Thousands of Indigenous persons are expected to converge Monday on the small Alberta prairie community of Maskwacis to hear a long-awaited apology from Pope Francis for generations of abuse and cultural suppression at Catholic residential schools across Canada.

Francis is scheduled to arrive in mid-morning at the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School, now largely torn down. He will pause at the sites of the former school and nearby cemetery before speaking in a large open area to school survivors, their relatives and other supporters.

Francis arrived Sunday in Edmonton, where he was greeted by representatives of Canada's three main Indigenous groups—First Nations, Metis, and Inuit—along with political and church dignitaries. The pope spent the rest of the day resting at a seminary in the provincial capital.

The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse were rampant in the state-funded Christian schools that operated from the 19th century to the 1970s. Some 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to attend in an effort to isolate them from the influence of their homes, Native languages, and cultures and assimilate them into Canada’s Christian society.

Francis’ six-day trip — which will also include other sites in Alberta, Quebec City and Iqaluit, Nunavut, in the far north — follows meetings he held in the spring at the Vatican with delegations from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit. Those meetings culminated with a historic April 1 apology for the "deplorable" abuses committed by some Catholic missionaries in residential schools.&nbsp;

Thousands of children died from disease, fire and other causes. The discoveries of hundreds of potential burial sites at former schools in the past year has drawn international attention to the legacy of the schools in Canada and their counterparts in the United States.

Francis is now following through on a commitment to make that apology on Canadian soil.

Maskwacis, about an hour south of Edmonton, is the hub of four Cree nations.

Event organisers said they would do everything possible to make sure survivors could attend the event. Many will travel from park-and-ride lots, and organisers acknowledge that many survivors are elderly and will require accessible vehicles, diabetic-friendly snacks, and other amenities.

The Catholics operated a majority of the Canadian schools, while various Protestant denominations operated others in cooperation with the government.

The Prime Minister, who last year voiced an apology for the "incredibly harmful government policy" in organising the residential school system, will also attend the Maskwacis event along with other government officials.

In Maskwacis, the former school where Francis is visiting has been replaced with a school system operated by the four local Cree nations. The curriculum affirms the Indigenous culture that was once suppressed.

Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nation in northern Alberta, a school survivor, said after the pope's arrival Sunday that there are "mixed emotions across this country" over his visit.

"I think today of the young people that didn’t make it home and are buried around residential schools," he told a news conference after the airport welcome ceremony. But he expressed optimism that the visit can begin to bring reconciliation.

"I do know when two people have apologized we feel better," he said. "But our people have been through a lot. ... Our people have been traumatized. Some of them didn’t make it home. Now I hope the world will see why our people are so hurt."

On Monday afternoon, Francis is scheduled to visit Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, a Catholic parish in Edmonton oriented toward Indigenous people and culture. The church, whose sanctuary was dedicated last week after being restored from a fire, incorporates Indigenous language and customs in liturgy.

"I never in my life thought I would see a pope here at Sacred Heart Church," said Fernie Marty, who holds the title of church elder. "And now we get that opportunity."

When Francis visits, the church will display the clothing, bread and other supplies it regularly provides to the needy, including many of Edmonton’s estimated urban Indigenous population of 75,000.

The visit will be an "encounter" that will help "for people to know what we are, who we are," said its pastor, the Rev. Jesu Susai. 
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Thousands of Indigenous persons are expected to converge Monday on the small Alberta prairie community of Maskwacis to hear a long-awaited apology from Pope Francis for generations of abuse and cultural suppression at Catholic residential schools across Canada.

Thousands of Indigenous persons are expected to converge Monday on the small Alberta prairie community of Maskwacis to hear a long-awaited apology from Pope Francis for generations of abuse and cultural suppression at Catholic residential schools across Canada. Francis is scheduled to arrive in mid-morning at the site of the former Ermineskin Indian Residential School, now largely torn down. He will pause at the sites of the former school and nearby cemetery before speaking in a large open area to school survivors, their relatives and other supporters. Francis arrived Sunday in Edmonton, where he was greeted by representatives of Canada's three main Indigenous groups—First Nations, Metis, and Inuit—along with political and church dignitaries. The pope spent the rest of the day resting at a seminary in the provincial capital. The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse were rampant in the state-funded Christian schools that operated from the 19th century to the 1970s. Some 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to attend in an effort to isolate them from the influence of their homes, Native languages, and cultures and assimilate them into Canada’s Christian society. Francis’ six-day trip — which will also include other sites in Alberta, Quebec City and Iqaluit, Nunavut, in the far north — follows meetings he held in the spring at the Vatican with delegations from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit. Those meetings culminated with a historic April 1 apology for the "deplorable" abuses committed by some Catholic missionaries in residential schools. Thousands of children died from disease, fire and other causes. The discoveries of hundreds of potential burial sites at former schools in the past year has drawn international attention to the legacy of the schools in Canada and their counterparts in the United States. Francis is now following through on a commitment to make that apology on Canadian soil. Maskwacis, about an hour south of Edmonton, is the hub of four Cree nations. Event organisers said they would do everything possible to make sure survivors could attend the event. Many will travel from park-and-ride lots, and organisers acknowledge that many survivors are elderly and will require accessible vehicles, diabetic-friendly snacks, and other amenities. The Catholics operated a majority of the Canadian schools, while various Protestant denominations operated others in cooperation with the government. The Prime Minister, who last year voiced an apology for the "incredibly harmful government policy" in organising the residential school system, will also attend the Maskwacis event along with other government officials. In Maskwacis, the former school where Francis is visiting has been replaced with a school system operated by the four local Cree nations. The curriculum affirms the Indigenous culture that was once suppressed. Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Frog Lake First Nation in northern Alberta, a school survivor, said after the pope's arrival Sunday that there are "mixed emotions across this country" over his visit. "I think today of the young people that didn’t make it home and are buried around residential schools," he told a news conference after the airport welcome ceremony. But he expressed optimism that the visit can begin to bring reconciliation. "I do know when two people have apologized we feel better," he said. "But our people have been through a lot. ... Our people have been traumatized. Some of them didn’t make it home. Now I hope the world will see why our people are so hurt." On Monday afternoon, Francis is scheduled to visit Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, a Catholic parish in Edmonton oriented toward Indigenous people and culture. The church, whose sanctuary was dedicated last week after being restored from a fire, incorporates Indigenous language and customs in liturgy. "I never in my life thought I would see a pope here at Sacred Heart Church," said Fernie Marty, who holds the title of church elder. "And now we get that opportunity." When Francis visits, the church will display the clothing, bread and other supplies it regularly provides to the needy, including many of Edmonton’s estimated urban Indigenous population of 75,000. The visit will be an "encounter" that will help "for people to know what we are, who we are," said its pastor, the Rev. Jesu Susai. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Pope set for historic apology for school abuses in Canada

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is back on Twitter with Pope's picture after 10 days. This was Musk's longest ever digital detox from Twitter in five years. He took a hiatus from Twitter from June 22.

Elon Musk backs on Twitter after 10 days, posts photo with Pope

Pope has apologised for cancelling his Africa trip due to his walking problem. Pope Francis is having an issue with his knee. The trip was scheduled between June 2-7.

Pope Francis apologises for missing the Africa trip due to a walking problem

A deal led by the United Nations and the International Red Cross has begun to ease the ordeal of the most destructive siege of war in Ukraine. Roughly 100 civilians were evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel plant in eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Russia Ukraine war crisis: Pope condemns destruction of Mariupol

Pope&nbsp;Francis has said he has dropped plans to meet in&nbsp;June&nbsp;with&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;Orthodox&nbsp;Patriarch Kirill, an ally of&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;President Vladimir Putin who has backed Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Francis, who has several times implicitly criticised Russia and Putin over the war, told Argentine newspaper La Nacion in an interview that he regretted that the plan had to be "suspended" because Vatican diplomats advised that such a&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;"could lend itself to much confusion at this moment".

In Moscow, the RIA news agency quoted Metropolitan Hilarion, a senior&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;Orthodox&nbsp;Church&nbsp;official, as saying the&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;was postponed because "the events of the last two months" would have created many difficulties in its preparation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-10-world-news-pope-calls-to-observe-easter-of-war-pak-military-airstrikes-in-afg-and-more-471708">Top 10 world news: Pope calls to observe 'Easter of war', Pak military airstrikes in Afg, and more</a>

Reuters reported on April 11 that the Vatican was considering extending the&nbsp;pope's trip to Lebanon on&nbsp;June&nbsp;12-13 by a day so that he could meet with Kirill on&nbsp;June&nbsp;14 in Jerusalem.

Kirill, 75, has given his full-throated blessing for Russia's invasion of Ukraine since it began on Feb. 24, a position that has splintered the worldwide&nbsp;Orthodox&nbsp;Church and unleashed an internal rebellion that theologians and academics say is unprecedented.

Francis, 85, has used terms such as unjustified aggression and invasion in his public comments on the war, and has lamented atrocities against civilians.

Asked in the interview why he has never named Russia or Putin specifically, Francis was quoted as saying: "A&nbsp;pope&nbsp;never names a head of state, much less a country, which is superior to its head of state".

Watch |&nbsp;Landmark reform by Pope Francis: Women and Lay Catholics to head departments

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Putin, a member of the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;Orthodox&nbsp;Church, has described Moscow's actions as a "special military operation" in Ukraine aimed at demilitarising and "denazifying" the country. Moscow has denied targetting civilians

Francis has specifically rejected Russia's terminology, calling it a war that has caused "rivers of blood".

A Vatican source familiar with the planning for the Jerusalem stop said on Friday that it had been at an advanced stage, with even the location for the&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;with Kirill chosen.

It would have been only their second&nbsp;meeting. Their first, in Cuba in 2016, was the first between a&nbsp;pope&nbsp;and a&nbsp;leader&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;Orthodox&nbsp;Church since the Great Schism that split Christianity into Eastern and Western branches in 1054.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-war-pope-holding-ukrainian-flag-condemns-the-massacre-of-bucha-468798">Russia-Ukraine war: Pope, holding Ukrainian flag, condemns Bucha killing</a>

Francis said earlier this month that he was considering a trip to Kyiv, telling reporters on a flight to Malta on April 2 that it was "on the table". He has been invited by Ukrainian political and religious&nbsp;leaders.

Asked in the Argentine interview why he has not yet made the trip, he said:

"I cannot do anything that would jeopardize higher objectives, which are an end to the war, a truce or at least a humanitarian corridor. What good would it do for the&nbsp;pope&nbsp;to go to Kyiv if the war continues the next day?"

