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☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia attacked by wave of Ukrainian drones, shelling; Vatican rows back on 'white flag' comments
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian authorities said seven regions were targeted by a wave of Ukrainian drones overnight, with attacks carried out against the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad, Moscow, Oryol and Tula regions. Air defense systems destroyed and intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones (also known as UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles) overnight over the regions, the Russian Ministry of Defense said, according to a statement published by the Tass news agency. In a separate report, Tass cited the defense ministry as saying it had foiled a separate attempt to target the border region of Belgorod with missiles and shelling. "In the morning, the Kstovo industrial zone, a fuel and energy complex facility, was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles. Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian territory with drones on previous occasions, however, particularly targeting energy and fuel infrastructure, such as oil refineries.

Persons: Gleb Nikitin, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Russian Ministry of Defense, Tass, Russian Federation, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ministry of Defense, CNBC Locations: Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad, Moscow, Oryol, Tula, Kiev, Nizhny Novgorod, Ukraine

☆ Kate Middleton picture fiasco shows we're at the point of no return with trusting anything online
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A family photo of the Princess of Wales has added fuel to the fire of a wild online conspiracy. The fiasco proves that trusting anything online has become a total nightmare in the AI age. AdvertisementHowever, concerns over the family image have had the opposite effect for an entirely understandable reason. AdvertisementOpenAI has attempted to introduce some form of digital watermarking for images generated by its AI tools, but studies indicate that most forms of marking out AI content are still rife with weaknesses. But in the age of AI, users also need to seek their own verification before trusting online content — something that's still easier said than done.

Persons: Princess, —, Kate Middleton, Wales, Kate, Prince William, Princess Charlotte's, Prince, Princess of Wales, Queen Consort, Henry Ajder, Adjer, Ajder, OpenAI, Pope Francis Organizations: Service, Getty, Associated Press, Reuters, AFP, BI, Vatican Media Locations: Wales, Kensington

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican on Monday unveiled its groundbreaking project for the upcoming Venice Biennale of Art: A multimedia installation located inside Venice’s women’s prison, created with the active participation of inmates and artists and open to the public under strict security conditions. But at the unveiling Monday, officials stressed the absolute novelty of this year’s Vatican pavilion, given the unprecedented permission from Italian judicial authorities to allow Vatican curators to mount the exhibit in the Giudecca prison and involve the inmates in the works. Half a dozen artists will work alongside them, reflecting Francis’ belief in the value of dialogue, solidarity and fraternity. Most notably, Maurizio Cattelan is producing what curators described as a “large outdoor artwork” on the façade of the prison chapel. The Vatican’s culture minister, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça concurred that the decision to house the Holy See pavilion in the prison was “unexpected."

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis ’, Maurizio Cattelan, Cattelan's, Nona Ora, Pope John Paul II, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Francis, Corita Kent, Marco Perego, Zoe Saldana, Chiara Parisi, Claire Tabouret, Simone Fattal, Giovanni Russo, ’, ” Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Venice Biennale, Catholic, Italian Justice Ministry Locations: Venice, American

☆ Pope Francis' 'white flag' comment is met by criticism from Ukraine and allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI and partially released on Saturday, Francis used the phrase "the courage of the white flag" as he argued that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should be open to peace talks brokered by international powers. "How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine? Peace would immediately ensue without the need for negotiations," Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski responded with a post on X, formerly Twitter. His post on X appeared to compare the pope's comments to calls for "talking with Hitler" while raising "a white flag to satisfy him." Matteo Bruni said that the journalist interviewing Francis used the term "white flag" in the question that prompted the controversial remarks.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Putin, Radek Sikorski, Sikorski, Adolf Hitler, Andrii, Hitler, Matteo Bruni, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Shevchuk Organizations: RSI, Vatican, NATO, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Vatican, Swiss, Kyiv, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy, New York City, Russian, Bucha, St

☆ Pope sparks anger after saying Ukraine should have the ‘courage of the white flag’ and negotiate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Radina Gigova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Pope Francis has sparked anger after saying Ukraine should have the “courage of the white flag” and negotiate to end the war with Russia. In an interview with Swiss broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) published on Saturday, Francis was asked whether he thinks negotiations would “legitimize the stronger party.”“That is one interpretation,” he replied. We shall never raise any other flags,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a post on social media Sunday. People wave Ukrainian flags at St.Peter's square as Pope Francis addresses the crowd on Sunday. “How about, for balance, encouraging Putin to have the courage to withdraw his army from Ukraine,” Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Sunday in a post on X.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, ”, Dmytro Kuleba, “, Alberto Pizzoli, Sviatoslav, unconquered, ” Father Sviatoslav, Matteo Bruni, Pope, Francis’s, Putin, Radosław Sikorski, Edgars Rinkēvičs, Alexandra Valkenburg Organizations: CNN, Radio Télévision Suisse, Getty, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Greek Catholic Church, Press, Vatican News, EU Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Swiss, Kyiv, “, AFP, New York, Ukrainian, “ Ukraine

