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☆ Lithuania summons Pope's diplomat over remarks on Russian empire heritage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, August 27, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVILNIUS, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Majority-Catholic EU member Lithuania has summoned the Vatican's top diplomat in the country after Pope Francis told Russian youths to remember they are the heirs of "the great Russian empire". The Vatican said on Tuesday Pope Francis did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism in the speech, in which he also extolled Russian emperors Peter the Great and Catherine II who expanded the Russian empire. The territories of Lithuania and Poland were annexed into the Russian empire in the 18th century by Catherine II. Francis' intent was "to preserve and promote all that is positive in the great Russian cultural and spiritual heritage", said Vatican.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Peter the Great, Catherine II, Russia, Andrius Sytas, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Catholic EU, Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Russian, European Union, NATO, Catholic, Communist, Thomson Locations: Rights VILNIUS, Lithuania, St . Petersburg, Russian, Poland, Vatican, Ukraine, Soviet, Vilnius

☆ Pope Francis draws criticism for extolling Russian imperialist tsars
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Pope Francis holds the weekly general audience, in Paul VI hall at the Vatican, August 9, 2023. You are heirs of the great Russia - the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity. An editorial on Italy's Il Sismografo website, which specialises in Catholic affairs, called the pope's words "odd" at a delicate moment in history. Pope Francis is a Jesuit. The comment prompted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to summon the Vatican's ambassador in Kyiv to protest, saying the pope's words were "unfair" and had "broken Ukraine's heart".

Persons: Pope Francis, Paul VI, Peter the Great, Vladimir Putin, Francis, Catherine II, Russia, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Italy's, Catherine, Catherine the Great, Pope Clement XIV, Last, Putin, Tsar Peter the Great, propounding, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Nexta, Darya, Dmytro Kuleba, Ron Popeski, Tomasz Janowski, Alex Richardson Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Kremlin, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Facebook, Rite Catholic Church, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Russia, Crimea, Russian, Estonian, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Pope Francis laments "reactionary," politicised, US Catholic Church
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, August 27, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has lamented what he called a "reactionary" Catholic Church in the United States, where he said political ideology has replaced faith in some cases. "You have seen that in the United States the situation is not easy: there is a very strong reactionary attitude. "You have been to the United States and you say you have felt a climate of closure. In other words, ideology replaces faith, membership in a sector of the Church replaces membership in the Church," he said.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Cardinal Raymond Burke, Philip Pullella, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, CITY, Catholic, U.S . Church, Jesuit, Thomson Locations: United States, Lisbon, Portuguese, Rome

☆ Pope Francis discusses Ukraine war and peace with US military chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis meets with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley at the Vatican, August 21, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the war in Ukraine and hopes for peace there during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday. The general, who is visiting several European countries, said the pope was deeply concerned about the loss of life in Ukraine, particularly of civilians, since Russia invaded in February 2022. Milley has sharply criticized Moscow as mounting "a campaign of terror" against civilians in Ukraine, including by targeting civilian infrastructure as part of its war strategy. A strong advocate for Ukraine's defence against Russian forces, Milley, 65, has championed sending billions of dollars in arms to Kyiv.

Persons: Pope Francis, Mark A, Mark Milley, Milley, Dave Butler, Francis, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Phil Stewart, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S, Joint Chiefs, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Catholic, Russian, Army, cautioning, Ukrainian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, Crimea, Beijing

[1/5] Pope Francis waves to pilgrims at the end of the Holy Mass on the last day of World Youth Day (WYD) at Parque Tejo in Lisbon, Portugal, 06 August 2023. About 1.5 million people attended his closing Mass at a riverside park in the Portuguese capital, the Vatican said, quoting local authorities. "Dear friends, allow me, this old man, to share with you young people a dream that I carry within me: it is the dream of peace, the dream of young people praying for peace, living in peace and building a peaceful future," Francis said. Francis, who was returning to Rome on Sunday evening after an event to thank volunteers at the World Youth Day festival, met a delegation of 15 young people from Ukraine during his trip. The pope announced that the next World Youth Day would be held in Seoul, South Korea in 2027.