Pope Francis has said he has dropped plans to meet in June with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has backed Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Pope Francis has said he has dropped plans to meet in June with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has backed Moscow's war in Ukraine. Francis, who has several times implicitly criticised Russia and Putin over the war, told Argentine newspaper La Nacion in an interview that he regretted that the plan had to be "suspended" because Vatican diplomats advised that such a meeting "could lend itself to much confusion at this moment". In Moscow, the RIA news agency quoted Metropolitan Hilarion, a senior Russian Orthodox Church official, as saying the meeting was postponed because "the events of the last two months" would have created many difficulties in its preparation. Also read | Top 10 world news: Pope calls to observe 'Easter of war', Pak military airstrikes in Afg, and more Reuters reported on April 11 that the Vatican was considering extending the pope's trip to Lebanon on June 12-13 by a day so that he could meet with Kirill on June 14 in Jerusalem. Kirill, 75, has given his full-throated blessing for Russia's invasion of Ukraine since it began on Feb. 24, a position that has splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church and unleashed an internal rebellion that theologians and academics say is unprecedented. Francis, 85, has used terms such as unjustified aggression and invasion in his public comments on the war, and has lamented atrocities against civilians. Asked in the interview why he has never named Russia or Putin specifically, Francis was quoted as saying: "A pope never names a head of state, much less a country, which is superior to its head of state". Watch | Landmark reform by Pope Francis: Women and Lay Catholics to head departments Putin, a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, has described Moscow's actions as a "special military operation" in Ukraine aimed at demilitarising and "denazifying" the country. Moscow has denied targetting civilians Francis has specifically rejected Russia's terminology, calling it a war that has caused "rivers of blood". A Vatican source familiar with the planning for the Jerusalem stop said on Friday that it had been at an advanced stage, with even the location for the meeting with Kirill chosen. It would have been only their second meeting. Their first, in Cuba in 2016, was the first between a pope and a leader of the Russian Orthodox Church since the Great Schism that split Christianity into Eastern and Western branches in 1054. Also read | Russia-Ukraine war: Pope, holding Ukrainian flag, condemns Bucha killing Francis said earlier this month that he was considering a trip to Kyiv, telling reporters on a flight to Malta on April 2 that it was "on the table". He has been invited by Ukrainian political and religious leaders. Asked in the Argentine interview why he has not yet made the trip, he said: "I cannot do anything that would jeopardize higher objectives, which are an end to the war, a truce or at least a humanitarian corridor. What good would it do for the pope to go to Kyiv if the war continues the next day?"

Pope says June meeting with Russian Orthodox leader is off

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned Bucha killing&nbsp;and held up a Ukrainian flag sent to him from the town where tied bodies shot at close range, a mass grave and other signs of executions were found.

"Recent news from the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, brought new atrocities, such as the massacre of Bucha," he said at the end of his weekly audience in the Vatican's auditorium.

"Cruelty that is increasingly horrendous, even against civilians, defenceless women and children. They are victims whose innocent blood cries out up to heaven and implores: 'Stop this war! Let the weapons fall silent! Stop sowing death and destruction'," he said.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Western allegations Russian forces committed war crimes by executing civilians in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery" aimed at denigrating the Russian army.

"Yesterday, precisely from Bucha, they brought me this flag," he said, unfolding it and holding it up for the audience of several thousand, which broke into applause. The flag looked darkened and stained and had writing on it.

"It comes from the war, precisely from that martyred city, Bucha," he said, before asking a group of children war refugees who arrived on Tuesday from Ukraine to come up to him.

"These children had to flee in order to arrive in a safe land. This is the fruit of war. Let's not forget them and let's not forget the Ukrainian people," he said, before giving each child a gift of a chocolate Easter egg.

WATCH |&nbsp;'How can UNSC act with Russia in it?' Asks President Zelensky

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Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned Bucha killing and held up a Ukrainian flag sent to him from the town where tied bodies shot at close range, a mass grave and other signs of executions were found.

Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned Bucha killing and held up a Ukrainian flag sent to him from the town where tied bodies shot at close range, a mass grave and other signs of executions were found. "Recent news from the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, brought new atrocities, such as the massacre of Bucha," he said at the end of his weekly audience in the Vatican's auditorium. "Cruelty that is increasingly horrendous, even against civilians, defenceless women and children. They are victims whose innocent blood cries out up to heaven and implores: 'Stop this war! Let the weapons fall silent! Stop sowing death and destruction'," he said. The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Western allegations Russian forces committed war crimes by executing civilians in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery" aimed at denigrating the Russian army. "Yesterday, precisely from Bucha, they brought me this flag," he said, unfolding it and holding it up for the audience of several thousand, which broke into applause. The flag looked darkened and stained and had writing on it. "It comes from the war, precisely from that martyred city, Bucha," he said, before asking a group of children war refugees who arrived on Tuesday from Ukraine to come up to him. "These children had to flee in order to arrive in a safe land. This is the fruit of war. Let's not forget them and let's not forget the Ukrainian people," he said, before giving each child a gift of a chocolate Easter egg. WATCH | 'How can UNSC act with Russia in it?' Asks President Zelensky ×

Russia-Ukraine war: Pope, holding Ukrainian flag, condemns Bucha killing

Pope&nbsp;Francis apologised Friday for&nbsp;abuse&nbsp;committed at&nbsp;church-run&nbsp;residential&nbsp;schools&nbsp;in&nbsp;Canada, telling Indigenous delegations at the Vatican it caused him "pain and shame".

"I ask for God's forgiveness for the deplorable conduct of these members of the Catholic Church," he said, following meetings this week with survivors from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit aboriginal groups.

After hearing "stories of suffering, deprivation, discriminatory treatment and various forms of&nbsp;abuse," Francis said he joined the Canadian bishops "in asking you for forgiveness".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-warns-of-a-global-conflict-over-ukraine-war-465997">Pope Francis warns of a global conflict over Ukraine war</a>

The pontiff, 85, said he hoped to travel to&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;for the country's St Anne's Feast Day on July 26.

"This year, I hope to be with you on those days," he said.

Francis heard first-hand this week of centuries of&nbsp;abuse&nbsp;committed at the&nbsp;schools&nbsp;and the delegations had pressed him for an apology for a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church.

Some 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were enrolled from the late 1800s to the 1990s in 139 residential schools across Canada, as part of a government policy of forced assimilation.

They spent months or years isolated from their families, language and culture, and many were physically and sexually abused by headmasters and teachers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/pope-francis-reforms-roman-curia-with-launch-of-vatican-constitution-464288">Pope Francis reforms Roman Curia with launch of Vatican constitution</a>

Francis slammed Friday the "ideological colonisation" of which "so many children have been victims".

"Your identity and culture have been wounded, many families have been separated," he said.

Thousands are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect. More than 1,300 unmarked graves have been discovered since May 2021 at the&nbsp;schools.

A truth and reconciliation commission concluded in 2015 the failed government policy amounted to "cultural genocide."

Watch |&nbsp;Landmark reform by Pope Francis: Women and Lay Catholics to head departments

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Pope Francis apologised Friday for abuse committed at church-run residential schools in Canada, telling Indigenous delegations at the Vatican it caused him "pain and shame".

Pope Francis apologised Friday for abuse committed at church-run residential schools in Canada, telling Indigenous delegations at the Vatican it caused him "pain and shame". "I ask for God's forgiveness for the deplorable conduct of these members of the Catholic Church," he said, following meetings this week with survivors from the First Nations, Metis and Inuit aboriginal groups. After hearing "stories of suffering, deprivation, discriminatory treatment and various forms of abuse," Francis said he joined the Canadian bishops "in asking you for forgiveness". Also read | Pope Francis warns of a global conflict over Ukraine war The pontiff, 85, said he hoped to travel to Canada for the country's St Anne's Feast Day on July 26. "This year, I hope to be with you on those days," he said. Francis heard first-hand this week of centuries of abuse committed at the schools and the delegations had pressed him for an apology for a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church. Some 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children were enrolled from the late 1800s to the 1990s in 139 residential schools across Canada, as part of a government policy of forced assimilation. They spent months or years isolated from their families, language and culture, and many were physically and sexually abused by headmasters and teachers. Also read | Pope Francis reforms Roman Curia with launch of Vatican constitution Francis slammed Friday the "ideological colonisation" of which "so many children have been victims". "Your identity and culture have been wounded, many families have been separated," he said. Thousands are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect. More than 1,300 unmarked graves have been discovered since May 2021 at the schools. A truth and reconciliation commission concluded in 2015 the failed government policy amounted to "cultural genocide." Watch | Landmark reform by Pope Francis: Women and Lay Catholics to head departments

Pope apologises to Canada's Indigenous for abuse at church-run schools

The Vatican which has a history of controversies and scandals has come up with a new constitution. Landmark reform by Pope Francis will allow Women and Lay Catholics to head departments.

Landmark reform by Pope Francis: Women and Lay Catholics to head departments

Pope Francis refers to Ukraine as a 'Martyr' country as he speaks briefly on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also urged the warring parties to negotiate.

Pope Francis refers to Ukraine as a 'Martyr' country amid the ongoing Russian invasion

Responding to a report that he had mishandled four cases involving the sexual abuse of minors while he was an archbishop in Germany decades ago, retired Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged Tuesday that “abuses and errors” had taken place under his watch, and asked for forgiveness, although he denied any misconduct.

“I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church,” Benedict said in a written response to the findings in the report commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church in Munich. “All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate,” he said in the response made public by the Vatican. “Each individual case of sexual abuse is appalling and irreparable.”

The report, and the accusations by investigators that Benedict had misled them, sent shocks through a Roman Catholic Church that has for a quarter century been devastated by revelations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. The allegations related to Benedict’s time in Munich reached the very top of the church hierarchy, and they came not long after a separate report commissioned by the Vatican itself cast a shadow over Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, for failing to root out abusers in his church.

Benedict, whose backers point out that as pope he did much to throw abusers out of the church, has sought to put himself in a better light. But critics have found his answers more legalistic than pastoral and short of what many victims of abuse and their advocates long to hear from the former head of the church.

“He is repeating words of apology that have fallen on deaf ears for decades,” said Mike McDonnell, communications manager with Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a global association known as SNAP.

“True apologies are followed by true amends, and that is a concept that the church doesn’t seem able to grasp,” he said, adding that the letter issued Tuesday followed a pattern of abuse, institutional acknowledgement and lack of action that victims have long complained about.

On Tuesday, Benedict recalled again that he had met with dozens of abuse victims during his eight-year papacy and over many apostolic trips. He had, he said, “seen at first hand the effects of a most grievous fault.”

