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Albanese shares poignant moment with the Pope

<p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid a heartfelt tribute to his late mother during a meeting with newly inaugurated Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, describing the encounter as a deeply personal moment.</p> <p>Following the pope's inauguration mass at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Sunday, Albanese was among a select group of world leaders ushered inside the basilica to greet the Catholic leader.</p> <p>“I spoke to him about my mother who would be, I’m sure, looking down from heaven with the biggest smile she’s ever had,” Albanese told reporters after the event.</p> <p>Raised in a housing commission flat in Sydney by his single mother, Albanese has frequently spoken about her influence on his life and values. His meeting with Pope Leo XIV appeared to be a particularly poignant occasion for the prime minister, given his Catholic upbringing.</p> <p>The Vatican gathering also provided an opportunity for Albanese to engage with fellow global leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJwHU6YTcYL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJwHU6YTcYL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Anthony Albanese (@albomp)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>According to reports, von der Leyen used the meeting to raise the possibility of enhancing security ties between the European Union and Australia, proposing arrangements similar to existing partnerships with Japan and South Korea.</p> <p>Albanese was said to be cautious but receptive to the idea, indicating a willingness to explore closer cooperation through potential joint military exercises and other strategic initiatives.</p> <p>The talks come amid ongoing negotiations between Australia and the EU over a long-anticipated free trade agreement, which remains unresolved. Strengthening security ties may serve to bolster broader diplomatic and economic relations between the two parties.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Pope serves up hilarious banter with tennis' world number one

<p>Mayhem, mirth and match-point energy erupted inside the Vatican Wednesday as world No.1 tennis star Jannik Sinner met Pope Leo XIV, the newly appointed, tennis-loving American pope, for what may be the holiest pre-match warm-up in Italian Open history.</p> <p>The two racquet-swinging celebrities exchanged gifts, laughs and playful jabs – though thankfully, no actual serves were fired indoors (a mercy for the priceless 15th-century frescoes).</p> <p>Ahead of his quarter-final showdown with Casper Ruud in Rome, Sinner, fresh off a match against Francisco Cerundolo, visited the Vatican armed with racquets and respect. “Pleasure to meet you, it’s an honour,” Sinner told the Pope in Italian. The Pope, a self-confessed racquet-head and the first American to wear the papal whites was quick to size up the holy hardware.</p> <p>“This is the racquet you play with?” asked Pope Leo, eyeing Sinner’s sacred gear.</p> <p>“Yes, this is very, very similar,” Sinner replied, diplomatically avoiding divine confusion over string tension.</p> <p>“Only the colour is a little different, but the rest is the same.”</p> <p>“Wimbledon would let me play!” the Pope cracked, before adding (surely to the horror of Vatican furniture conservators everywhere)“Do you want to play a little bit?”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJot0gvMjdO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DJot0gvMjdO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jannik Sinner (@janniksin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Sinner, detecting the rising risk of breaking either a vase or several commandments, offered a tactical retreat. “Maybe best to leave it,” he said.</p> <p>During the audience, the head of Italy’s tennis and padel federation, Angelo Binaghi, presented the Pope with an honorary membership card. “We all felt the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport and this filled us with pride,” said Binaghi. The pair also posed beside the Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup, Italy’s recent trophies, which were placed nearby just in case the Pope felt like blessing any silverware. </p> <p>And in case anyone thought this was a one-sport pope, don’t forget: Leo is also a Chicago White Sox fan, which proves two things: his capacity for faith and his understanding of long-suffering.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram / Vatican Media</em></p>

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Habemus Papam! – We have a pope!

