early morning stop at the Tzitzernakaberd, the &quot;Genocide Memorial and Museum&quot;, a towering granite needle flanked by an eternal flame on a hillside overlooking the Armenian capital. 
 
There, visibly moved, he took part in a prayer service along with President Serzh Sarksyan and leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church. 
 
&quot;Here I pray, with pain in my heart, so that never again will there be tragedies like this, so that humanity does not forget and knows how to overcome evil with good,&quot; he wrote in the guest book in Italian. 
 
On Friday night in a speech to the president, the government and diplomats, Francis departed from his prepared text to use the word &quot;genocide&quot;, a description that infuriated Turkey when he said it a year ago. 
 
As of Saturday morning there was no official reaction from Turkey, which last year recalled its ambassador to the Vatican after the pope used the &quot;genocide&quot; term. The envoy was kept away for 10 months. 
 
Turkey accepts many Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but contests the figures and denies the killings were systematically orchestrated and constitute a genocide. It also says many Muslim Turks perished at that time. 
 
&quot;There is no reason not to use this word in this case,&quot; Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters on Friday night. &quot;The reality is clear and we never denied what the reality is.&quot; 
 
At the Saturday morning ceremony, Francis chatted with descendants of Armenian orphans who were sheltered at the papal summer residence south of Rome at the start of the 20th century. 
 
&quot;May God grant the beloved Armenian people and the entire world peace and consolation. May God protect the memory of the Armenian people. Memory should not be diluted or forgotten. Memory is a source of peace and the future,&quot; he wrote in the guest book. 
 
After the memorial service the pope flew to say a Mass in the provincial city of Gyumri, near the border with Turkey and within sight of Mount Ararat, where the Bible says Noah&#39;s Ark landed after the Great Flood. 
 
(Reuters)

He labelled the event a genocide, risking Turkey's ire

A sombre Pope Francis paid tribute on Saturday to the 1.5 million Armenians massacred in 1915, an event which he has labelled a genocide, risking Turkey's ire. Francis, on the second day of his trip to Armenia, made an early morning stop at the Tzitzernakaberd, the "Genocide Memorial and Museum", a towering granite needle flanked by an eternal flame on a hillside overlooking the Armenian capital. There, visibly moved, he took part in a prayer service along with President Serzh Sarksyan and leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church. "Here I pray, with pain in my heart, so that never again will there be tragedies like this, so that humanity does not forget and knows how to overcome evil with good," he wrote in the guest book in Italian. On Friday night in a speech to the president, the government and diplomats, Francis departed from his prepared text to use the word "genocide", a description that infuriated Turkey when he said it a year ago. As of Saturday morning there was no official reaction from Turkey, which last year recalled its ambassador to the Vatican after the pope used the "genocide" term. The envoy was kept away for 10 months. Turkey accepts many Christian Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were killed in clashes with Ottoman forces during World War I, but contests the figures and denies the killings were systematically orchestrated and constitute a genocide. It also says many Muslim Turks perished at that time. "There is no reason not to use this word in this case," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told reporters on Friday night. "The reality is clear and we never denied what the reality is." At the Saturday morning ceremony, Francis chatted with descendants of Armenian orphans who were sheltered at the papal summer residence south of Rome at the start of the 20th century. "May God grant the beloved Armenian people and the entire world peace and consolation. May God protect the memory of the Armenian people. Memory should not be diluted or forgotten. Memory is a source of peace and the future," he wrote in the guest book. After the memorial service the pope flew to say a Mass in the provincial city of Gyumri, near the border with Turkey and within sight of Mount Ararat, where the Bible says Noah's Ark landed after the Great Flood. (Reuters)

Pope pays tribute to 1.5 million Armenians massacred in 1915

Pope Francis has said the &quot;great majority&quot; of Catholic marriages being celebrated today are invalid because couples do not fully realise it is a lifetime commitment, drawing sharp criticism from Church conservatives. 
 
The pope, who has come under fire before for making spontaneous comments about doctrinal matters, was speaking at a question-and-answer session with priests, nuns and parish workers on Thursday night in a Rome basilica. 
 
&quot;We are living in a provisional culture,&quot; Francis said in response to a man who spoke of &quot;the crisis of marriage&quot; and asked how the Church could better prepare young couples. 
 