Benedict, 94, also expressed indignation that the Munich law firm that conducted the investigation had accused him of being less than honest in his initial answers, which he had provided in 82 written pages.

The lawyers had presented evidence in a news conference that the pontiff had participated in a meeting about the transfer of an abusive priest to his diocese for therapy, though he had claimed not to have attended. The discrepancy, Benedict insisted in the new response, was an honest mistake that emerged from the editing process of his answer.

“To me it proved deeply hurtful that this oversight was used to cast doubt on my truthfulness, and even to label me a liar,” Benedict said.

That defensive tone also ran through an analysis accompanying the letter by four legal experts who had assisted the retired pope. They wrote that the report “contains no evidence for an allegation of misconduct or conspiracy in any cover-up” on the part of Benedict.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, an advocacy group for victims, said Benedict’s response — which she described as “boilerplate” — was a “deep disappointment and missed opportunity.”

Instead, Benedict “conceded nothing,” Doyle said in a statement, and did not take meaningful responsibility for the abuse and a cover-up. “The church is poorer for it,” she added.

The report was commissioned by the German archdiocese that investigated how the church had handled cases of sexual abuse between 1945 and 2019. Benedict, at the time Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982.

The report said at least 497 victims of abuse had been identified over the 74-year period it examined, and found that Benedict had mishandled four cases during his nearly five years as archbishop. Benedict’s legal experts said in their analysis that the investigators had not shown that Benedict knew of the criminal history of any of the four priests in question.

The investigators had previously expressed doubt about that assertion.

Days after the report was issued, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s personal secretary, admitted Benedict was at the meeting about moving the abusive priest. But Benedict has maintained he did not know why the priest was being transferred to his diocese, only that he needed therapy.

Responding to a report that he had mishandled four cases involving the sexual abuse of minors while he was an archbishop in Germany decades ago, retired Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged Tuesday that “abuses and errors” had taken place under his watch, and asked for forgiveness, although he denied any misconduct.

Responding to a report that he had mishandled four cases involving the sexual abuse of minors while he was an archbishop in Germany decades ago, retired Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged Tuesday that “abuses and errors” had taken place under his watch, and asked for forgiveness, although he denied any misconduct. “I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church,” Benedict said in a written response to the findings in the report commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church in Munich. “All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate,” he said in the response made public by the Vatican. “Each individual case of sexual abuse is appalling and irreparable.” The report, and the accusations by investigators that Benedict had misled them, sent shocks through a Roman Catholic Church that has for a quarter century been devastated by revelations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy. The allegations related to Benedict’s time in Munich reached the very top of the church hierarchy, and they came not long after a separate report commissioned by the Vatican itself cast a shadow over Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, for failing to root out abusers in his church. Benedict, whose backers point out that as pope he did much to throw abusers out of the church, has sought to put himself in a better light. But critics have found his answers more legalistic than pastoral and short of what many victims of abuse and their advocates long to hear from the former head of the church. “He is repeating words of apology that have fallen on deaf ears for decades,” said Mike McDonnell, communications manager with Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, a global association known as SNAP. “True apologies are followed by true amends, and that is a concept that the church doesn’t seem able to grasp,” he said, adding that the letter issued Tuesday followed a pattern of abuse, institutional acknowledgement and lack of action that victims have long complained about. On Tuesday, Benedict recalled again that he had met with dozens of abuse victims during his eight-year papacy and over many apostolic trips. He had, he said, “seen at first hand the effects of a most grievous fault.” Benedict, 94, also expressed indignation that the Munich law firm that conducted the investigation had accused him of being less than honest in his initial answers, which he had provided in 82 written pages. The lawyers had presented evidence in a news conference that the pontiff had participated in a meeting about the transfer of an abusive priest to his diocese for therapy, though he had claimed not to have attended. The discrepancy, Benedict insisted in the new response, was an honest mistake that emerged from the editing process of his answer. “To me it proved deeply hurtful that this oversight was used to cast doubt on my truthfulness, and even to label me a liar,” Benedict said. That defensive tone also ran through an analysis accompanying the letter by four legal experts who had assisted the retired pope. They wrote that the report “contains no evidence for an allegation of misconduct or conspiracy in any cover-up” on the part of Benedict. Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, an advocacy group for victims, said Benedict’s response — which she described as “boilerplate” — was a “deep disappointment and missed opportunity.” Instead, Benedict “conceded nothing,” Doyle said in a statement, and did not take meaningful responsibility for the abuse and a cover-up. “The church is poorer for it,” she added. The report was commissioned by the German archdiocese that investigated how the church had handled cases of sexual abuse between 1945 and 2019. Benedict, at the time Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982. The report said at least 497 victims of abuse had been identified over the 74-year period it examined, and found that Benedict had mishandled four cases during his nearly five years as archbishop. Benedict’s legal experts said in their analysis that the investigators had not shown that Benedict knew of the criminal history of any of the four priests in question. The investigators had previously expressed doubt about that assertion. Days after the report was issued, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict’s personal secretary, admitted Benedict was at the meeting about moving the abusive priest. But Benedict has maintained he did not know why the priest was being transferred to his diocese, only that he needed therapy.

Retired Pope Benedict XVI asks forgiveness over handling of abuse cases

Pope Francis on Monday claimed that dumping plastic in waterways is "criminal" and it should end. "Throwing plastic into the sea is criminal. It kills biodiversity, it kills the earth, it kills everything," he said."

He further added, "Looking after creation is an education (process) in which we must engage," citing a song by Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos in which a boy asks his father why "the river no longer sings," to which the father responds, "we finished it off".

He made these remarks in an hour-long interview on state broadcaster RAI's Channel 3.&nbsp;

Francis has made defending the environment a highlight of his pontificate.&nbsp;

During the interview, he recounted how Italian fishermen came to him and told him they had found many tons of plastic in the Adriatic Sea.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-denounces-female-genital-mutilation-calls-for-ending-practice-451027">Also read |&nbsp;Pope Francis denounces female genital mutilation, calls for ending practice</a>

Francis was also asked about the war, for which he said, "Think about it. If we were to stop making weapons for one year, we could feed and educate the whole world. We have become accustomed to wars. It's tough but it's the truth."

This comes a day after the Pope condemned female genital mutilation and trafficking for prostitution. His words came on United Nations International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

"This practice, which is unfortunately common in various parts of the world, humiliates the dignity of a woman and gravely attacks her physical integrity," Francis said

Francis, speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing and address, noted that the practice was often carried out in conditions that endangered a girl's health.

In a related appeal, Francis called for more efforts to stop human trafficking, particularly of women and girls for prostitution.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis on Monday claimed that dumping plastic in waterways is "criminal" and it should end. "Throwing plastic into the sea is criminal. It kills biodiversity, it kills the earth, it kills everything," he said.

Pope Francis on Monday claimed that dumping plastic in waterways is "criminal" and it should end. "Throwing plastic into the sea is criminal. It kills biodiversity, it kills the earth, it kills everything," he said." He further added, "Looking after creation is an education (process) in which we must engage," citing a song by Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos in which a boy asks his father why "the river no longer sings," to which the father responds, "we finished it off". He made these remarks in an hour-long interview on state broadcaster RAI's Channel 3. Francis has made defending the environment a highlight of his pontificate. During the interview, he recounted how Italian fishermen came to him and told him they had found many tons of plastic in the Adriatic Sea. Also read | Pope Francis denounces female genital mutilation, calls for ending practice Francis was also asked about the war, for which he said, "Think about it. If we were to stop making weapons for one year, we could feed and educate the whole world. We have become accustomed to wars. It's tough but it's the truth." This comes a day after the Pope condemned female genital mutilation and trafficking for prostitution. His words came on United Nations International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). "This practice, which is unfortunately common in various parts of the world, humiliates the dignity of a woman and gravely attacks her physical integrity," Francis said Francis, speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing and address, noted that the practice was often carried out in conditions that endangered a girl's health. In a related appeal, Francis called for more efforts to stop human trafficking, particularly of women and girls for prostitution. (With inputs from agencies)

Dumping plastic in waterways is 'criminal', claims Pope Francis

Pope Francis on Sunday (February 6) condemned female genital mutilation and trafficking for prostitution. His words came on United Nations International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

"This practice, which is unfortunately common in various parts of the world, humiliates the dignity of a woman and gravely attacks her physical integrity," Francis said

As per the UN, cases of FGM &nbsp;are found in about 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East but it is also practised by immigrant population elsewhere.

Francis, speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing and address, noted that the practice was often carried out in conditions that endangered a girl's health.

In a related appeal, Francis called for more efforts to stop human trafficking, particularly of women and girls for prostitution.

"This is a deep wound inflicted by the shameful search for gain without any respect for the human person," he said ahead of the Catholic Church's International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking this Tuesday (February 8).

"There are so many girls that we see on the streets who are not free. They are slaves of traffickers who send them to work and beat them if they don't return with money. This happens today, in our cities," he said.

Trafficking of women from Africa or Eastern Europe for prostitution is a particular problem in Rome.

Officials say criminal gangs lure the women to Italy with the promise of jobs and then force them into prostitution, threatening to harm their families back home if they go to the police.

Calling both FGM and trafficking of persons, "wounds of humanity," Francis urged leaders "to act decisively to stop both the exploitation as well as humiliating practices that afflict above all women and girls".

Catholic nuns in Rome are the forefront of fighting trafficking of women. In 2016, Francis visited a Rome safe house where a charity protects women freed from pimps.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Pope Francis on Sunday (February 6) condemned female genital mutilation and trafficking for prostitution. His words came on United Nations International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Pope Francis on Sunday (February 6) condemned female genital mutilation and trafficking for prostitution. His words came on United Nations International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). "This practice, which is unfortunately common in various parts of the world, humiliates the dignity of a woman and gravely attacks her physical integrity," Francis said As per the UN, cases of FGM are found in about 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East but it is also practised by immigrant population elsewhere. Francis, speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square for his weekly blessing and address, noted that the practice was often carried out in conditions that endangered a girl's health. In a related appeal, Francis called for more efforts to stop human trafficking, particularly of women and girls for prostitution. "This is a deep wound inflicted by the shameful search for gain without any respect for the human person," he said ahead of the Catholic Church's International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking this Tuesday (February 8). "There are so many girls that we see on the streets who are not free. They are slaves of traffickers who send them to work and beat them if they don't return with money. This happens today, in our cities," he said. Trafficking of women from Africa or Eastern Europe for prostitution is a particular problem in Rome. Officials say criminal gangs lure the women to Italy with the promise of jobs and then force them into prostitution, threatening to harm their families back home if they go to the police. Calling both FGM and trafficking of persons, "wounds of humanity," Francis urged leaders "to act decisively to stop both the exploitation as well as humiliating practices that afflict above all women and girls". Catholic nuns in Rome are the forefront of fighting trafficking of women. In 2016, Francis visited a Rome safe house where a charity protects women freed from pimps. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis denounces female genital mutilation, calls for ending practice

The pope has urged the parents to not condemn their children if they are gay. This is said to be the latest outreach to the LGBTQ community.