☆ The pope raises eyebrows after saying Ukraine should have the 'courage of the white flag' and negotiate with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Pope Francis said Ukraine should have the 'courage of the white flag' and negotiate with Russia. AdvertisementPope Francis has sparked controversy after saying Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate an end to the war with Russia. "You are the heirs of the great Russia. The great Russia of the saints, of the kings, of the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, that great imperial Russia, cultivated, with so much culture and humanity," he said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Istanbul March 8, 2024 Ozan Guzelce/dia images via Getty ImagesBut Russia and Ukraine continue to speak at cross purposes.

Persons: Pope Francis, —, Edgers Rinkēvičs, Matteo Bruni, Bruni, Zelenskyy, Darya, Alexander Dugin, Dugina, Dmytro Kuleba, Francis, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peter the Great, Catherine II, Oleh, " Bruni, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ozan Organizations: Service, RSI, Catholic Church, Ukrainian Foreign, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Kremlin, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Swiss, Turkey, Visegrad, Latvian, Russian, Moscow, Ukrainian, Istanbul, Turkish, Crimea

☆ Biden rebutter Sen. Britt blasted for recycling 20-year-old sex traffic story to attack border policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama is under fire for using what appears to be a sex trafficking victim's experience from the early 2000s to condemn President Joe Biden's current border policy. Britt seemingly attempted to present the anecdote as a damning example of Biden's border management. "President Biden's border policies are a disgrace. Britt's implication that Jacinto Romero divulged her experiences privately is not borne out by publicly available information. Though sex trafficking has taken place in the U.S. under the Biden administration, Jacinto Romero's sex-trafficking story is not an example of it.

Persons: Sen, Katie Britt, Republican Sen, Joe Biden's, Britt, Karla Jacinto Romero, Jacinto Romero, Marsha Blackburn, Cindy Hyde, Smith, Blackburn, Jonathan Katz, Jacinto Romero's, Sean Ross, Ross, Biden, Karla Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, Union, Del, Hyde, Congress, U.S . House, CNBC Locations: Alabama, Biden's State, Del Rio, Texas, U.S, Guadalajara, Biden's, Mexico, Sens, Mexican

☆ I've been a tour guide in Rome for 16 years. Here are 9 of the biggest mistakes tourists make.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Sarah May Grunwald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewMy husband and I have 25 and 16 years, respectively, of guiding experience in Rome. As we say in Rome, "Roma, non basta una vita" ("In Rome, a lifetime is not enough"). One of my favorite websites for up-to-date advice for travelers planning trips to Rome is Rome Wise. Italian food is seasonal. I recommend following advice from the local food experts at Casa Mia.

Persons: —, He's, we've, Kirk Fisher, it's, Trevi, doesn't, It's, Vasilii, Rome Wise Organizations: Service, Business, Chapel, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome, Roman, Casa Locations: Rome, Italy, Ostia

“This is the United States of America, and it is past time, in my opinion, that we start acting like it,” Ms. Britt said. “President Biden’s border policies are a disgrace.”As a rhetorical device, it would be hard conjure up a more powerful and resonant example. In a video released shortly after that trip, Ms. Britt discussed Ms. Jacinto’s experiences. “I thought it was very strange.”She said she preferred to keep politics out of the question of human trafficking. “The work I do is not a game.”A spokesman for Ms. Britt, Sean Ross, stood behind her speech.

Persons: Katie Britt, Donald J, Britt, Ms, George W, Bush, Biden, Biden didn’t, ”, “, Karla Jacinto Romero, Jacinto, Jonathan Katz, Sean Ross, Mr, Ross, Andrew Bates, Britt’s, Marsha Blackburn, Rosi Orozco, Blackburn, Karla, ” Andy McCullough, that’s, Pope Francis, Chris Smith of, McCullough Organizations: Republican, White, Times, Biden, U.S, Vatican Locations: Alabama, Montgomery , Ala, Biden’s, United States of America, Mexican, United States, Texas, Mexico, TikTok, U.S, Latin America, Eagle Pass , Texas, Tennessee, Chris Smith of New Jersey

☆ Review: In ‘Doubt,’ What He Knows, She Knows, God Knows
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Jesse Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Here are a few things Sister Aloysius cannot abide: ballpoint pens, “Frosty the Snowman,” long fingernails like Father Flynn’s, Father Flynn himself. She is what you’d call a forbidding nun, a Sister of Charity without much of it. Add to Sister Aloysius’s catalog of unholy tendencies his suggestion that they occasionally take the students for ice cream. But John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt: A Parable,” first seen on Broadway in 2005, is much more than that. It is a sturdy melodrama, an infallible crowd-pleaser, a detective yarn, a character study and an inquest into the unknowable.