&quot;Because of this, a great majority of our sacramental marriages are null because they (the couple) say &#39;yes, for the rest of my life&#39; but they don&#39;t know what they are saying because they have a different culture,&quot; Francis said. 
 
In the Vatican&#39;s transcript issued today morning his words were changed to read &quot;some&quot; instead of &quot;a great majority&quot;. A Vatican spokesman said the pope&#39;s off-the-cuff remarks are sometimes edited after consulting with him or among aides. 
 
Critics appeared to take the pope&#39;s words as a suggestion that most Catholics do not take their marriage vows seriously. 
 
Ross Douthat, the conservative Catholic writer and New York Times columnist, said in one of his some 20 tweets on the subject that Francis had made &quot;an extraordinary, irresponsible and ridiculous claim&quot;. 
 
Matthew Schmitz, editor at the conservative First Things Catholic magazine, called the pope &quot;wrong and irresponsible&quot;. 
 
Edward Peters, a US canon lawyer who has been an adviser to the Vatican, wrote that the pope&#39;s words were &quot;very bad&quot; because they could spur couples in difficult marriages to &quot;give up now&quot; instead of trying to overcome problems. 
 
The Catholic Church teaches that a marriage can be ended only by death or an annulment -- a Church ruling it was not valid in the first place because it lacked prerequisites such as free will and psychological maturity. 
 
&quot;The crisis of marriage is due to the fact that people don&#39;t know what the sacrament is, the beauty of the sacrament, they don&#39;t know that it is indissoluble, that it is for your entire life,&quot; the pope said. 
 
&quot;There are girls and boys who have purity and a great love, but they are few,&quot; he said, adding that many young people had a materialistic and superficial approach to their wedding day, such as an obsession with choosing the right gown, the right church and the right restaurant. 
 
He said the Church needed better marriage preparation programmes. 
 
Conservatives also chided Francis for saying at the same meeting that priests should not pressure couples who were co-habitating if they were not ready to get married. He said the priests should &quot;let fidelity ripen&quot;. 
 
Francis has been taken to task for unscripted comments before. Last year, he had to clarify remarks in which he said Catholics should not feel they have to breed &quot;like rabbits&quot; because of the Church&#39;s birth control ban. 
(Reuters)

Marriage is for life, he says. The couple say 'yes, for the rest of my life' but they don't know what they are saying...

Pope Francis has said the "great majority" of Catholic marriages being celebrated today are invalid because couples do not fully realise it is a lifetime commitment, drawing sharp criticism from Church conservatives. The pope, who has come under fire before for making spontaneous comments about doctrinal matters, was speaking at a question-and-answer session with priests, nuns and parish workers on Thursday night in a Rome basilica. "We are living in a provisional culture," Francis said in response to a man who spoke of "the crisis of marriage" and asked how the Church could better prepare young couples. "Because of this, a great majority of our sacramental marriages are null because they (the couple) say 'yes, for the rest of my life' but they don't know what they are saying because they have a different culture," Francis said. In the Vatican's transcript issued today morning his words were changed to read "some" instead of "a great majority". A Vatican spokesman said the pope's off-the-cuff remarks are sometimes edited after consulting with him or among aides. Critics appeared to take the pope's words as a suggestion that most Catholics do not take their marriage vows seriously. Ross Douthat, the conservative Catholic writer and New York Times columnist, said in one of his some 20 tweets on the subject that Francis had made "an extraordinary, irresponsible and ridiculous claim". Matthew Schmitz, editor at the conservative First Things Catholic magazine, called the pope "wrong and irresponsible". Edward Peters, a US canon lawyer who has been an adviser to the Vatican, wrote that the pope's words were "very bad" because they could spur couples in difficult marriages to "give up now" instead of trying to overcome problems. The Catholic Church teaches that a marriage can be ended only by death or an annulment -- a Church ruling it was not valid in the first place because it lacked prerequisites such as free will and psychological maturity. "The crisis of marriage is due to the fact that people don't know what the sacrament is, the beauty of the sacrament, they don't know that it is indissoluble, that it is for your entire life," the pope said. "There are girls and boys who have purity and a great love, but they are few," he said, adding that many young people had a materialistic and superficial approach to their wedding day, such as an obsession with choosing the right gown, the right church and the right restaurant. He said the Church needed better marriage preparation programmes. Conservatives also chided Francis for saying at the same meeting that priests should not pressure couples who were co-habitating if they were not ready to get married. He said the priests should "let fidelity ripen". Francis has been taken to task for unscripted comments before. Last year, he had to clarify remarks in which he said Catholics should not feel they have to breed "like rabbits" because of the Church's birth control ban. (Reuters)