<p>In a moment charged with history and hope, the Catholic Church has elected its first American pontiff: Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV.</p> <p>The 69-year-old, who has spent much of his career in Peru, made his first appearance as pope from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica at 7:24pm local time, just over an hour after white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, sending the world a long-awaited message: <em>Habemus Papam!</em> (We have a pope!)</p> <p>Cheers erupted from the tens of thousands gathered in the square, with flags waving, church bells ringing and emotion rippling through the international crowd as the new pontiff smiled, waved and offered a heartfelt greeting. His first words: <em>“La pace sia con tutti voi.”</em> (“Peace be with you.)”</p> <p>Delivering his inaugural speech in Italian and Spanish, Pope Leo XIV struck a tone of unity, humility, and dialogue. “We must build bridges,” he declared, echoing the spirit of his predecessor. “Build bridges with dialogue, coming together, uniting, becoming one single people – one single people in peace.”</p> <p>The election of an American pope is a stunning departure from centuries of Vatican tradition, with many believing the idea had long been off the table due to the global influence of the United States. But Leo XIV’s unique path – from Chicago to Chiclayo – positioned him as a bridge-builder between North and South, tradition and change.</p> <p>His deep ties to Latin America, including years as a missionary and later as Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru, along with his recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, gave him a global pastoral perspective. He also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.</p> <p>Leo’s election comes after a dramatic and closely watched conclave. On Thursday afternoon, the 133 cardinal-electors gathered for a fourth round of voting. Just after 6pm, the unmistakable white smoke billowed into the Roman sky – the signal that consensus had been reached.</p> <p>By the time the Swiss Guard and military band took their positions, the anticipation in the square was electric. Crowds, including school groups, pilgrims and reporters from around the world, packed the piazza. And when the ancient formula <em>“Habemus Papam!”</em> was pronounced from the loggia, followed by Leo XIV’s public appearance, the square exploded with joy.</p> <p>Leo’s election drew swift global attention. Even US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to extend congratulations, writing: “It is such an honour to realise that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honour for our Country.”</p> <p>While the conclave was notably longer due to the large number of electors – 108 of whom were appointed by Pope Francis – it reflected the wide diversity of today’s global church. Cardinals came from places like Mongolia, Tonga and Sweden, a testament to Francis' efforts to make the Church more inclusive.</p> <p>Back in St Peter’s Square, the celebration continues, with some faithful expressing hope that Pope Leo XIV will carry forward Francis’ work of outreach and reform – and perhaps take it even further. As one young Argentine pilgrim, Pedro Deget, put it: “Francis opened the Church to the outside world. Let’s see what Leo can do now.”</p> <p><em>Images: Sunrise</em></p>

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Who will the next pope be? Here are some top contenders