Pope: Support your children if they are gay, don't condemn them

Pope Francis on Wednesday (January 26) made an important statement when he said that parents of gay children should support them instead of condemning them. He made the statement in unscripted comments at &nbsp;his weekly audience in reference to difficulties that parents can face in raising offspring.

Those issues included "parents who see different sexual orientations in their children and how to handle this, how to accompany their children, and not hide behind an attitude of condemnation," Francis said.

Pope Francis has previously said that gay children had a right to be accepted by their families as children and siblings.

He has also said that while the Church cannot accept same-sex marriage it can support civil union laws aimed at giving gay partners joint rights in areas of pensions and health care and inheritance issues.

Last year, the Vatican's doctrinal office issued a document saying that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions, a ruling that greatly disappointed gay Catholics.

In some countries, such as the United States and Germany, parishes and ministers had begun blessing same-sex unions in lieu of marriage, and there have been calls for bishops to de facto institutionalise these.

Conservatives in the 1.3 billion-member Church have said the pope - who has sent notes of appreciation to priests and nuns who minister to gay Catholics - is giving mixed signals on homosexuality, confusing some of the faithful.

Last month, a Vatican department apologised for "causing pain to the entire LGBTQ community" by removing from its website a link to resource material from a Catholic gay rights advocacy group in preparation for a Vatican meeting in 2023 on the Church's future direction.

The Church teaches that gays should be treated with respect and that, while same-sex acts are sinful, same-sex tendencies are not.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis on Wednesday (January 26) made an important statement when he said that parents of gay children should support them instead of condemning them. He made the statement in unscripted comments at his weekly audience in reference to difficulties that parents can face in raising offspring.

Pope Francis on Wednesday (January 26) made an important statement when he said that parents of gay children should support them instead of condemning them. He made the statement in unscripted comments at his weekly audience in reference to difficulties that parents can face in raising offspring. Those issues included "parents who see different sexual orientations in their children and how to handle this, how to accompany their children, and not hide behind an attitude of condemnation," Francis said. Pope Francis has previously said that gay children had a right to be accepted by their families as children and siblings. He has also said that while the Church cannot accept same-sex marriage it can support civil union laws aimed at giving gay partners joint rights in areas of pensions and health care and inheritance issues. Last year, the Vatican's doctrinal office issued a document saying that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions, a ruling that greatly disappointed gay Catholics. In some countries, such as the United States and Germany, parishes and ministers had begun blessing same-sex unions in lieu of marriage, and there have been calls for bishops to de facto institutionalise these. Conservatives in the 1.3 billion-member Church have said the pope - who has sent notes of appreciation to priests and nuns who minister to gay Catholics - is giving mixed signals on homosexuality, confusing some of the faithful. Last month, a Vatican department apologised for "causing pain to the entire LGBTQ community" by removing from its website a link to resource material from a Catholic gay rights advocacy group in preparation for a Vatican meeting in 2023 on the Church's future direction. The Church teaches that gays should be treated with respect and that, while same-sex acts are sinful, same-sex tendencies are not. (With inputs from agencies)

Don't condemn gay children, Pope Francis urges parents

Former pope Benedict XVI failed to stop four clergymen accused of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Munich, the law firm that carried out a key probe said on Thursday.

The ex-pontiff -- who was the archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982 -- has "strictly" denied any responsibility, said lawyer Martin Pusch of Westpfahl Spilker Wastl which was tasked by the church to carry out the probe.

But the experts do not consider this credible, he added.

Two of the cases involved clergymen who had committed several proven acts of abuse but were allowed to continue with pastoral duties, Pusch said.&nbsp;

An interest in the abuse victims was "not recognisable" in Benedict, he said.&nbsp;

In one case, a now notorious paedophile priest named Peter Hullermann was transferred to Munich from Essen in western Germany where he had been accused of abusing an 11-year-old boy.

Hullermann was reassigned to pastoral duties despite his history.

In 1986, by which time Benedict had been transferred to the Vatican, he was convicted of molesting more children and given a suspended prison sentence.

Even after the conviction, he continued to work with children for many years and his case is regarded as a pertinent example of the mishandling of abuse by the Church.

The ex-pope has denied knowing about the priest's history, but the lawyers said they were now convinced this was not the case.

Pusch said the pope emeritus had initially shown an "defensive attitude" when responding to questions for the report. However, he later changed his attitude and gave a detailed written statement.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the current archbishop of Munich and Freising, was also found to have failed to act in two cases of suspected abuse. 
&nbsp;

Former pope Benedict XVI failed to stop four clergymen accused of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Munich, the law firm that carried out a key probe said on Thursday.

Former pope Benedict XVI failed to stop four clergymen accused of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in Munich, the law firm that carried out a key probe said on Thursday. The ex-pontiff -- who was the archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982 -- has "strictly" denied any responsibility, said lawyer Martin Pusch of Westpfahl Spilker Wastl which was tasked by the church to carry out the probe. But the experts do not consider this credible, he added. Two of the cases involved clergymen who had committed several proven acts of abuse but were allowed to continue with pastoral duties, Pusch said. An interest in the abuse victims was "not recognisable" in Benedict, he said. In one case, a now notorious paedophile priest named Peter Hullermann was transferred to Munich from Essen in western Germany where he had been accused of abusing an 11-year-old boy. Hullermann was reassigned to pastoral duties despite his history. In 1986, by which time Benedict had been transferred to the Vatican, he was convicted of molesting more children and given a suspended prison sentence. Even after the conviction, he continued to work with children for many years and his case is regarded as a pertinent example of the mishandling of abuse by the Church. The ex-pope has denied knowing about the priest's history, but the lawyers said they were now convinced this was not the case. Pusch said the pope emeritus had initially shown an "defensive attitude" when responding to questions for the report. However, he later changed his attitude and gave a detailed written statement. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the current archbishop of Munich and Freising, was also found to have failed to act in two cases of suspected abuse.

Ex-pope Benedict accused of inaction in abuse cases

In an attempt to end unrest in Kazakhstan, Pope Francis on Sunday called for dialogue and justice. "I have learned with sorrow that there have been victims during the protests that have broken out in recent days in Kazakhstan," Pope said.&nbsp;

He further added, "I pray for them and for their families, and I hope that social harmony will be restored as soon as possible through the search for dialogue, justice and the common good."

His remarks came while addressing a gathering at the St. Peter's Square for his noon blessing.&nbsp;

As per local media reports, a total of 164 people have died in the wake of violent protests this week and a total of 7,939 people has been detained by security forces.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/164-people-killed-in-kazakhstan-strategic-facilities-under-guard-443392">Also read |&nbsp;164 people killed in Kazakhstan, 'strategic facilities' under guard</a>

On Monday, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also characterised the unrest as a coup attempt. He vowed that his security services will never shoot peaceful protesters.&nbsp;

"Armed militants, who were waiting in the wings, joined the protests. The main goal was obvious: the undermining of the constitutional order, the destruction of government institutions and the seizure of power. It was an attempted coup d'etat", Tokayev said.&nbsp;

Initially, the protests against fuel prices were peaceful. However, with time, the protests intensified as government buildings were briefly captured or torched in many cities.&nbsp;

The demonstrations in Kazakhstan began as a response to Tokayev replacing the president of the resource-rich former Soviet republic, Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The protests were the most widespread since Kazakhstan’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

(With inputs from agencies)

In an attempt to end unrest in Kazakhstan, Pope Francis on Sunday called for dialogue and justice. "I have learned with sorrow that there have been victims during the protests that have broken out in recent days in Kazakhstan," Pope said.

In an attempt to end unrest in Kazakhstan, Pope Francis on Sunday called for dialogue and justice. "I have learned with sorrow that there have been victims during the protests that have broken out in recent days in Kazakhstan," Pope said. He further added, "I pray for them and for their families, and I hope that social harmony will be restored as soon as possible through the search for dialogue, justice and the common good." His remarks came while addressing a gathering at the St. Peter's Square for his noon blessing. As per local media reports, a total of 164 people have died in the wake of violent protests this week and a total of 7,939 people has been detained by security forces. Also read | 164 people killed in Kazakhstan, 'strategic facilities' under guard On Monday, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also characterised the unrest as a coup attempt. He vowed that his security services will never shoot peaceful protesters. "Armed militants, who were waiting in the wings, joined the protests. The main goal was obvious: the undermining of the constitutional order, the destruction of government institutions and the seizure of power. It was an attempted coup d'etat", Tokayev said. Initially, the protests against fuel prices were peaceful. However, with time, the protests intensified as government buildings were briefly captured or torched in many cities. The demonstrations in Kazakhstan began as a response to Tokayev replacing the president of the resource-rich former Soviet republic, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The protests were the most widespread since Kazakhstan’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis calls for dialogue and justice to end unrest in Kazakhstan

In his New Year message Pope Francis urged everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He told the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society.&nbsp;

Pope marked 55th World Day of Peace. The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts.

"Let's go home thinking peace, peace, peace. We need peace," said the pope, following his Angelus prayer.&nbsp;

"I was looking at the images in the television programme "In His Image" today, about war, displaced people, the miseries. This is happening today in the world. We want peace."

Under sunny skies, the pope -- who turned 85 on December 17 -- reminded the faithful that peace required "concrete actions," such as forgiving others and promoting justice.

"And it needs a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the Church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us!" he said, speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

"Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace."

Earlier Saturday, during mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in honour of the Virgin Mary, Francis delivered a homily in which he called violence against women an insult to God.&nbsp;

"The Church is mother, the Church is woman. And since mothers bestow life and women 'keep' the world, let us all make greater efforts to promote mothers and to protect women," he said.&nbsp;

"How much violence is directed against women! Enough! To hurt a woman is to insult God, who from a woman took on our humanity."

On New Year's Eve, Pope Francis did not preside over vespers at St Peter's Basilica as planned, instead turning the service over to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.

(With inputs from agencies)

In his New Year message Pope Francis urged everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He told the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society.