Persons: Pope Francis, Read, Francis, Marina Sylvester, DJ, Guilherme, Philip Pullella, Frances Kerry Organizations: Parque Tejo, Catholic Youth, Church, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, LISBON, Ukraine, Rome, pope's, Argentina, Seoul, South Korea

FATIMA, Portugal, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Pope Francis visited the revered Catholic shrine of Fatima in Portugal on Saturday, praying the rosary with about 200,000 people at the site where the Church says the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in 1917. The 86-year-old pope skipped reading a key speech that was on the programme of his two-hour visit to the world-famous shrine north of Lisbon. The omission did not appear to indicate that the pope was experiencing any health issues. Francis flew in from Lisbon - the venue of a Catholic youth festival - to make his second visit as pope to the shrine that draws millions of pilgrims a year. [1/6]Pope Francis greets a child as he meets with people at the Chapel of Apparitions of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, during his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Fatima, Portugal, August 5, 2023.

Persons: FATIMA, Pope Francis, Virgin Mary, Matteo Bruni, Francis, Bruni, Fatima, FATIMA Fatima, Francisco, Jacinta Marto, Lucia Dos Santos, Madonna, Sister Lucia, Pope John Paul, Catarina Demony, Philip Pullella, Michael Gore, Pedro Nunes, Andrew Cawthorne, Frances Kerry Organizations: Catholic, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Fatima, Lisbon, Vatican, Castelo Branco, Russia

☆ Portugal wildfire rages as strong winds and heat fan flames
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - More than 1,100 firefighters and 14 water-carrying aircraft battled a wildfire in central Portugal's Castelo Branco area on Saturday as civil protection authorities said hot, windy conditions meant it could take days to put out. Smoke from the blaze, which has destroyed some 60 square km (23 square miles) of forest and undergrowth, reached the Fatima Sanctuary about 100 km (60 miles) away where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered to see Pope Francis on Saturday. The Portuguese state weather agency forecast temperatures to reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Sunday in Castelo Branco, up from 38C on Saturday. August is usually the hottest month of the year in Portugal. Reporting by Andrei Khalip Editing by Helen PopperOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Jody Rato, Andrei Khalip, Helen Popper Our Organizations: Saturday, Authorities, Civil, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Portugal's Castelo Branco, Fatima, Castelo Branco, Lisbon, Portugal, China, United States, Europe

People attend the "Stations of the Cross" procession at Parque Eduardo VII during Pope Francis' apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon Portugal, August 4, 2023. Francis arrived in Lisbon on Wednesday for the week-long World Youth Day, a gathering of hundreds of thousands of Catholics that takes place every three years in a different city. World Youth Day participants were given what organisers have called the "pilgrim kit", which included a hat and a reusable water bottle. The weather agency IPMA issued a "red" alert for Lisbon between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. time (0900-1700 GMT) due to "persistence of extremely" high temperatures. IPMA said temperatures on Saturday could rise to 36 degrees Celsius and 38 degrees Celsius in Fatima and Lisbon, respectively.

Persons: Parque Eduardo VII, Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane LISBON, Francis, IPMA, Fatima, Jesus, Catarina Demony, Grant McCool Organizations: Parque, REUTERS, Parque Tejo, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon Portugal, Lisbon, Tejo, Fatima, Via, China, United States, Europe, Castelo Branco

[1/5] Pope Francis paints a mural during a meeting with young members of Scholas Occurrentes in Cascais, Portugal, August 3, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSLISBON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, whose predecessors commissioned the Vatican's Sistine Chapel centuries ago, tried his hand at painting on Thursday when he put the final touches on a 3 km long mural while visiting a school west of Lisbon. The mural is part of the "Life between Worlds" project by Scholas Occurrentes, an international educational movement that links about half a million schools on five continents. About 30 murals painted by students and community members were brought together to form a single work in the seaside town of Cascais. "It's very virtual but not very physical," José María Del Corral, president of Scholas Occurrentes, joked between the pope's first and second attempts.

Persons: Pope Francis, Scholas, Scholas Occurrentes, Francis, Del Corral, Pope Sixtus IV, Michelangelo, Pope Julius II, Philip Pullella, Conor Humphries Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Cascais, Portugal, REUTERS LISBON, Lisbon, Mozambique

[1/3] A person walks by a church in the center of Lisbon, Portugal, December 2, 2021. Unimpressed, Almeida and two other victims launched the Coracao Silenciado (Silenced Heart) association, which gives a voice and support to those who have suffered abuse. "The only thing that helps us is to make other victims feel like they are not alone," Almeida said. Francis, who is visiting Portugal to attend a global gathering of young Catholics known as World Youth Day, is expected to meet privately with abuse victims. "There will be young people from all over the world and the reality (of abuse) is present in all continents," she said.