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>The death of Pope Francis marks the end of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/pope-francis-has-died-aged-88-these-were-his-greatest-reforms-and-controversies-229111">historic papacy</a> and the beginning of a significant transition for the Catholic Church. As the faithful around the world mourn his passing, attention now turns to the next phase: the election of a new pope.</p> <p>This election will take place through a process known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-will-a-new-pope-be-chosen-an-expert-explains-the-conclave-250506">the conclave</a>. Typically held two to three weeks after a pope’s funeral, the conclave gathers the College of Cardinals in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. Here, through prayer, reflection and secret ballots, they must reach a two-thirds majority to choose the next Bishop of Rome.</p> <p>While, in theory, any baptised Catholic man can be elected, for the past seven centuries the role has gone to a cardinal. That said, the outcome can still be unpredictable – sometimes even surprising the electors themselves.</p> <h2>An unlikely candidate</h2> <p>Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio – who became Pope Francis – wasn’t among the front-runners in 2013. Nonetheless, after five rounds of voting, he emerged as the top candidate. Something similar could happen again.</p> <p>This conclave will take place during a time of tension and change within the church. Francis sought to decentralise Vatican authority, emphasised caring for the poor and the planet, and tried to open dialogue on sensitive issues such as <a href="https://time.com/7267052/pope-francis-impact-on-the-lgbtq-community/">LGBTQIA+ inclusion</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/abuse-victims-say-they-saw-progress-under-pope-francis-just-not-enough-2025-04-22/">clerical abuse</a>. The cardinals must now decide whether to continue in this direction, or steer towards a more traditional course.</p> <p>There is historical precedent to consider. For centuries, Italians dominated the papacy. Of the 266 popes, 217 have <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/popes-by-country">been Italian</a>.</p> <p>However, this pattern has shifted in recent decades: Francis was from Argentina, John Paul II (1978–2005) from Poland, and Benedict XVI (2005–2013) from Germany.</p> <h2>The top papabili</h2> <p>As with any election, observers are speaking of their “favourites”. The term <em>papabile</em>, which in Italian means “pope-able”, or “capable of becoming pope”, is used to describe cardinals who are seen as serious contenders.</p> <p>Among the leading <em>papabili</em> is Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Parolin">Pietro Parolin</a>, aged 70, the current Secretary of State of Vatican City. Parolin has long been one of Francis’ closest collaborators and has led efforts to open dialogue with difficult regimes, <a href="https://catholicweekly.com.au/vatican-diplomat-discusses-china/">including the Chinese Communist Party</a>.</p> <p>Parolin is seen as a centrist figure who could appeal to both reform-minded and more conservative cardinals. Yet some <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/pope-francis-death-who-succeed-parolin-pizzaballa-tagle-turkson-besungu-burke-spengler-erdo/">observers argue</a> he lacks the charismatic and pastoral presence that helped define Francis’ papacy.</p> <p>Another name to watch is Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierbattista_Pizzaballa">Pierbattista Pizzaballa</a>, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. At 60, he is younger than many of his colleagues, but brings extensive experience in interfaith dialogue in the Middle East. His fluency in Hebrew and his long service in the Holy Land could prove appealing.</p> <p>Then again, his relative youth may cause hesitation among those concerned about electing a pope who could serve for decades. As the papacy of John Paul II demonstrated, such long reigns can have a profound impact on the church.</p> <p>Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Antonio_Tagle">Luis Antonio Tagle</a> of the Philippines is also frequently mentioned. Now 67, Tagle is known for his deep commitment to social justice and the poor. He has spoken out against human rights abuses in his home country and has often echoed Francis’ pastoral tone. But some cardinals may worry that his outspoken political views could complicate the church’s diplomatic efforts.</p> <p>Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Turkson">Peter Turkson</a> of Ghana, now 76, was a prominent figure during the last conclave. A strong voice on environmental and economic justice, he has served under both Benedict XVI and Francis.</p> <p>Turkson has largely upheld the church’s traditional teachings on matters such as male-only priesthood, marriage between a man and a woman, and sexuality. He is also a strong advocate for transparency, and has spoken out against corruption and in defence of human rights.</p> <p>Though less widely known among the public, Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mykola_Bychok">Mykola Bychok</a> of Melbourne may also be considered. His election would be as surprising (and perhaps as symbolically powerful) as that of John Paul II in 1978. A Ukrainian-Australian pope, chosen during the ongoing war in Ukraine, would send a strong message about the church’s concern for suffering peoples and global peace.</p> <p>Other names that may come up are Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fridolin_Ambongo_Besungu">Fridolin Ambongo Besungu</a> from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Spengler">Jaime Spengler</a> of Brazil – both of whom lead large and growing Catholic communities. Although news reports don’t always list them among the top contenders, their influence within their regions – and the need to recognise the church’s global demographic shifts – means their voices will matter.</p> <p>On the more conservative side is American Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Leo_Burke">Raymond Burke</a>, who had been one of Francis’ most vocal critics. But his confrontational stance makes him an unlikely candidate.</p> <p>More plausible would be Cardinal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9ter_Erd%C5%91">Péter Erdő</a> of Hungary, aged 71. Erdő is a respected canon lawyer with a more traditional theological orientation. He was mentioned in 2013 and may reemerge as a promising candidate among conservative cardinals.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=237&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=792&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=792&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=792&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=996&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=996&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/663322/original/file-20250423-56-vunzyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=996&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Cardinal Péter Erdő was ordained as a priest in 1975 and has a doctorate in theology. He will be a top pick among conservatives.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>One tough act to follow</h2> <p>Although Francis appointed many of the cardinals who will vote in the conclave, that doesn’t mean all of them supported his agenda. Many come from communities with traditional values, and may be drawn to a candidate who emphasises older church teachings.</p> <p>The conclave will also reflect broader questions of geography. The church’s growth has shifted away from Europe, to Asia, Africa and Latin America. A pope from one of these regions could symbolise this change, and speak more directly to the challenges faced by Catholic communities in the Global South.</p> <p>Ultimately, predicting a conclave is impossible. Dynamics often change once the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel and begin voting. Alliances shift, new names emerge, and consensus may form around someone who was barely discussed beforehand.</p> <p>What is certain is that the next pope will shape the church’s future: doctrinally, diplomatically and pastorally. Whether he chooses to build on Francis’ legacy of reform, or move in a new direction, he will need to balance ancient traditions with the urgent realities of the modern world.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/255006/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, Historian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-will-the-next-pope-be-here-are-some-top-contenders-255006">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Rawpixel.com</em></p> </div>

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Australian Cardinal among select group tasked with choosing next Pope

