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☆ A Kremlin propagandist boasted of Russia's low unemployment rate, not mentioning it's partly because it suffered so many casualties in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian TV anchor Dmitry Kiselyov boasted of the health of Russia's economy. But he made no mention of how Russia's invasion of Ukraine impacted those figures. He omitted how Russia's invasion has decimated the Ukrainian economy, and boasted that in Russia "unemployment is at an historic low." The labor shortage has been exacerbated by the mass mobilisation of working age men to fight in Ukraine, where the Russian military has suffered steep casualty rates, reports say. Around 300,00 men were drafted into the Russian military last September, and a new wave of mobilizations is considered likely amid continued setbacks.

Kyiv estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since February 2022, in what it condemns as illegal deportations. "We must make every effort to return them home," Zelenskiy said in a Tweet afterwards, saying he had discussed it with the pope. Zelenskiy also said he asked the pope to "join" Kyiv's 10-point peace plan. [1/6] Pope Francis shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, at the Vatican, May 13, 2023. Zelenskiy flew to Rome on an Italian government plane that was escorted over Italian airspace by fighter jets.

☆ Zelenskyy meets with Pope Francis at Vatican, says he sought backing for his peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Pope Francis meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Studio of Paul VI Hall on May 13, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. Francis, using a cane for his knee problem, came to greet the Ukrainian president before ushering him into a papal studio near the Vatican's audience hall. And he said he asked Francis to come aboard Ukraine's peace plan. "I also talked about our Peace Formula as the only effective algorithm for achieving a just peace,″ Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy, who also met Italian President Sergio Mattarella, is a one-day trip in Rome, including an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Speaking to reporters in Rome after meetings with his Italian counterpart and Italy’s prime minister, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were “preparing very seriously.”“There will definitely be very serious steps. Earlier, Zelensky met with Pope Francis, who has been outspoken in his support for an end to the war in Ukraine. Vatican News/APZelensky said last week that his country still needs “a bit more time” before it launches the counteroffensive, in order to allow some more of the promised Western military aid to arrive in country. Russian attacksAs Zelensky toured Europe, Russia’s assault on Ukraine continued. In western Ukraine, at least 21 people were injured following Russian strikes on the city of Khmelnytskyi in the early hours of Saturday, Ukrainian authorities said.

☆ Pope says Argentina government wanted 'my head' when he was in Buenos Aires
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

VATICAN CITY, May 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said that when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires more than a decade ago, the Argentine government wanted "to cut my head off" by backing false accusations that he had collaborated with the military dictatorship of the 1970s. Francis has always denied this and when he was elected pope, Jalics issued a statement saying the arrest was not the future pope's fault. In 2010, by which time the future pope had become archbishop of Buenos Aires, he testified before a three-judge panel investigating the period of dictatorship. The pope did not give details but as archbishop of Buenos Aires, he had an often rocky relationship with the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who served in that role from 2007-2015. She accused him of taking sides politically, mostly during his visits to Buenos Aires shanty towns, and once avoided him by shunning a traditional Mass in the Argentine capital.

☆ After acrimonious resignation, Pope tells abuse commission to 'move forward'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis addresses a meeting with the members of Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors at the Vatican, May 5, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, May 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday praised the work of an international Vatican commission on sexual abuse prevention, following the recent acrimonious resignation of a high-profile member who accused it of lacking transparency. Zollner, a world-renowned abuse prevention expert, denounced unclear hiring practices, an undefined relationship with the Vatican's doctrine office and "inadequate" financial and decision-making accountability. Zollner also leads a centre for the study of abuse at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University and is an adviser on abuse prevention for the diocese of Rome. Last year, the pope incorporated it into the Vatican's doctrinal department, which decides on sanctions for priests convicted of sexual abuse.

☆ Pope Francis Says He Had Severe Pneumonia When Hospitalized in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pope Francis waves as he celebrates Mass on Sunday in Budapest. Photo: Attila Kisbenedek/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesROME— Pope Francis said on Sunday that he had suffered from a “sudden, strong illness,” which he described as pneumonia, when hospitalized in late March, and acknowledged that aging was slowing him down, but said he still hoped to continue his international travel. The pope, who is 86 years old, was speaking to reporters on his flight back to Rome after a three-day visit to Hungary.

☆ Pope says the Vatican is involved in a peace mission to end the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Antonia Mortensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Vatican is part of a peace mission to end the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis said Sunday. “The mission is in the course now, but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it,” Francis told reporters. Francis also heard testimony from refugees – many from Ukraine – and appealed to the importance of charity during his Budapest visit. On Sunday, the pontiff also told reporters that he was feeling better after being hospitalized in late March with a respiratory infection.

[1/5] Pope Francis greets the crowd ahead of a holy mass at the Kossuth Lajos Square during his apostolic journey in Budapest, Hungary, April 30, 2023. Francis believes migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed and integrated because they can culturally enrich host countries and boost Europe's dwindling populations. He believes that while countries have a right to protect their borders, migrants should be distributed throughout the European Union. In his homily, Francis also spoke against doors "closed to the world". On Friday, he quoted what St Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary, had written about welcoming strangers.