'Great majority of marriages null' says Pope, kicks up firestorm

Pope Francis today condemned the use of hunger as a &quot;weapon of war&quot; and lamented the fact that it was easier to move weapons across borders than the aid needed to keep civilians alive. 
 
Days after aid agencies were allowed to deliver food to the besieged Syrian town of Daraya for the first time since 2012, Francis said preventing supplies from reaching war zones was a violation of international law. 
 
On a visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP), the pope said the world faced a &quot;strange paradox&quot;. 
 
&quot;Whereas forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not.&quot; 
 
&quot;In some cases, hunger itself is used as a weapon of war,&quot; he said in an address to the WFP, the Rome-based UN agency which is the largest provider of food aid worldwide. 
 
&quot;(Weapons) circulate with brazen and virtually absolute freedom in many parts of the world. As a result, wars are fed, not people,&quot; said Francis, who has often condemned arms manufacturing and trafficking. 
 
In January, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon accused both the Syrian government and rebels of using starvation as a weapon, calling the practice a war crime.. 
 
The Argentine pope said the rich world was increasingly desensitised, &quot;growing immune to other people&rsquo;s tragedies, seeing them as something &#39;natural&#39; ... all those human lives turn into one more news story.&quot; 
 
Francis, who in the past has condemned speculation in food commodities as undermining the fight against poverty and hunger, also condemned rich countries&#39; wasteful use of food. 
 
&quot;We have made the fruits of the earth &ndash; a gift to humanity &ndash; commodities for a few, thus engendering exclusion. The consumerism in which our societies are immersed has made us grow accustomed to excess and to the daily waste of food,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We need to be reminded that food discarded is, in a certain sense, stolen from the table of poor and the starving.&quot; 
 
&nbsp;

After four years aid agencies were allowed to deliver food to the besieged town of Daraya

Pope Francis today condemned the use of hunger as a "weapon of war" and lamented the fact that it was easier to move weapons across borders than the aid needed to keep civilians alive. Days after aid agencies were allowed to deliver food to the besieged Syrian town of Daraya for the first time since 2012, Francis said preventing supplies from reaching war zones was a violation of international law. On a visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme (WFP), the pope said the world faced a "strange paradox". "Whereas forms of aid and development projects are obstructed by involved and incomprehensible political decisions, skewed ideological visions and impenetrable customs barriers, weaponry is not." "In some cases, hunger itself is used as a weapon of war," he said in an address to the WFP, the Rome-based UN agency which is the largest provider of food aid worldwide. "(Weapons) circulate with brazen and virtually absolute freedom in many parts of the world. As a result, wars are fed, not people," said Francis, who has often condemned arms manufacturing and trafficking. In January, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon accused both the Syrian government and rebels of using starvation as a weapon, calling the practice a war crime.. The Argentine pope said the rich world was increasingly desensitised, "growing immune to other people’s tragedies, seeing them as something 'natural' ... all those human lives turn into one more news story." Francis, who in the past has condemned speculation in food commodities as undermining the fight against poverty and hunger, also condemned rich countries' wasteful use of food. "We have made the fruits of the earth – a gift to humanity – commodities for a few, thus engendering exclusion. The consumerism in which our societies are immersed has made us grow accustomed to excess and to the daily waste of food," he said. "We need to be reminded that food discarded is, in a certain sense, stolen from the table of poor and the starving."

"Feed people,not wars," pope says in address to UN food agency

pope-francis

Pope Francis, News on Pope Francis, stories on Pope Francis, articles on Pope Francis, Pope Francis stories at Wion, Pope Francis news, Pope Francis latest news

pope francis