<p>In the wake of Pope Francis' death, a 45-year-old Ukrainian-born bishop based in Melbourne has emerged as one of the most significant figures in the Catholic Church’s transition to new leadership.</p> <p>Cardinal Mykola Bychok, who was elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Francis last year, will participate in the sacred and centuries-old process of electing the next pope. As the youngest cardinal in the entire Catholic Church and Australia’s sole representative in the College of Cardinals, Bychok's inclusion marks a historic moment for the local and global Catholic community.</p> <p>Born on February 13, 1980, in Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, Bychok joined the religious life in 2003 and was ordained a priest in 2005. His path through the church has included serving as abbot of a Ukrainian monastery and working as a parish priest in the northeastern United States. In 2020, Pope Francis appointed him bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s Diocese of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne. He was formally installed as a cardinal during a Vatican ceremony last October, alongside 21 other senior church figures.</p> <p>In a heartfelt tribute following the pope’s passing, Bychok described Francis as a "pope of peace" whose legacy would endure through his unwavering commitment to justice and unity.</p> <p>"In a world devastated by war, he called for peace and justice," said Bychok. "I am grateful for the late Holy Father's frequent appeals for a just peace in Ukraine and for the efforts of the Holy See that he oversaw, known and secret, that in some way helped bring relief to the imprisoned and suffering."</p> <p>Bychok also praised Francis’ ecumenical efforts, noting his work to bridge divides between Eastern and Western traditions, as well as foster dialogue among different faiths. "He worked for the healing of divisions… building on that which we have in common rather than our differences,” he said.</p> <p>Though currently en route to the Middle East on a pilgrimage, Bychok is expected to return to Rome as soon as possible to participate in the conclave – a closed-door gathering of cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to vote for a new pontiff. Church law limits the number of voting cardinals to 120, although the latest Vatican figures indicate 136 cardinals are currently eligible, a number that may fluctuate before voting begins.</p> <p>The conclave will involve a series of solemn rituals, including the piercing of ballots with needle and thread and the traditional burning of votes to produce black or white smoke – the latter signalling the election of a new pope to lead the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.</p> <p>Cardinal Bychok’s participation in this historic process is a significant moment not only for the Ukrainian diaspora and Australian Catholic community, but also for a Church at a crossroads – searching once again for a spiritual leader to guide it through a complex and divided world.</p> <p><em>Images: Wikimedia Commons</em></p>

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Pope Francis' cause of death and burial wishes revealed

<p>The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis died from a stroke followed by heart failure, according to an official statement released by the Vatican press office. The 88-year-old pontiff passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, with underlying health conditions also contributing to his death.</p> <p>In a statement signed by Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Health and Hygiene Directorate of the Vatican City State, the Vatican revealed that Francis had suffered a previous episode of acute respiratory failure, along with arterial hypertension and type II diabetes.</p> <p>Pope Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, where he delivered a brief Easter blessing to thousands gathered in St Peter’s Square. Unable to finish reading his address, the ailing pope sat as an aide delivered the rest of the speech, which called for peace in war-torn regions such as Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.</p> <p>Following his death, the Vatican also made public the burial wishes outlined in the pope’s will. Francis requested a simple burial in the ground at Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore – marked only with the Latin inscription <em>Franciscus</em>. This will be the first time in over a century that a pope will be buried outside the Vatican.</p> <p>According to the will, an anonymous benefactor has agreed to cover the costs of his burial.</p> <p>With the pontiff’s passing, the Catholic Church now enters a traditional period of mourning known as the Novendiales, lasting nine days. During this time, Pope Francis will lie in state as preparations for his funeral are made.</p> <p>The conclave – the sacred process to elect a new pope – is expected to begin no sooner than 15 days and no later than 20 days following his death.</p> <p>Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope. His death marks the end of a papacy defined by humility, progressive stances and a deep focus on global humanitarian issues.</p> <p><em>Images: Wikimedia Commons</em></p>

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Unimaginable scenes as Baltimore bridge collapses

<p>The tranquil waters of Baltimore's Patapsco River turned tumultuous in the early hours of Tuesday following a catastrophic event that shook the city to its core. The aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse has left a community reeling, with one confirmed fatality and six individuals still missing as rescue efforts persist amid harrowing conditions.</p> <p>The calamity unfolded when a mammoth container ship lost power, careening into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the US East Coast. The impact tore through the bridge's supports, sending vehicles and people plummeting into the frigid river below. In the chaos that ensued, heroes emerged as authorities swiftly responded, managing to halt traffic on the bridge, averting further catastrophe. However, the toll was already significant, with one individual confirmed dead and six others, believed to be part of a construction crew, still unaccounted for.</p> <p>As the day wore on, Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace provided updates on the situation, indicating that one survivor had been rescued and rushed to a local trauma centre in critical condition. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard initiated a relentless search for the missing individuals, leveraging sonar technology to scour the depths of the river.</p> <p>The vessel responsible for the devastation, known as the <em>Dali</em>, was under the management of Synergy Marine Group, navigating under the Singapore flag. Although the crew and pilots were reported safe, the repercussions of the collision have reverberated far beyond the immediate vicinity. US President Joe Biden has pledged federal support for the reconstruction efforts: "This is going to take some time," he said. "The people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."</p> <p>The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge not only claimed lives but also severed a vital link in the region's infrastructure. The Port of Baltimore, a bustling gateway for maritime commerce, now faces significant disruption, with vessel traffic suspended indefinitely. The reverberations of this tragedy extend beyond Baltimore, with logistical challenges expected to ripple along the entire East Coast.</p> <p>As the day progressed, stories of resilience and compassion emerged. Retired Chief Donald Heinbuch, startled from his sleep by the rumbling impact, bore witness to the unimaginable destruction. "Never would you think that you would see physically see the Key Bridge tumble down like that - it looked like something out of an action movie," he said. "And you just think about, most importantly, which is what we all should be thinking about right now, nothing but those families and people that are impacted and those people who are risking their lives right now, for not just Baltimore City and Baltimore County but all over the state, to try to save lives. That should be our focus - the preservation of life. Because no one wants to see that happen, let alone someone in their family someone that they know, be injured in an incident like this."</p> <p>Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott echoed the sentiments of a community in shock, emphasising the paramount importance of preserving life above all else.</p> <p><em>Images: Streamlive | 9News</em></p>