Persons: Pedro Nunes, Filipa Almeida, Pope Francis, Manuel Clemente, Almeida, Francis, Catarina Demony, Andrei Khalip, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters Connect, Portuguese Bishops, Conference, Thomson Locations: Lisbon, Portugal, Reuters Connect LISBON, Portuguese

Official estimates in January showed the event would cost 161 million euros, to be paid by the government, the Catholic Church, the city council of Lisbon and nearby Loures. A number of public figures and politicians have criticised the Portuguese state for its share of the expenditure, which the government put at 30 million euros in January, as millions of Portuguese face galloping inflation. Earlier this year, heavy criticism forced the Lisbon city council to cut planned spending on an altar for Francis to celebrate a mass to 2.9 million euros from over 5 million euros. Asked about Bordalo II's carpet, Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas told reporters the artist used his voice to express his concerns and that such protests were normal for these events. ($1 = 0.9071 euro)Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bordalo, Pope Francis, Francis, Artur Bordalo, Carlos Moedas, Catarina Demony, Andrei Khalip, Richard Chang Organizations: Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: LISBON, Lisbon, Loures, Portuguese

☆ A taste of cookie heaven? Lisbon pastry shop marks pope's visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A pastry chef stands beside cookies with Pope Francis images ahead of his apostolic journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Pedro NunesLISBON, July 26 (Reuters) - As Lisbon gears up for a long visit by Pope Francis next week, a local pastry shop has rolled out a brand-new treat to mark the occasion: a cookie with the pontiff's picture on it that is already selling fast. The idea began as an in-house joke between one of the owners of Balcao do Marques, Fernando Santos, and his pastry chefs. The city-centre pastry shop is close to one of the venues where Francis will attend World Youth Day, a global gathering of young Catholics that runs from Aug. 1-6. Their design features an edible printed image of the pope set on a home-made cookie decorated with icing and coloured sugar sprinkles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pedro Nunes LISBON, Marques, Fernando Santos, Francis, Santos, he'll, it's, Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira, Pedro Nunes, Andrei Khalip, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Lisbon, Balcao

[1/4] Spanish Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz reacts during a campaign rally for her new left-wing umbrella party Sumar in the southern district of Orcasitas, Madrid, Spain, June 24, 2023. POPE'S BLESSINGOnce a Communist, Diaz now shies away from labelling herself as such or appealing solely to left-wing voters, although she rarely misses an opportunity to criticise capitalism. "We need better wages, especially in a country where the causes of inflation are tremendous corporate margins," she said. Two days later, Diaz registered Sumar, which first surfaced as a loose movement to unite the left in 2022, as a potential kingmaker bloc to run in the election. Reporting by Belén Carreño and Elena Rodríguez in Madrid; editing by Andrei Khalip and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yolanda Diaz, Isabel Infantes, Pedro Sanchez, Diaz, Sanchez, Vox, Sanchez's, Shostakovich, Billie Eilish, Pope Francis, Pope, Podemos, Belén Carreño, Elena Rodríguez, Andrei Khalip, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Spanish Labour, REUTERS, Socialists, Reuters, Socialist, People's Party, Spanish Socialist Workers ' Party, PSOE, Communist, Spanish Catholic Church, Thomson Locations: Orcasitas, Madrid, Spain, MADRID, Sanchez's, Ukraine

☆ Pope offers prayers to family of 'Vatican girl' who went missing 40 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer from his window at the Vatican, June 25, 2023. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, June 25 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday offered prayers and solidarity to the family of a Vatican schoolgirl who went missing 40 years ago in one of Italy's most enduring mysteries. The case has drawn renewed worldwide attention following the release of the Netflix series "Vatican Girl" late last year. Pietro Orlandi was standing with a group of supporters holding up photographs and banners that called for "truth" and "justice". In April, Pope Francis called the allegations "offensive and unfounded insinuations".