In his New Year message Pope Francis urged everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He told the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society. Pope marked 55th World Day of Peace. The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts. "Let's go home thinking peace, peace, peace. We need peace," said the pope, following his Angelus prayer. "I was looking at the images in the television programme "In His Image" today, about war, displaced people, the miseries. This is happening today in the world. We want peace." Under sunny skies, the pope -- who turned 85 on December 17 -- reminded the faithful that peace required "concrete actions," such as forgiving others and promoting justice. "And it needs a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the Church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us!" he said, speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace. "Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace." Earlier Saturday, during mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in honour of the Virgin Mary, Francis delivered a homily in which he called violence against women an insult to God. "The Church is mother, the Church is woman. And since mothers bestow life and women 'keep' the world, let us all make greater efforts to promote mothers and to protect women," he said. "How much violence is directed against women! Enough! To hurt a woman is to insult God, who from a woman took on our humanity." On New Year's Eve, Pope Francis did not preside over vespers at St Peter's Basilica as planned, instead turning the service over to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis' New Year message: 'Roll up sleeves' for peace

News reading is a talent and an art that requires a lot of practice and focus, but every human can make mistakes. However, those mistakes turn into disaster if recorded on live telecast.<o:p></o:p>

ITV News presenter Kylie Pentelow was presenting a segment about Pope Francis’ Christmas Day address. What began as a usual news telecast soon turned into an uncomfortable segment.

<o:p></o:p>

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ITV news accidentally announces the death of the pope 
 
👀 <a href="https://t.co/6XyVtuypDi">pic.twitter.com/6XyVtuypDi</a>
— CuriousRabitt 🐇🧐 (@ApocalypseBarB) <a href="https://twitter.com/ApocalypseBarB/status/1474941685696245760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Pentelow started the segment by telling viewers about Pope’s festive address which was mainly concentrated on prayers for pandemic victims. However, after a pan shot from the Pope’s address to the anchor’s face, she suddenly said that the Pope's death was announced.<o:p></o:p>

Upon realising her mistake, she quickly apologised and changed the segment.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-prays-for-covid-19-pandemics-end-healthcare-for-all-on-christmas-439945">Pope Francis prays for COVID-19 pandemic’s end, healthcare for all on Christmas</a></o:p>

"The Pope's festive address focused on his prayers for the pandemic to come to an end. He said vaccines should be made available to those most in need,"&nbsp;Pentelow&nbsp;reported&nbsp;on Saturday evening, before adding,&nbsp;"His death was announced… uh, excuse me."<o:p></o:p>

As soon as she made the mistake, viewers could observe a change in expression in the face of the anchor.<o:p></o:p>

While some ridiculed her for this mistake, others supported the anchor and said 'we all make mistakes'.<o:p></o:p>

"Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes," BBC broadcaster Scott Bryan&nbsp;tweeted in support of Pentelow.

<o:p></o:p>

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Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes.
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottygb/status/1474799036506984451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen’s death,"&nbsp;another broadcaster by the name of Jenni Regan explained on Twitter. "We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this."

<o:p></o:p>

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When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen’s death. We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this…
— Jenni Regan 💛 (@MsJenniRegan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MsJenniRegan/status/1474830106472427521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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During his Christmas address to the world from the St Peter's Square&nbsp;in Vatican City, Pope Francis talked about pandemic victims, urged vaccine for poor countries and also talked about the ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq and tensions in Ukraine and Ethiopia, and 'unprecedented crisis' in Lebanon.<o:p></o:p>

"We have become so used to them (conflicts) that immense tragedies are now being passed over in silence; we risk not hearing the cry of pain and distress of so many of our brothers and sisters," he said. "Son of God, comfort the victims of violence against women, which has increased in this time of pandemic. Offer hope to young children and adolescents suffering from bullying and abuse."<o:p></o:p>

News reading is a talent and an art that requires a lot of practice and focus, but every human can make mistakes. However, those mistakes turn into disaster if recorded on live telecast.

News reading is a talent and an art that requires a lot of practice and focus, but every human can make mistakes. However, those mistakes turn into disaster if recorded on live telecast. ITV News presenter Kylie Pentelow was presenting a segment about Pope Francis’ Christmas Day address. What began as a usual news telecast soon turned into an uncomfortable segment. ITV news accidentally announces the death of the pope 👀 pic.twitter.com/6XyVtuypDi — CuriousRabitt 🐇🧐 (@ApocalypseBarB) December 26, 2021 × Pentelow started the segment by telling viewers about Pope’s festive address which was mainly concentrated on prayers for pandemic victims. However, after a pan shot from the Pope’s address to the anchor’s face, she suddenly said that the Pope's death was announced. Upon realising her mistake, she quickly apologised and changed the segment. Also read | Pope Francis prays for COVID-19 pandemic’s end, healthcare for all on Christmas "The Pope's festive address focused on his prayers for the pandemic to come to an end. He said vaccines should be made available to those most in need," Pentelow reported on Saturday evening, before adding, "His death was announced… uh, excuse me." As soon as she made the mistake, viewers could observe a change in expression in the face of the anchor. While some ridiculed her for this mistake, others supported the anchor and said 'we all make mistakes'. "Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes," BBC broadcaster Scott Bryan tweeted in support of Pentelow. Someone get this newsreader a drink STAT. We all make mistakes. — Scott Bryan (@scottygb) December 25, 2021 × "When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen’s death," another broadcaster by the name of Jenni Regan explained on Twitter. "We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this." When I worked at ITN news we had to do practice runs for announcing the Queen’s death. We had all the right obits ready but all the names were replaced with Mrs Brown to avoid mistakes like this… — Jenni Regan 💛 (@MsJenniRegan) December 25, 2021 × During his Christmas address to the world from the St Peter's Square in Vatican City, Pope Francis talked about pandemic victims, urged vaccine for poor countries and also talked about the ongoing conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq and tensions in Ukraine and Ethiopia, and 'unprecedented crisis' in Lebanon. "We have become so used to them (conflicts) that immense tragedies are now being passed over in silence; we risk not hearing the cry of pain and distress of so many of our brothers and sisters," he said. "Son of God, comfort the victims of violence against women, which has increased in this time of pandemic. Offer hope to young children and adolescents suffering from bullying and abuse."

WATCH: News anchor mistakenly announces Pope's death on live TV

The Luxurious Private apartments of Popes from the past are now open to the public. WION shows you the Lateran Apostolic Palace situated in Rome, which was the Papal residence for almost a thousand years.

The Lateran Apostolic Palace opens for public to view Pontiffs' private rooms

Pope Francis, during his visit to Greek island of Lesbos urged the world not to use issue or migrants urged for political gains. This was Pope's second visit to the Greek island that has become symbol of plight of refugees.

Pope's first visit in Lesbos was 2016. At that time, he had taken 12 Syrian refugees with him back to Italy.

In his latest visit to Lesbos, Pope met refugees at Mavrovoni camp. The camp holds 2300 people.

He lamented that "little has changed with regard to the issue of migration" since his last visit five years ago.

The Mediterranean, where thousands have died trying to make the crossing from north Africa to Europe, was still "a grim cemetery without tombstones".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-the-first-time-in-two-decades-pope-francis-flies-to-athens-for-papal-visit-434068">For the first time in two decades, Pope Francis flies to Athens for papal visit</a>

"I am here to see your faces and look into your eyes. Eyes full of fear and expectancy, eyes that have seen violence and poverty, eyes streaked by too many tears," he said at the camp's reception and identification area.

Francis for the second straight day chided those who use the migration crisis for political ends.

"It is easy to stir up public opinion by instilling fear of others," he said, adding that people who are anti-immigrant "fail to speak with equal vehemence" about the exploitation of the poor, wars, and the arms industry.

"The remote causes should be attacked, not the poor people who pay the consequences and are even used for political propaganda," he said.

The camp, set up in a old army firing range, is made up of dozens of prefabricated structures, some similar to shipping containers and other, smaller ones made of plastic.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis, during his visit to Greek island of Lesbos urged the world not to use issue or migrants urged for political gains. This was Pope's second visit to the Greek island that has become symbol of plight of refugees.

Pope Francis, during his visit to Greek island of Lesbos urged the world not to use issue or migrants urged for political gains. This was Pope's second visit to the Greek island that has become symbol of plight of refugees. Pope's first visit in Lesbos was 2016. At that time, he had taken 12 Syrian refugees with him back to Italy. In his latest visit to Lesbos, Pope met refugees at Mavrovoni camp. The camp holds 2300 people. He lamented that "little has changed with regard to the issue of migration" since his last visit five years ago. The Mediterranean, where thousands have died trying to make the crossing from north Africa to Europe, was still "a grim cemetery without tombstones". Also Read | For the first time in two decades, Pope Francis flies to Athens for papal visit "I am here to see your faces and look into your eyes. Eyes full of fear and expectancy, eyes that have seen violence and poverty, eyes streaked by too many tears," he said at the camp's reception and identification area. Francis for the second straight day chided those who use the migration crisis for political ends. "It is easy to stir up public opinion by instilling fear of others," he said, adding that people who are anti-immigrant "fail to speak with equal vehemence" about the exploitation of the poor, wars, and the arms industry. "The remote causes should be attacked, not the poor people who pay the consequences and are even used for political propaganda," he said. The camp, set up in a old army firing range, is made up of dozens of prefabricated structures, some similar to shipping containers and other, smaller ones made of plastic. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis visits refugee island, urges against exploitation of migrants for politics

Pope Francis flew towards Athens on Saturday for the first visit by a pontiff in two decades, with the Greek capital under high security over anti-papal sentiment among Orthodox hardliners.

The pope's trip will see him return on Sunday to the island of Lesbos, which he last visited in 2016 during the early years of the migration crisis.

His plane took off on Saturday morning from Cyprus, where he spoke out about the suffering of migrants, and is expected to arrive in Athens at 11 am (0900 GMT).

His visit to the Greek capital is the first by a pope since John Paul II in 2001, which in turn was the first papal visit to Athens since the 1054 Schism between the&nbsp;Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Francis is seeking to improve historically difficult relations with the Orthodox Church while also highlighting the plight of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece.

"I ardently long to meet you all, all, not only Catholics, but all of you," he said in a message before embarking on his trip, which began on Thursday with the two-day visit to Cyprus.

"By meeting you, I will quench my thirst at the springs of fraternity."

Francis on Saturday will meet Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the head of the Church of Greece Archbishop Ieronymos.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-reported-to-police-over-christmas-parties-held-during-2020-lockdown-434048">Also read |&nbsp;UK PM Boris Johnson reported to police over Christmas parties held during 2020 lockdown</a>

He is then scheduled to see members of Greece's small Catholic community, which represent just 1.2 percent of the majority-Orthodox population.

"The Holy Father's presence in Greece is a boost for us... Catholics in Greece must take advantage of it," Markos Foscolos, parish priest of St Nicholas on the island of Tinos, told reporters this week.