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Pope Francis hospitalised

<p>Pope Francis, 86, was hospitalised in Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday with a respiratory infection that requires him to remain under observation for a few days.</p> <p>"In recent days Pope Francis has complained of some breathing difficulties," Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement.</p> <p>The pope was taken to hospital for medical checkup, which then revealed the respiratory infection.</p> <p>Bruni added that tests have shown it was not Covid, but the infection “will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical treatment".</p> <p>“Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer,” Bruni added.</p> <p>The statement comes after the Italian media questioned whether the pope was unexpectedly hospitalised, or if he actually went for a scheduled checkup, as a TV interview scheduled with the pope Wednesday afternoon had been cancelled at the last minute.</p> <p>Earlier that day, the pope appeared to be in good spirits as he greeted the general audience at the Vatican in his popemobile.</p> <p>A Vatican source has also confirmed that the pope’s activities on Thursday were cancelled, and others were likely to follow, in what is his busiest period with Easter Sunday coming up on April 9.</p> <p>Pope Francis has had part of his lungs removed in his early 20s after almost dying when he developed pleurisy, so he is generally more exposed to respiratory problems.</p> <p>He also suffers from diverticulitis, which is a condition that can infect or inflame pouches in the digestive tract, and has had surgery for it in 2021.</p> <p>In January, he said that the condition had returned and did not elaborate further.</p> <p>The pope also has a problem with his knee, which has led him to cancel or limit activities last year and alternates between using a cane and a wheelchair in public.</p> <p>Despite all of his health issues, the pope has said that he has no plans to resign soon, unless his health deterred him from doing his job.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Abdallah family overwhelmed by incredible invitation

<p>Two years following the tragic loss of their three children to a drunk and drugged driver, the Abdallah family say they have been “humbled” and invited to share their story with the Pope.</p> <p>Danny and Leila Abdallah’s daughters Sienna and Angelina and son Antony were killed alongside their cousin in February 2020.</p> <p>The grief stricken parents largely credit their faith in being able to move forward following the tragedy, starting the foundation ‘i4give’.</p> <p>On Saturday, Leila announced via Instagram that she and Danny had been invited to share their story on a global scale.</p> <p>“Danny and I feel humbled and honoured that our Bishop Antoine Charbel Taraby invited us to attend the WMOF 2022 (World meeting of families 2022) all glory to God always.</p> <p>“Our mission is to serve the Lord and our children for the rest of our lives.”</p> <p>“Please pray that we can have i4give on a global platform starting at the Vatican.”</p> <p>“We thank all our fellow Australians for their love and ongoing support, you have showed Danny and I the true meaning of the Aussie spirit and we are grateful.”</p> <p>The family have welcomed a baby daughter in March, naming her Selina.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeFH6e_hkEF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CeFH6e_hkEF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Leila Geagea Abdallah (@leila._abdallah)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The World Meeting of Families takes place in Rome at the end of June.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“I am one of the group”: Francis Coppola reflects as ‘The Godfather’ turns 50