Persons: Pope Francis, Emanuela Orlandi, Francis, Pietro, Pietro Orlandi, ANSA, Pope John Paul II, John Paul II, Alvise Armellini, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Vatican, Handout, REUTERS VATICAN CITY, Netflix, Thomson Locations: Rome, St Peter's, Italian

☆ Kerry meets Pope Francis privately, says he's in great form and spirits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry arrives for an interview with Reuters after meeting with Pope Francis, near the Vatican, in Rome, Italy, June 19, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneVATICAN CITY, June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry met Pope Francis on Monday, the first official to have a private audience with him since his discharge from hospital, and told Reuters that he found the pontiff "in great spirits and in great form". "He was in great spirits and great form ... "I found the pope to be very much the pope that I have had the privilege of seeing several times over the last years. He seemed in very good form and good spirits," Kerry, 79, said in an interview in front of St. Peter's Square.

Persons: John Kerry, Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Francis, Kerry, Laudato, Philip Pullella, Toby Chopra, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, CITY, United, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, St, Paris, COP28, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, United Nations, Berlin

☆ Pope Francis orders ex-aide of Pope Benedict to leave Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, June 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has ordered Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, the private secretary and long-time aide of the late Pope Benedict, to return to his native Germany by the end of the month without any new assignment, the Vatican said on Thursday. A Vatican statement put an end speculation about what role Gaenswein, a powerful figure in the Vatican for more than a decade before Francis sidelined him after a personal falling out, would have in the Church. Former Pope Benedict died on Dec. 31, nearly a decade after he resigned in 2013, the first pontiff to do so in 600 years. The two-line statement said Francis "had disposed" that the 66-year-old Gaenswein return to his diocese of Freiburg "for the time being". He was Benedict's personal secretary from 2003, when Benedict was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and remained at his side for nearly 20 years, nearly 10 of them after Benedict resigned.

Persons: Pope Francis, Georg Gaenswein, Pope Benedict, Francis, Gaenswein, Benedict, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI, Pope Benedict's, Philip Pullella, John Stonestreet, Toby Chopra Organizations: CITY, Church, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Germany, Freiburg, Gaenswein

☆ Pope Francis doing well after first night in hospital, Vatican says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A nun kisses the hand of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience on the day he is due to undergo abdominal surgery, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiROME, June 8 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was doing well on Thursday morning after his first night in hospital following abdominal surgery, the Vatican said. "The night went well," the Vatican said in a brief statement, adding that more information would be released later in the morning. Fancis underwent a laparotomy, or open abdominal surgery, and a mesh prosthesis was used to reconstruct the abdominal wall. It is the third hospital stay for Francis since cardinals chose the Argentinian in 2013 as the first Latin American pope.

Persons: Pope Francis, Yara, Francis, Sergio Alfieri, hopsital, Alfieri, Fancis, Federica Urso, Gianluca Semeraro, William Maclean Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: St, ROME, Rome, Portugal, Fatima, Mongolia

☆ Pope Francis in hospital for second abdominal surgery in two years
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Pope Francis greets a nun during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Yara NardiROME, June 7 (Reuters) - Pope Francis was admitted to a Rome hospital on Wednesday for another abdominal operation under general anaesthesia, this time to repair a hernia most likely caused by scars from surgery in 2021. The pope's medical team had decided in recent days that surgery was required because the condition was causing painful, intestinal occlusions. Francis is known to be afraid of the negative effects of general anaesthesia, which are also more common in older people. The statement said the pope would undergo a laparotomy, or open abdominal surgery, and that a prosthesis would be used to reconstruct the abdominal wall.

Persons: Pope Francis, Yara, Francis, Vatican, Keith Weir, Federico Maccioni, Crispian Balmer, William Maclean Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, Fiat, Catholic, Argentine, Thomson Locations: St, ROME, Rome, Mongolia, Portugal, Lisbon

☆ 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.

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

[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.

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.

☆ Pope Francis plans to visit his native Argentina in 2024, local media reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUENOS AIRES, April 23 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has not visited his home country Argentina since he left for the Vatican a decade ago, said he planned to visit in 2024, local media reported on Sunday. "I always wanted to return," Francis told Argentina's La Nacion newspaper. If the visit takes place, he would travel a year after the general elections next October. "Don't link me to Argentine politics, please," the leader of the world's nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics is quoted as saying. Reporting by Lucila Sigal in Buenos Aires; Additional reporting by Francesca Landini in Milan; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[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.

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