Francis flies back to Rome on Monday.

'Loud' protests

Up to 2,000 police will be deployed in Athens to monitor possible disruptions by Orthodox hardliners, who blame the Catholics for the Schism and the 1204 sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.

"They will be few, but loud," predicted Petros Panagiotopoulos, a theologian at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki.

Relations with the Church of Greece are much better than they were ahead of John Paul's visit, Pierre Salembier, head of the&nbsp;Jesuit Catholic&nbsp;community in Greece, told AFP.

But he said there were still some "known anti-Catholic fanatics" within the Church's governing body.

The bishop of Piraeus called the pope's visit "immoral", according to the union of Orthodox journalists.

'Open arms'

During his visit to Cyprus, Francis condemned "slavery" and "torture" in migrant camps, drawing parallels with World War II.&nbsp;

The Cyprus government said Friday that 50 migrants, including two Cameroonians stuck for months in the divided island's buffer zone, will be relocated to Italy thanks to Francis.

On Sunday the pope will again visit Greece's Lesbos, a flashpoint of the 2015 refugee crisis and thereafter, "as a pilgrim to the wellsprings of humanity" to call for the integration of refugees.

The island's sprawling Moria migrant camp, which the pontiff visited in 2016, burnt down last year and has been replaced by a new EU-funded facility.

The new Mavrovouni camp is part of a series of "closed" facilities on Greek islands with barbed wire fencing, surveillance cameras, X-ray scanners and magnetic gates that are closed at night.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/11-us-govt-employees-phones-hacked-using-nso-groups-spyware-say-reports-434000">Also read |&nbsp;11 US govt employees’ phones hacked using NSO Group’s spyware, say reports</a>

NGOs and aid groups have raised concerns about the new camps, arguing that people's movements should not be restricted.

Thirty-six groups active in Greece this week sent a letter to the pope, drawing his attention to the rights of people in the camps and asking for his help in halting illegal pushbacks of migrants allegedly carried out by Greek border forces.

The pontiff is expected to visit the camp and will meet two "randomly chosen" families, an official said.

"We await him with open arms," said Berthe, a Cameroonian asylum seeker at the camp.

She said she hoped the pope "will pray for us to help us overcome the insecurities we have lived, through faith."

On Wednesday, nearly 30 asylum seekers landed near the camp. On Friday, two migrants died when a speedboat overturned near the Greek island of Kos.

Pope Francis flew towards Athens on Saturday for the first visit by a pontiff in two decades, with the Greek capital under high security over anti-papal sentiment among Orthodox hardliners.

Pope Francis flew towards Athens on Saturday for the first visit by a pontiff in two decades, with the Greek capital under high security over anti-papal sentiment among Orthodox hardliners. The pope's trip will see him return on Sunday to the island of Lesbos, which he last visited in 2016 during the early years of the migration crisis. His plane took off on Saturday morning from Cyprus, where he spoke out about the suffering of migrants, and is expected to arrive in Athens at 11 am (0900 GMT). His visit to the Greek capital is the first by a pope since John Paul II in 2001, which in turn was the first papal visit to Athens since the 1054 Schism between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Francis is seeking to improve historically difficult relations with the Orthodox Church while also highlighting the plight of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece. "I ardently long to meet you all, all, not only Catholics, but all of you," he said in a message before embarking on his trip, which began on Thursday with the two-day visit to Cyprus. "By meeting you, I will quench my thirst at the springs of fraternity." Francis on Saturday will meet Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the head of the Church of Greece Archbishop Ieronymos. Also read | UK PM Boris Johnson reported to police over Christmas parties held during 2020 lockdown He is then scheduled to see members of Greece's small Catholic community, which represent just 1.2 percent of the majority-Orthodox population. "The Holy Father's presence in Greece is a boost for us... Catholics in Greece must take advantage of it," Markos Foscolos, parish priest of St Nicholas on the island of Tinos, told reporters this week. Francis flies back to Rome on Monday. 'Loud' protests Up to 2,000 police will be deployed in Athens to monitor possible disruptions by Orthodox hardliners, who blame the Catholics for the Schism and the 1204 sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. "They will be few, but loud," predicted Petros Panagiotopoulos, a theologian at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki. Relations with the Church of Greece are much better than they were ahead of John Paul's visit, Pierre Salembier, head of the Jesuit Catholic community in Greece, told AFP. But he said there were still some "known anti-Catholic fanatics" within the Church's governing body. The bishop of Piraeus called the pope's visit "immoral", according to the union of Orthodox journalists. 'Open arms' During his visit to Cyprus, Francis condemned "slavery" and "torture" in migrant camps, drawing parallels with World War II. The Cyprus government said Friday that 50 migrants, including two Cameroonians stuck for months in the divided island's buffer zone, will be relocated to Italy thanks to Francis. On Sunday the pope will again visit Greece's Lesbos, a flashpoint of the 2015 refugee crisis and thereafter, "as a pilgrim to the wellsprings of humanity" to call for the integration of refugees. The island's sprawling Moria migrant camp, which the pontiff visited in 2016, burnt down last year and has been replaced by a new EU-funded facility. The new Mavrovouni camp is part of a series of "closed" facilities on Greek islands with barbed wire fencing, surveillance cameras, X-ray scanners and magnetic gates that are closed at night. Also read | 11 US govt employees’ phones hacked using NSO Group’s spyware, say reports NGOs and aid groups have raised concerns about the new camps, arguing that people's movements should not be restricted. Thirty-six groups active in Greece this week sent a letter to the pope, drawing his attention to the rights of people in the camps and asking for his help in halting illegal pushbacks of migrants allegedly carried out by Greek border forces. The pontiff is expected to visit the camp and will meet two "randomly chosen" families, an official said. "We await him with open arms," said Berthe, a Cameroonian asylum seeker at the camp. She said she hoped the pope "will pray for us to help us overcome the insecurities we have lived, through faith." On Wednesday, nearly 30 asylum seekers landed near the camp. On Friday, two migrants died when a speedboat overturned near the Greek island of Kos.

For the first time in two decades, Pope Francis flies to Athens for papal visit

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

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

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

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

Vatican’s Pope Francis has thanked journalists from around the world for their helping uncover the sexual abuse scandals of the Roman Catholic Church.<o:p></o:p>

The Pope has appreciated and thanked the journalists for carrying on their "mission"&nbsp;of journalism. He said it was extremely important that these cases were uncovered and presented infront of the world.<o:p></o:p>

He thanked the journalists for stepping out of the newsrooms to discover and present what was happening around the world. This helps counter misinformation that is spread online these days, he said, and added that "not everything can be told through email, the phone, or a screen."<o:p></o:p>

"(I) thank you for what you tell us about what is wrong in the Church, for helping us not to sweep it under the carpet, and for the voice you have given to the abuse victims," the Pope said.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pope-francis-appoints-first-woman-to-serve-as-secretary-general-of-vatican-city-426890">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pope-francis-appoints-first-woman-to-serve-as-secretary-general-of-vatican-city-426890/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The leader thanked the journalists while he was speaking at a ceremony to honour two veteran correspondents (Philip Pullella of Reuters and Valentina Alazraki of Mexico's Noticieros Televisa) who had spent their time covering the Vatican.<o:p></o:p>

Pope Francis was talking about the sexual abuse scandals that had hit the headlines in 2002. Journalists had uncovered several cases where minors had been sexually assaulted and abused by clerics. It was revealed that there was a silent culture of concealment within the Church about these issues.<o:p></o:p>

The exposure of these cases in 2002 continued and since then scandals have been making headlines across the globe. Recently, in October, it was revealed that more than 200,000 children have been abused by French clerics over the past 70 years.<o:p></o:p>

While journalists have, in the past, accused Pope Francis of not acting quickly on these cases, the leader thanked the media houses for their work and said the journalists have "to explain the world, to make it less obscure, to make those who live in it less fear it".<o:p></o:p>

Vatican’s Pope Francis has thanked journalists from around the world for their helping uncover the sexual abuse scandals of the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope has appreciated and thanked the journalists for carrying on their "mission" of journalism.

Vatican’s Pope Francis has thanked journalists from around the world for their helping uncover the sexual abuse scandals of the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope has appreciated and thanked the journalists for carrying on their "mission" of journalism. He said it was extremely important that these cases were uncovered and presented infront of the world. He thanked the journalists for stepping out of the newsrooms to discover and present what was happening around the world. This helps counter misinformation that is spread online these days, he said, and added that "not everything can be told through email, the phone, or a screen." "(I) thank you for what you tell us about what is wrong in the Church, for helping us not to sweep it under the carpet, and for the voice you have given to the abuse victims," the Pope said. WATCH | The leader thanked the journalists while he was speaking at a ceremony to honour two veteran correspondents (Philip Pullella of Reuters and Valentina Alazraki of Mexico's Noticieros Televisa) who had spent their time covering the Vatican. Pope Francis was talking about the sexual abuse scandals that had hit the headlines in 2002. Journalists had uncovered several cases where minors had been sexually assaulted and abused by clerics. It was revealed that there was a silent culture of concealment within the Church about these issues. The exposure of these cases in 2002 continued and since then scandals have been making headlines across the globe. Recently, in October, it was revealed that more than 200,000 children have been abused by French clerics over the past 70 years. While journalists have, in the past, accused Pope Francis of not acting quickly on these cases, the leader thanked the media houses for their work and said the journalists have "to explain the world, to make it less obscure, to make those who live in it less fear it".

Pope Francis thanks journalists for exposing sexual abuse cases

Pope Francis on Sunday&nbsp; offered his prayers to the victims of a fuel tanker blast in Sierra Leone that killed at least 99 people and injured more than 100.

The accident happened in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, late on Friday, when a fuel tanker exploded following a collision, local authorities said.

The pontiff also prayed for Ethiopia, where the conflict in Tigray region has killed thousands of people, forced more than 2 million from their homes and left 400,000 people in facing famine.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-to-military-rule-sudans-security-forces-fire-tear-gas-during-anti-coup-campaign-by-teachers-427426">Also read |&nbsp;'No to military rule': Sudan's security forces fire tear gas during anti-coup campaign by teachers</a>

"I am following with concern the news coming from the Horn of Africa region, in particular from Ethiopia, shaken by a conflict that has been going on for more than a year and which has caused numerous victims and a serious humanitarian crisis" Francis told the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus prayer.

"I pray for those people, who have been tried so hard and I renew my appeal for fraternal harmony and a peaceful dialogue to prevail."