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">American writer and director Francis Ford Coppola has made dozens of films and gone on to win five Academy Awards and six Golden Globes, but </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Godfather</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may just be his crowning achievement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the first film in the trilogy celebrating its 50th anniversary, the acclaimed director shared the dramatic effects its success had on his life in an exclusive interview with </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/francis-ford-coppola-godfather-at-50-changed-my-life-exclusive/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Empire</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> magazine.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well, it’s odd, of course. To think that 50 years has gone by since the adventure of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Godfather</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and when that changed my life so dramatically,” he told the publication. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Because now the Coppola family is considered synonymous with [the film by] many people, [but] when I came to LA, to UCLA Film School, I just dreamed to get a peek inside a studio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Movies were an exotic fairyland.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While making the film and in the leadup to its initial release, Coppola was under financial pressure to support his wife and kids. But, its debut in 1972 - prompting lengthy queues just to buy tickets - saw Coppola’s fortunes change drastically.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I went from having zero money at all and a family to support, to having several million dollars, which was astonishing,” he recalled. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“No one in my family had that kind of money. I went from being unknown and poor with a lot of family responsibilities - I was married young and I loved my kids and my family - to having some money and acclaim. I was famous, everyone knew about </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Godfather</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and everyone knew about me.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Godfather</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> certainly provided Coppola with fame and wealth, the 82-year-old says it gave him something else he had always wanted: a sense of belonging.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The way I look at it, I always wanted to be one of the group,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As first, I was an outsider, and I wasn’t included in the group because I was a new kid, or I was poor. Then I became famous, and a success, so I still wasn’t one of the group.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In my heart, all I ever really wanted was to be considered one of the group, which I am now because when they talk about all the big directors of the ‘70s, they say George Lucas and Francis Coppola and Marty Scorsese and Steven Spielberg and Brian De Palma and Paul Schrader.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“So I have what I want - I am one of the group.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Trailer for the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece ‘The Godfather’, which will be released in select theatres on February 25 <a href="https://t.co/7vgsBADsF1">pic.twitter.com/7vgsBADsF1</a></p> — Lost In Film (@LostInFilm) <a href="https://twitter.com/LostInFilm/status/1481648113307701259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To celebrate the film’s milestone, Paramount Pictures and Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope have restored the trilogy - which will be released in 4K Ultra HD for the first time in March this year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://thelatch.com.au/the-godfather-50th-anniversary-australia/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Andrea Kalas, the senior vice president of Paramount Archives.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was our commitment to honour all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Godfather 50th Anniversary</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> will be released in select cinemas from February 25, 2022.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Vivien Killilea (Getty Images) / Silver Screen Collection (Getty Images)</span></em></p>

Movies

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Pope unveils strongest language yet on vaccination

<p>Pope Francis has shared his strongest views on the Covid vaccine, describing it as a "moral obligation", simultaneously denouncing those who have been persuaded by "baseless information" to refuse a life-saving measure.</p> <p>Francis shared his views for the first time in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See: an annual event that discusses the Vatican's foreign policy goals for the upcoming year.</p> <p>Pope Francis, 85, has previously held back from sharing views on the vaccine, though his Covid-19 advisory body has referred to it as a "moral responsibility".</p> <p>Now however, he has deemed vaccination as "an act of love" and that refusing to get jabbed was simply "suicidal".</p> <p>During his speech, he said that individuals had a duty of care to consider which "translates into respect for the health of those around us".</p> <p>“Health care is a moral obligation,” he said.</p> <p>“Frequently people let themselves be influenced by the ideology of the moment, often bolstered by baseless information or poorly documented facts,” he said, calling for the adoption of a “reality therapy” to correct this distortion of human reason.</p> <p>“Vaccines are not a magical means of healing, yet surely they represent, in addition to other treatments that need to be developed, the most reasonable solution for the prevention of the disease,” he added.</p> <p>Some Catholics, including conservative US cardinals and bishops, have claimed that vaccines were immoral and have refused to get the jab, based on research that claims vaccines used cells derived from aborted foetuses.</p> <p>However, the Vatican's doctrine office has said that is "morally acceptable" for those in the Catholic faith to get the jab.</p> <p>Francis repeated his call for universal vaccines and health care availabilities for all, especially in parts of the world with low vaccination rates, while also calling for governing bodies to let these countries develop their own vaccines.</p> <p>“It is appropriate that institutions such as the World Trade Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation adapt their legal instruments lest monopolistic rules constitute further obstacles to production and to an organised and consistent access to health care on a global level,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Pope labels couples choosing pets over children as selfish