☆ Pope says Vatican involved in secret Ukraine peace mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis holds a news conference as he returns to the Vatican following his apostolic journey to Hungary, aboard the plane, April 30, 2023. Vincenzo Pinto/Pool via REUTERSABOARD PAPAL PLANE, April 30 (Reuters) - The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said on Sunday, declining to give further details. When it is public, I will reveal it," the pope told reporters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary. Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met the pope at the Vatican on Thursday and said he had discussed a "peace formula" put forward by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Pope Francis, 86, has said previously that he wants to visit Kyiv but also Moscow on a peace mission.

☆ Pope Reveals He’s Working on Secret ‘Mission’ of Peace in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST — Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Vatican was involved in a secret “mission” to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine and that it would do “all that is humanly possible” to return children taken from Ukraine to Russia and reunite families. The pope’s remarks to reporters aboard the papal plane returning from a three-day trip to Budapest did not specify what the “not yet public” mission entailed. But Francis said he had privately discussed the situation with both Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary and with the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest, Metropolitan Hilarion. “In these meetings we did not just talk about Little Red Riding Hood,” Francis said. He has opposed sending military aid to Ukraine and imposing international sanctions against Russia.

☆ Pope, meeting Ukrainian refugees, says better future possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Bernadett SzaboBUDAPEST, April 29 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Saturday met Ukrainians who fled the war on Hungary's eastern border, telling the refugees that a different future is possible. "We were welcomed here and we have found a new home (but) many have suffered and suffer still because of the war," Yakovlev told the pope. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, millions of refugees have fled through Central Europe, including Hungary, and moved to other countries. Later the pontiff met with Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, representative of the Russian Orthodox Church(ROC)in Budapest. The Russian Orthodox Church is by far the biggest of the churches in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which split with Western Christianity in the Great Schism of 1054.

BUDAPEST, April 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, starting a trip to Hungary, on Friday pointedly warned of the dangers of rising nationalism in Europe and told the Budapest government that accepting migrants along with the rest of the continent would be a true sign of Christianity. He called for a return to the "European spirit" envisioned by the founders of modern Europe after World War Two, saying nations had to "look beyond national boundaries" . Orban 59, and the pope have differing views on handling migration from the Middle East and Africa to Europe, with Francis believing migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed. He asked Francis in 2021, during the pope's last visit, "not to let Christian Hungary perish". In his speech in the presidential palace overlooking the River Danube, Francis quoted St Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary.

☆ Russia-Ukraine War News: Pope Francis Discusses Peace Efforts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Gaia Pianigiani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

A photo provided by the Vatican shows Pope Francis, center left, with the prime minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, center right, during a private audience in the Vatican on Thursday. Pope Francis discussed peace efforts in Ukraine with the country’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, during a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday, their first known meeting since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The relationship between Ukraine and Francis, who has long called for peace and decried what he called barbaric acts of war, was troubled in the early months of the conflict. Mr. Shmyhal also asked the pope for help in “returning home Ukrainian children” who have been deported to Russia. Early in the war Ukrainian officials criticized the pope’s decision not to name Russia or its president, Vladimir V. Putin, as the aggressor in the conflict.

☆ The UK blocked Microsoft's Activision deal. Here's what it means for U.S. regulators
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority's decision to block Microsoft's proposed acquisition of "Call of Duty" maker Activision means the U.S. does not need to stand alone in its challenge of the massive $69 billion deal. In the latest hurdle for the deal, the CMA argued the acquisition threatens to hurt competition in the nascent cloud gaming market. But it did not challenge potential competition concerns in console gaming, after saying last month that evidence from industry participants convinced the agency that the transaction wouldn't harm competition in that particular market. The FTC claimed the proposed acquisition would likely reduce competition or create monopolies in markets for gaming subscription services, cloud gaming and high-performance consoles. WATCH: Microsoft-Activision deal collapse a 'discouraging' move for Big Tech, says former FTC commissioner

☆ Russia is telling its guys to be 'a real man' and sign up as contract soldiers — as its death toll in Ukraine reaches up to 60,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian military recruitment ad is telling viewers to be "a real man" and sign up for the war. It features three burly civilian men donning Russian military gear. Around two million former conscripts and contract soldiers are in the Russian military, it said. UK intelligence in February said the death toll among Russian soldiers and private military contractors may have reached up to 60,000, out of a total 200,000 Russian casualties. On April 14, BBC News Russian reported that at least 20,451 Russian soldiers are confirmed dead.