Pope Francis on Sunday offered his prayers to the victims of a fuel tanker blast in Sierra Leone that killed at least 99 people and injured more than 100. The accident happened in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, late on Friday, when a fuel tanker exploded following a collision, local authorities said.

Pope Francis on Sunday offered his prayers to the victims of a fuel tanker blast in Sierra Leone that killed at least 99 people and injured more than 100. The accident happened in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, late on Friday, when a fuel tanker exploded following a collision, local authorities said. The pontiff also prayed for Ethiopia, where the conflict in Tigray region has killed thousands of people, forced more than 2 million from their homes and left 400,000 people in facing famine. Also read | 'No to military rule': Sudan's security forces fire tear gas during anti-coup campaign by teachers "I am following with concern the news coming from the Horn of Africa region, in particular from Ethiopia, shaken by a conflict that has been going on for more than a year and which has caused numerous victims and a serious humanitarian crisis" Francis told the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus prayer. "I pray for those people, who have been tried so hard and I renew my appeal for fraternal harmony and a peaceful dialogue to prevail."

Pope prays for conflict hit Ethiopia and victims of Sierra Leone blast

Pope Francis appointed a woman Thursday to head up the governorate of the Vatican, as he forges ahead with a mission to achieve greater gender equality in the Church.

The pontiff appointed Franciscan sister Raffaella Petrini as the new secretary general of the governorate, making her the first woman to ever hold the post.

Petrini, 52, who will be responsible for overseeing administrative operations, including the Vatican museums, post office and police, becomes the highest-ranking woman in the world's smallest state.

The National Catholic Reporter online newspaper said the role is traditionally held by a bishop.

Francis, 84, has repeatedly said he wants women to play a greater role in the Roman Catholic Church.

In January he changed the law to allow them to serve as readers at liturgies, altar servers and distributors of communion -- but stopped short of saying the change could one day open the door to female priests.

In February he broke with Catholic tradition to appoint a woman as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops, the first to hold the post with voting rights in a body that studies major questions of doctrine.

The pope created a commission in 2016 into the history of female deacons in the early year of the Catholic Church, in a move reformers hope could open the door to women taking up the role today.

After their findings were said by the pope to be inconclusive, he set up a fresh commission to look into the issue last year.

Pope Francis appointed a woman Thursday to head up the governorate of the Vatican, as he forges ahead with a mission to achieve greater gender equality in the Church.

Pope Francis appointed a woman Thursday to head up the governorate of the Vatican, as he forges ahead with a mission to achieve greater gender equality in the Church. The pontiff appointed Franciscan sister Raffaella Petrini as the new secretary general of the governorate, making her the first woman to ever hold the post. Petrini, 52, who will be responsible for overseeing administrative operations, including the Vatican museums, post office and police, becomes the highest-ranking woman in the world's smallest state. The National Catholic Reporter online newspaper said the role is traditionally held by a bishop. Francis, 84, has repeatedly said he wants women to play a greater role in the Roman Catholic Church. In January he changed the law to allow them to serve as readers at liturgies, altar servers and distributors of communion -- but stopped short of saying the change could one day open the door to female priests. In February he broke with Catholic tradition to appoint a woman as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops, the first to hold the post with voting rights in a body that studies major questions of doctrine. The pope created a commission in 2016 into the history of female deacons in the early year of the Catholic Church, in a move reformers hope could open the door to women taking up the role today. After their findings were said by the pope to be inconclusive, he set up a fresh commission to look into the issue last year.

Pope names Raffaella Petrini as first woman to head Vatican governorate

According to media reports on Monday, the South Korean administration urged North Korea to accept Pope Francis' invitation to visit the nation, claiming that it would help to improve regional peace.

The Pope met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Friday.

The primary subjects covered at the meeting, according to local witnesses, were the difficulty of lowering tension on the Korean peninsula and the possibility of the pontiff visiting North Korea.&nbsp;

"As the pope's willingness to visit North Korea has been reaffirmed, we hope the North will respond and pave the way for fostering peace on the Korean Peninsula," the spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Unification, Lee Jong-joo, said, as quoted by Yonhap news agency.&nbsp;

Moon Jae-in conveyed to Pope Francis the verbal invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Pyongyang during his last visit to the Vatican in October 2018.

The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, subsequently underlined the Pope's willingness to visit North Korea, but the trip was cancelled owing to a stalemate in nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, according to the news agency.&nbsp;

Yonhap reported a spokesperson of the South Korean Ministry of Unification as stating that Pope Francis' journey to North Korea might make "a big contribution to fostering peace on the Korean peninsula" just before Moon Jae-current in's visit to the Vatican.

Seoul has agreed to make additional measures to support the realisation of such a visit, according to the envoy.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to media reports on Monday, the South Korean administration urged North Korea to accept Pope Francis' invitation to visit the nation, claiming that it would help to improve regional peace.

According to media reports on Monday, the South Korean administration urged North Korea to accept Pope Francis' invitation to visit the nation, claiming that it would help to improve regional peace. The Pope met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace on Friday. The primary subjects covered at the meeting, according to local witnesses, were the difficulty of lowering tension on the Korean peninsula and the possibility of the pontiff visiting North Korea. "As the pope's willingness to visit North Korea has been reaffirmed, we hope the North will respond and pave the way for fostering peace on the Korean Peninsula," the spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Unification, Lee Jong-joo, said, as quoted by Yonhap news agency. Moon Jae-in conveyed to Pope Francis the verbal invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Pyongyang during his last visit to the Vatican in October 2018. The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, subsequently underlined the Pope's willingness to visit North Korea, but the trip was cancelled owing to a stalemate in nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang, according to the news agency. Yonhap reported a spokesperson of the South Korean Ministry of Unification as stating that Pope Francis' journey to North Korea might make "a big contribution to fostering peace on the Korean peninsula" just before Moon Jae-current in's visit to the Vatican. Seoul has agreed to make additional measures to support the realisation of such a visit, according to the envoy. (With inputs from agencies)

South Korea urges Kim Jong-un to accept proposal for Pope's visit to North Korea

After US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis, the former gave an unusual answer on Friday on being asked whether abortion was discussed in their 90-minute meeting at the Vatican. &nbsp;

When asked if "the issue of abortion [came] up at all" during the meeting, Biden told reporters, “No, it didn’t. It came up. We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic, and I should keep receiving communion."

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In the United States, the president’s pro-abortion rights stance has irked some Catholics. It includes 168 bishops, who are trying to block the president from receiving communion. In June, the Vatican shot down the suggestion. Pope Francis has still not publicly commented on the subject. &nbsp;

During the meeting, US reporters, photographers and television crews, who are traveling with the president, were barred. The Vatican supplied a heavily edited video of the event. The meeting was described as lighthearted by senior administration officials. &nbsp;

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"The engagement between the two was very warm when the delegation arrived in the room. There was laughter and clear rapport between President Biden and Pope Francis," said a White House official. &nbsp;

"President Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world’s poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution. He also lauded Pope Francis’ leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery," noted the White House's readout of the meeting. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis, the former gave an unusual answer on Friday on being asked whether abortion was discussed in their 90-minute meeting at the Vatican.

After US President Joe Biden met Pope Francis, the former gave an unusual answer on Friday on being asked whether abortion was discussed in their 90-minute meeting at the Vatican. When asked if "the issue of abortion [came] up at all" during the meeting, Biden told reporters, “No, it didn’t. It came up. We just talked about the fact he was happy that I was a good Catholic, and I should keep receiving communion." Also Read: To settle US charges of tax evasion, Russian billionaire pays $500 million In the United States, the president’s pro-abortion rights stance has irked some Catholics. It includes 168 bishops, who are trying to block the president from receiving communion. In June, the Vatican shot down the suggestion. Pope Francis has still not publicly commented on the subject. During the meeting, US reporters, photographers and television crews, who are traveling with the president, were barred. The Vatican supplied a heavily edited video of the event. The meeting was described as lighthearted by senior administration officials. Also Read: Prince Andrew asks US court to dismiss sexual harassment lawsuit "The engagement between the two was very warm when the delegation arrived in the room. There was laughter and clear rapport between President Biden and Pope Francis," said a White House official. "President Biden thanked His Holiness for his advocacy for the world’s poor and those suffering from hunger, conflict, and persecution. He also lauded Pope Francis’ leadership in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and an equitable global economic recovery," noted the White House's readout of the meeting. (With inputs from agencies)

After meeting with pope, US President Joe Biden gives bizarre answer on abortion

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday and invited the head of the Catholic Church to visit India.

According to officials, the prime minister's meeting with the pope lasted for more than an hour.

Notably, the last Papal visit by an Indian leader happened in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister and Pope John Paul II visited India.

During their meeting, PM Modi and the Pope discussed a wide range of issues including climate change and poverty.

"PM Modi had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. A meeting that was scheduled only for twenty minutes went on for an hour," said an official who didn't wish to be named.

It is the first-ever one-to-one meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis.&nbsp;At the Vatican, Modi was accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Prime Minister also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican City State.

Modi is the fifth Indian Prime Minister to meet the head of the Roman Catholics. Before him, prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, I K Gujral and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had met the then popes at the Vatican.

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Had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis. I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him and also invited him to visit India. <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Pontifex</a> <a href="https://t.co/QP0If1uJAC">pic.twitter.com/QP0If1uJAC</a>
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While briefing media on the details of the prime minister’s engagements in Italy, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday had said, “The Prime Minister will have a separate call. He will be meeting his Holiness on a one-on-one basis. And that could, after a certain period of time, be followed up by delegation-level talks.”

Shringla said health issues, COVID-19 might be the agenda of the talks, but he quickly added that the Vatican has not set any agenda.

“I believe tradition is not to have an agenda when you discuss issues with His Holiness. And I think we respect that. I'm sure the issues that will be covered will cover a range of areas of interests in terms of the general global perspectives and issues that are important to all of us,” he said.

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Earlier, in India, Modi’s visit was welcomed by the Catholic Church. Even before the government officially announced the visit, the president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference, Cardinal George Alenchery, issued a statement saying that it would “add more energy and warmth to the relations between our country and the Vatican and the Catholic Church”.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-sanskrit-chants-selfies-as-pm-modi-pays-tribute-to-mahatma-gandhi-meets-indian-diaspora-in-rome-425033">Watch: Sanskrit chants, selfies as PM Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, meets Indian diaspora in Rome</a>

On Thursday, PM Modi, before leaving for Italy for the G20 Summit, had said that he would be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29-31.