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pope Francis has called couples who have pets instead of children selfish while speaking to a general audience on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Pope also argued that forgoing parenthood "takes away our humanity" and poses risks to wider society.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He made the comments while speaking about Saint Joseph, Jesus' earthly father.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While lauding Joseph's decision to raise Jesus as "among the highest forms of love", the Pope veered onto the topics of adoption, orphaned children, and couples that opt for animals over children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"We see that people do not want to have children, or just one and no more", he </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/opting-for-pets-over-children-is-selfish-and-takes-away-our-humanity-says-pope-francis/fc15279d-cfdb-4b58-85d0-5bdcef68bdfe" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And many, many couples do not have children because they do not want to, or they have just one - but they have two dogs, two cats … yes, dogs and cats take the place of children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Yes, it’s funny. I understand, but it is the reality. And this denial of fatherhood or motherhood diminishes us, it takes away our humanity. And in this way civilisation becomes aged and without humanity, because it loses the richness of fatherhood and motherhood. And our homeland suffers, as it does not have children.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Dear Pope Francis I’m a catholic who chose dogs over children but I don’t consider myself selfish. Probably doing this over populated world a favour <a href="https://t.co/9AMFs2JS9p">pic.twitter.com/9AMFs2JS9p</a></p> — dominic dyer (@domdyer70) <a href="https://twitter.com/domdyer70/status/1479116896867794948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though it may be surprising as the Pope is considered quite progressive, these comments echo the Catholic Church’s teachings about the importance of couples bearing or raising children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pope Frances said couples who cannot biologically have children should consider adoption.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“How many children in the world are waiting for someone to take care of them?” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Having a child is always a risk, either naturally or by adoption. But it is riskier not to have them. It is riskier to deny fatherhood, or to deny motherhood, be it real or spiritual.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His statements have since drawn criticism on social media, with some calling out his comments about childless couples while the church continues to face allegations of sexual abuse against children.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Worry about all those sexual abuse allegations against the church instead of childless people <a href="https://t.co/5ggoAJTpGr">pic.twitter.com/5ggoAJTpGr</a></p> — Enter The Void (@killl_the_rich) <a href="https://twitter.com/killl_the_rich/status/1478832192591695874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2022</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Christian leader has made several controversial statements relating to animals in the past. He made similar comments about couples choosing pets over parenthood in 2014, while comments he made in 2016 that appeared to claim that animals go to heaven were analysed and later called into question.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, he has had plenty of positive interactions too, having been photographed petting dogs, holding birds, and carrying a lamb over his shoulders.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Family & Pets

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Pope Francis shows support for same-sex marriage for the first time

<p>Pope Francis has defended the right of gay couples to enter into a legally recognised civil union in a documentary that premiered at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday.</p> <p>In the film, Fransesco by Evgeny Afineevsky, the religious leader says that gay people have the right to be in a family.</p> <p>“These are children of God, they have the right to a family,” Francis says in the film, speaking in Spanish.</p> <p>“What we have to create is a law of civil union, they have the right to be legally protected. I have defended that.”</p> <p>According to biographer Austen Ivereigh, the future pope backed civil unions for gay couples while he was still the archbishop of Buenos Aires and known as Jorge Bergoglio.</p> <p>But Francis has been vocal about his stance of gay marriage in the past, saying that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.</p> <p>“‘Marriage’ is a historic word,” he told French sociologist Dominique Wolton in a 2017 book of interviews. “Always among human beings, and not only in the Church, it has been between a man and a woman. You can’t just change that like that.”</p> <p>“Since the beginning of the pontificate the Pope has spoken of respect for homosexuals and has been against their discrimination,” Vatican expert Vania de Luca told RaiNews.</p> <p>“The novelty today is that he defends as pope a law for civil unions.”</p> <p>After becoming pope in 2013, Francis welcomed homosexuals with his now famous phrase, “Who am I to judge?” and has invited gay couples to the Vatican on multiple occasions.</p> <p>The two-hour documentary looks back at the last seven years pf his pontificate and travels.</p> <p>One of the most heartfelt moments in the film os when the Pope called a gay couple, parents of three young children, after they sent him a letter saying they felt ashamed to bring their children to the parish.</p> <p>Francis invited them over regardless, saying to not be concerned of other people’s judgements.</p> <p>In the past, he has regularly said gay people should be accepted in their parishes and urged parents not to reject their gay children.</p> <p>Chilean Juan Carlos Cruz, an activist against sexual abuse within the Church, accompanied the director to the film screening on Wednesday.</p> <p>“When I met Pope Francis he told me he was very sorry about what happened. Juan, it is God who made you gay and he loves you anyway. God loves you and the Pope loves you too,” says Cruz in the film.</p>

Relationships

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Pope Francis decries “unjust sentences” after George Pell was acquitted