☆ Pope Francis calls 'insinuations' against John Paul II unfounded
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File PhotoVATICAN CITY, April 16 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday rejected as offensive and unfounded what he called insinuations by the brother of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago about one of his predecessors as pontiff, Saint John Paul II. The voice of the alleged gangster says that more than 40 year ago, girls were brought into the Vatican to be molested and that Pope John Paul knew about it. Sgro told Reuters on Sunday that John Paul did not come up in her conversation with Diddi, adding in a text message: "I have never questioned the sanctity of John Paul II". Orlandi told Reuters on Sunday by telephone that it was "correct that Francis defended John Paul II". (This story has been refiled to make clear John Paul II was not Pope Francis' immediate predecessor, in paragraph 1)Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pope hopes Northern Ireland accord can be 'consolidated' to benefit all Ireland
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, April 10 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Monday he was praying that the Good Friday agreement signed 25 years ago that largely ended violence in Northern Ireland can be "consolidated" to benefit the people of all of Ireland. "Today marks the 25th anniversary of the so-called Good Friday agreement, or of Belfast, which brought an end to the violence that for decades troubled Northern Ireland," Francis said. Angry about post-Brexit trade rules that treated the province of Northern Ireland differently to the rest of the United Kingdom, the Democratic Unionist Party, the largest pro-British party, has boycotted the power-sharing devolved government central to the peace deal for more than a year. Last month, Britain's MI5 intelligence agency increased the threat level in Northern Ireland from domestic terrorism to "severe" - meaning an attack was considered highly likely. Additional reporting by Michael Holden in London; editing by John Stonestreet, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ At Easter vigil, Pope Francis encourages hope amid 'icy winds of war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Pope Francis presides over the Easter Vigil in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 8, 2023. REUTERS/Remo CasilliVATICAN CITY, April 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis led the world's Roman Catholics into Easter at a Saturday night vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, decrying the "icy winds of war" and other injustices. The 86-year-old Francis skipped an outdoor event on Friday night because of unseasonably cold temperatures in Rome. Francis appeared to be well during the Easter Vigil service, during which he baptised eight adult converts to Catholicism. Easter is the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar because it commemorates the day the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead.

☆ Pope Francis Skips Good Friday Event Due to Cold Weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Francis X. Rocca | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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[1/6] Pope Francis presides over the Good Friday Passion of the Lord service in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, April 7, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSROME, April 7 (Reuters) - Pope Francis presided at one indoor service on Good Friday, but doctors ordered him to skip an outdoor evening "Way of the Cross" procession at Rome's Colosseum after being hospitalised last week for bronchitis. Friday marked the first time since his election in 2013 that Francis missed a Way of the Cross event. The last pope to skip a Good Friday Way of the Cross service was Pope John Paul II. He is due to preside at an Easter vigil Mass on Saturday night in St. Peter's Basilica, and on Easter Sunday he is due to say Mass in St. Peter's Square and then deliver his twice-annual "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) blessing and message in St. Peter's Square.

☆ Fact Check-Screenshot showing Telegraph tweet on Pope Francis and AI is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An image purporting to show a tweet published by British newspaper The Telegraph seemingly reporting that Pope Francis said that artificial intelligence (AI) is a “means of communicating to God” is fabricated. A spokesperson for The Telegraph told Reuters that no such article was published. Instead, the spokesperson linked to an authentic article published by the outlet on March 12 with a headline that reads: “Priests may not have to be celibate in future, Pope Francis suggests” (here), (archive.is/v0Otg). A search through The Telegraph’s website did not reveal the headline claiming that the pope referred to AI as a means of “communicating to God” (www.telegraph.co.uk/search/). Reuters did not find any evidence that Pope Francis made any such remark (archive.is/wip/MaMi7).

☆ Pope Francis leaves hospital; ‘Still alive,’ he quips
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pope Francis addresses the media as he leaves the Gemelli hospital on April 1, 2023 in Rome. Pope Francis was discharged on Saturday from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away: "I'm still alive." Francis, 86, was hospitalized on Wednesday at Gemelli Polyclinic after reportedly having breathing difficulties following his weekly public audience. The Vatican said that before departing, Francis hugged a couple whose daughter died Friday night at the hospital. Francis sat in the front seat of the white Fiat 500 car that drove him away from Gemelli Polyclinic.

☆ Pope spent a second peaceful night in hospital - Vatican source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, March 31 (Reuters) - Pope Francis spent a second peaceful night in hospital, a Vatican source said on Friday, in the latest sign he is recovering well from a bronchitis infection. The pope was taken to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Wednesday after complaining of breathing difficulties, raising fresh concerns over the health of the 86-year-old pontiff, who suffers from a number of ailments. However, the Vatican said on Thursday he was already much better after beginning treatment with antibiotics and would probably be discharged within a few days. The Vatican expects to issue another bulletin on Francis's progress later on Friday, the source said. Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Summary Pontiff was hospitalised unexpectedly on WednesdayVatican says he has respiratory infectionNot clear if pope will be able to lead Easter servicesVATICAN CITY, March 30 (Reuters) - Pope Francis spent a peaceful night in a Rome hospital after suffering from a respiratory infection, a Vatican source said on Thursday. Bruni has said Francis would have to stay at Rome's Gemelli hospital for "a few days" for "appropriate" medical treatment. An official update on his condition was expected in late morning, the Vatican source said. Last year, the pope attended but did not preside at some of the Easter services due to his knee pain. Francis, who this month marked 10 years as pope, is sometimes short of breath and generally more exposed to respiratory problems.

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