“During my visit to Italy, I will also visit the Vatican City, to call on His Holiness Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday and invited the head of the Catholic Church to visit India. According to officials, the prime minister's meeting with the pope lasted for more than an hour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday and invited the head of the Catholic Church to visit India. According to officials, the prime minister's meeting with the pope lasted for more than an hour. Notably, the last Papal visit by an Indian leader happened in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister and Pope John Paul II visited India. During their meeting, PM Modi and the Pope discussed a wide range of issues including climate change and poverty. "PM Modi had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. A meeting that was scheduled only for twenty minutes went on for an hour," said an official who didn't wish to be named. It is the first-ever one-to-one meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Pope Francis. At the Vatican, Modi was accompanied by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Prime Minister also met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican City State. Modi is the fifth Indian Prime Minister to meet the head of the Roman Catholics. Before him, prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, I K Gujral and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had met the then popes at the Vatican. Had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis. I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him and also invited him to visit India. @Pontifex pic.twitter.com/QP0If1uJAC — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2021 × While briefing media on the details of the prime minister’s engagements in Italy, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday had said, “The Prime Minister will have a separate call. He will be meeting his Holiness on a one-on-one basis. And that could, after a certain period of time, be followed up by delegation-level talks.” Shringla said health issues, COVID-19 might be the agenda of the talks, but he quickly added that the Vatican has not set any agenda. “I believe tradition is not to have an agenda when you discuss issues with His Holiness. And I think we respect that. I'm sure the issues that will be covered will cover a range of areas of interests in terms of the general global perspectives and issues that are important to all of us,” he said. Also read | PM Modi begins engagements in Rome, holds meeting with European Council, European Commission presidents Earlier, in India, Modi’s visit was welcomed by the Catholic Church. Even before the government officially announced the visit, the president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Conference, Cardinal George Alenchery, issued a statement saying that it would “add more energy and warmth to the relations between our country and the Vatican and the Catholic Church”. Watch: Sanskrit chants, selfies as PM Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, meets Indian diaspora in Rome On Thursday, PM Modi, before leaving for Italy for the G20 Summit, had said that he would be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29-31. “During my visit to Italy, I will also visit the Vatican City, to call on His Holiness Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin,” he said.

At historic meeting, PM Modi invites Pope Francis to visit India

When the Pope talks to his audience, all eyes are on him. However, this time, a small boy took the limelight as he tried to steal from the leader.<o:p></o:p>

A young boy, who is reported to be 10-years-old, was seated next to the Pope during one of his usual address with his followers.<o:p></o:p>

The boy hesitantly approached the Pope at the start of the audience in the Paul VI hall. The security officials did not stop him as he was deemed to be harmless security-wise.

<o:p><img alt="Boy steals Pope's cap" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a0a1c522-f97b-4538-aeba-1b9804f0c1aa" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Boy%20steals%20Pope%27s%20cap.jpg" /></o:p>

Then, he shook hands with the Pope and kept jumping with joy. He continued moving around the leader with the intention of staying with the Pope for a bit longer. Upon realising this, Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, the head of protocol, gave him a chair to sit on the right side of the Pope.<o:p></o:p>

As the Pope resumed his address, the boy was often spotted getting up and leaving the stage and then returning back to it.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/cop26-must-address-unprecedented-climate-crisis-pope-francis-warns-418150">COP26 must address 'unprecedented' climate crisis, Pope Francis warns</a></o:p>

Soon, the boy started pointing out at the Pope’s zucchetto, white skull cap. He even once tried to pick it up from the Pope's head. The officials quickly found a similar skull cap for the boy and handed it to him, brining a smile on his face.<o:p></o:p>

The boy, reportedly, suffers from some medical "limitation". He was wearing a mask, as per Covid protocols and was dressed in a track suit.<o:p></o:p>

Pope took this opportunity to give his blessings to the boy. "I thank this boy for the lesson he has given all of us. May the Lord help him in his limitation, as he grows, because what he did came from the heart," the Pope said.<o:p></o:p>

When the Pope talks to his audience, all eyes are on him. However, this time, a small boy took the limelight as he tried to steal from the leader. A young boy, who is reported to be 10-years-old, was seated next to the Pope during one of his usual address with his followers.

When the Pope talks to his audience, all eyes are on him. However, this time, a small boy took the limelight as he tried to steal from the leader. A young boy, who is reported to be 10-years-old, was seated next to the Pope during one of his usual address with his followers. The boy hesitantly approached the Pope at the start of the audience in the Paul VI hall. The security officials did not stop him as he was deemed to be harmless security-wise. Then, he shook hands with the Pope and kept jumping with joy. He continued moving around the leader with the intention of staying with the Pope for a bit longer. Upon realising this, Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, the head of protocol, gave him a chair to sit on the right side of the Pope. As the Pope resumed his address, the boy was often spotted getting up and leaving the stage and then returning back to it. Also read | COP26 must address 'unprecedented' climate crisis, Pope Francis warns Soon, the boy started pointing out at the Pope’s zucchetto, white skull cap. He even once tried to pick it up from the Pope's head. The officials quickly found a similar skull cap for the boy and handed it to him, brining a smile on his face. The boy, reportedly, suffers from some medical "limitation". He was wearing a mask, as per Covid protocols and was dressed in a track suit. Pope took this opportunity to give his blessings to the boy. "I thank this boy for the lesson he has given all of us. May the Lord help him in his limitation, as he grows, because what he did came from the heart," the Pope said.

Boy steals the show by trying to take Pope's skull cap

Pope Francis on Sunday&nbsp;condemned recent attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and Britain, in an apparent reference to the stabbing death of parliamentarian David Amess.

"Last week, various attacks were carried out, for example, in Norway, Afghanistan, England, which caused many dead and wounded," he said at his weekly blessing in St. Peter's Square.

"I express my closeness to the families of the victims and I pray, please, abandon the path of violence, which is always a loss, a defeat for everyone. Let us remember that violence begets violence," he said.

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At least 41 people were killed and 70 wounded in a suicide attack at a mosque in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Friday. Hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Last Wednesday&nbsp; in Kongsberg, a man killed five people with a bow-and-arrow and other weapons during a half-hour rampage, assaulting his victims in the streets and forcing his way into houses and a supermarket.

David Amess, 69, of the Conservative Party, was knifed repeatedly in an attack in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, during a meeting with constituents in a church. A 25-year-old British man was detained under terrorism powers on suspicion of murder.

Pope Francis on Sunday condemned recent attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and Britain, in an apparent reference to the stabbing death of parliamentarian David Amess.

Pope Francis on Sunday condemned recent attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and Britain, in an apparent reference to the stabbing death of parliamentarian David Amess. "Last week, various attacks were carried out, for example, in Norway, Afghanistan, England, which caused many dead and wounded," he said at his weekly blessing in St. Peter's Square. "I express my closeness to the families of the victims and I pray, please, abandon the path of violence, which is always a loss, a defeat for everyone. Let us remember that violence begets violence," he said. Also read | UK says will beef up MPs' security after MP killed At least 41 people were killed and 70 wounded in a suicide attack at a mosque in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Friday. Hardline Sunni group Islamic State claimed responsibility. Last Wednesday in Kongsberg, a man killed five people with a bow-and-arrow and other weapons during a half-hour rampage, assaulting his victims in the streets and forcing his way into houses and a supermarket. David Amess, 69, of the Conservative Party, was knifed repeatedly in an attack in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, during a meeting with constituents in a church. A 25-year-old British man was detained under terrorism powers on suspicion of murder.

Pope condemns attacks in Norway, Afghanistan and Britain

Health workers have a non-negotiable right to exercise conscientious objection by refusing to participate in an abortion, Pope Francis said on Thursday, calling the procedure "murder".

It was at least the third time in a month that the pope has spoken out strongly against abortion, which has become a major political issue in a number of countries, including the United States.

Last week a US&nbsp;appeals court temporarily reinstated Texas's restrictive abortion law, which bars the procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy and outsources enforcement of the ban to ordinary citizens.

"Today it has become a bit fashionable to think that maybe it would be good to do away with conscientious objection (in the medical field)," he said to participants of a conference in Rome of hospital pharmacists.

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"It (conscientious objection) should never be negotiated, it is the ultimate responsibility of heath professionals," he said, adding that it was particularly applicable to abortion.

"Know that on this I am very clear: It is murder and it is never licit to be an accomplice," he said.

Most countries have laws that provide for some form of conscientious objection by health professionals, but abortion rights activists say not all are fulfilling their duty to refer a woman to another doctor.

In some Scandinavian countries, doctors are barred from refusing to provide any medical care that is legal.

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Last month, Francis told reporters on the plane returning from Slovakia that abortion was "murder", even soon after conception, but appeared to criticise some US&nbsp;Catholic bishops for dealing with US&nbsp;President Joe Biden's pro-choice position in a political rather than pastoral way.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that life begins at the moment of conception.

In June a divided conference of US Roman Catholic bishops voted to draft a statement on communion that may admonish Catholic politicians, including Biden. They are due to take up the issue again next month.

Health workers have a non-negotiable right to exercise conscientious objection by refusing to participate in an abortion, Pope Francis said on Thursday, calling the procedure "murder".

Health workers have a non-negotiable right to exercise conscientious objection by refusing to participate in an abortion, Pope Francis said on Thursday, calling the procedure "murder". It was at least the third time in a month that the pope has spoken out strongly against abortion, which has become a major political issue in a number of countries, including the United States. Last week a US appeals court temporarily reinstated Texas's restrictive abortion law, which bars the procedure as early as six weeks into pregnancy and outsources enforcement of the ban to ordinary citizens. "Today it has become a bit fashionable to think that maybe it would be good to do away with conscientious objection (in the medical field)," he said to participants of a conference in Rome of hospital pharmacists. Also read | Learn to switch off, says Pope Francis after successful surgery "It (conscientious objection) should never be negotiated, it is the ultimate responsibility of heath professionals," he said, adding that it was particularly applicable to abortion. "Know that on this I am very clear: It is murder and it is never licit to be an accomplice," he said. Most countries have laws that provide for some form of conscientious objection by health professionals, but abortion rights activists say not all are fulfilling their duty to refer a woman to another doctor. In some Scandinavian countries, doctors are barred from refusing to provide any medical care that is legal. Also read | US coastline to be dotted with wind farms, says Biden administration Last month, Francis told reporters on the plane returning from Slovakia that abortion was "murder", even soon after conception, but appeared to criticise some US Catholic bishops for dealing with US President Joe Biden's pro-choice position in a political rather than pastoral way. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that life begins at the moment of conception. In June a divided conference of US Roman Catholic bishops voted to draft a statement on communion that may admonish Catholic politicians, including Biden. They are due to take up the issue again next month.

Pope says health workers' conscientious objection to abortion non-negotiable

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