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Pope Francis has recalled the “persecution that Jesus suffered” and has prayed for those who suffer “unjust sentences” hours after Cardinal George Pell was acquitted of child sexual abuse charges.</p> <p>Australia’s highest court quashed convictions that Pell sexually assaulted two choirboys in the 1990s, which allowed the 78-year-old former Vatican economy minister to walk free from jail.</p> <p>At the start of the mass, Pope Francis said: “I would like to pray today for all those people who suffer unjust sentences resulting from intransigence [against them].”</p> <p>Francis did not mention Pell by name at mass, but compared the suffering of those inflicted with “unjust sentences” to the way Jewish community elders persecuted Jesus with “obstinacy and rage even though he was innocent.”</p> <p>He also tweeted about the persecution of Jesus, without making specific reference to Pell.</p> <p>“In these days of Lent, we’ve been witnessing the persecution that Jesus underwent and how He was judged ferociously, even though He was innocent.</p> <p>“Let us pray together today for all those persons who suffer due to an unjust sentence because someone had it in for them.”</p> <p>The Vatican also welcomed the acquittal, praising Pell in its first official statement for “having waited for the truth to be ascertained”.</p> <p>The Vatican said last year that it would wait for the judicial process to be exhausted before taking any further action.</p> <p>Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of advocacy group BishopAccountantability.org, said the court’s decision had been widely expected.</p> <p>“Though distressing to many survivors, the decision doesn’t change the fact that the trial of the powerful cardinal was a watershed,” she said.</p> <p>“Yet that is where all of these cases belong. While messy and painful, a judicial process in a democratic society is immeasurably better than that of a Vatican tribunal, which keeps its proceedings secret,” she added.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Pope Francis apologises for slapping woman’s hand

<p>Pope Francis has apologised for slapping the hand of a woman who grabbed him during a New Year’s Eve appearance, saying he provided a “bad example”.</p> <p>The head of the Catholic church was greeting pilgrims at the Vatican on Tuesday night when a woman in the crowd seized his hand and yanked him toward her.</p> <p>In a video footage of the incident, Francis could be seen hitting her hand before pulling his hand free.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Visibly disgruntled Pope Francis pulled himself away from a woman in a St. Peter's Square crowd after she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards her <a href="https://t.co/2nap3RhTHC">https://t.co/2nap3RhTHC</a> <a href="https://t.co/nrvpxJcEob">pic.twitter.com/nrvpxJcEob</a></p> — Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1212171579276152834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>“So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologise for yesterday’s bad example,” the 83-year-old pontiff said at the end of the traditional New Year Mass in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday.</p> <p>In the service at St Peter’s Basilica, the pope also condemned violence against women, saying the “rebirth of humanity began with a woman”.</p> <p>“All violence inflicted on women is a desecration of God,” he said.</p> <p>“By how we treat a woman’s body, we can understand our level of humanity.”</p> <p>In March, Pope Francis also went viral after a clip showed him repeatedly withdrawing his hand away from being kissed by worshippers. The tradition of kissing the papal ring is seen as a sign of respect to the pontiff.</p> <p>“The Holy Father told me that the motivation was very simple: hygiene,” Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti told reporters at the time.</p> <p>“He wants to avoid the risk of contagion for the people, not for him.”</p>

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George Pell verdict: Pope Francis reacts to Victorian Court’s decision

<p>Pope Francis has tweeted an indirect statement following the Victorian Supreme Court’s decision to uphold George Pell’s child sex abuse conviction as the Vatican decides whether to hold a canonical trial of its own.</p> <p>Taking to Twitter, the Pope said: “It takes more strength to repair than to build, to start anew than to begin, to be reconciled than to get along. This is the strength that God gives us.”</p> <p>This isn’t the first jab he’s taken at Cardinal Pell, as during his weekly address on Wednesday, he spoke of hypocrisy being the “worst enemy” of the Christian community.</p> <p>“A life based only on making a profit and taking advantage of situations to the detriment of others inevitably causes inner death,” he said.</p> <p>“How many people say they are close to the Church, friends of priests, bishops while only seeking their own interests? These are the hypocrisies that destroy the Church.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">It takes more strength to repair than to build, to start anew than to begin, to be reconciled than to get along. This is the strength that God gives us.</p> — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1164137571179515904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">21 August 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Once the third-most senior Catholic in the Vatican, Cardinal Pell looked after the ancient institution’s finances. He was also known to share a close bond with the Pope, who has previously introduced measures to prevent sexual abuse in the church.</p> <p>On Tuesday, the 78-year-old’s appeal was dismissed in the Victorian Supreme Court, sealing his fate as he prepares to send the next six years in prison. He will be eligible for parole three years and eight months into the sentence.</p> <p>After the decision was announced, the Vatican released a statement of their own, emphasising on its “respect for the Australian judicial system”, but added that Pell had always maintained his innocence and had the right to appeal to the High Court.</p> <p>“At this time, together with the Church of Australia, the Holy See confirms its closeness to the victims of sexual abuse and its commitment to pursue, though the competent ecclesiastical authorities, those members of the clergy who commit such abuse,” it said.</p>

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