Persons: Aloysius, Frosty, Flynn’s, Father Flynn, ”, Sister James, “, Aloysius’s, John Patrick Shanley’s Organizations: Vatican Council, basketball Locations: Bronx

☆ France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Paris CNN —France became the world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution on Monday, the culmination of an effort that began in direct response to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The amendment states that there is a “guaranteed freedom” to abortion in France. While abortion is a highly divisive issue in US politics that often falls along party lines, in France it is widely supported. The measure’s passage is a clear victory for the French left, which has been pushing for years to guarantee abortion rights in the constitution. The vote marks the 25th time the French government has amended its constitution since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

Persons: Roe, ”, Gabriel Attal, ” Attal, Emmanuel Macron, Simone Veil, Emmanuel Macron’s, —, Wade, Eric Dupond, Moretti, perviously, CNN’s Joseph Ataman, Christopher Lamb Organizations: Paris CNN —, Wade, French Senate, National Assembly, ” Lawmakers, France, Health, US, Fifth, Catholic, Pontifical Academy for Life Locations: Paris CNN — France, of Versailles, Paris, France, United States, Europe, Hungary, Fifth Republic

☆ 3 mistakes couples make when planning their honeymoons
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Samantha Grindell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Planning a honeymoon is exciting, but it can be easy to make mistakes as you schedule your trip. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . Business Insider spoke to Allison Kobasky, the cofounder of Over the Moon Vacations, about the most common mistakes people make as they plan their honeymoons. AdvertisementDon't rely on social media for your plansKobasky said many couples fall into "tourist traps" when planning their honeymoons, often because of social media. AdvertisementMost importantly, make sure you and your partner plan the honeymoon that's right for you two.

Persons: —, Allison Kobasky, Kobasky, Josh, you'll Organizations: Service, Hinterhaus, Facebook Locations: Instagram, Atlanta, Thailand, Maldives, Italy, Rome, mihailomilovanovic

☆ Pope Francis Undergoes ‘Diagnostic Tests’ in Rome Hospital
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pope Francis, who has had a mild flu in recent days, was taken to a hospital in downtown Rome on Wednesday, reviving concerns about the 87-year old pontiff’s health. The Vatican said in a statement that he had gone for “some diagnostic tests,” but did not offer details about a visit that lasted less than an hour. Traffic police officers at the Gemelli Hospital on Tiber Island said that Francis arrived around 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday and left about 40 minutes later. The pope has been under the weather for several days. On Saturday, Francis’s public audiences were canceled “as a result of a slight flu,” according to the Vatican.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis Organizations: Vatican, Traffic, Gemelli Locations: Rome, Tiber, St

☆ He’s visited every corner of the Earth. Now he wants to try a very different challenge
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Richard Collett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Standing on the South Pole at the start of the year with the wind whipping across the Antarctic, travel blogger Johnny Ward felt a surge of relief. Years before, in 2017, he’d become the first Irish person to visit every country in the world. Life goalIrish explorer Johnny Ward has climbed the seven summits, reached the North and South poles, and visited every country in the world. And originally I thought the freest you can be is to visit every country,” he said. Costly challengeWard cycling in south east Asia while completing the epic challenge of visiting every country in the world.

Persons: Johnny Ward, he’d, Ward, Johnny Ward “, ” Ward, ”, “, who’ve, Mount, didn’t, wasn’t, “ I’m, He’s, Mariana Trench Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, UN, Antarctic, ” Locations: Thailand, Palestinian, Taiwan, Kosovo, Oman, Socotra, Yemen, Cairo, Cape Town, South Korea, Australia, Denali, Asia, Galway, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Spain, Florida, New York, Mauritania, Africa

☆ Christopher Saunders: Former Australian bishop charged with historical sex offenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —A senior Australian Catholic clergyman has been charged with historical sex offenses allegedly committed while he was serving as the bishop of Broome, a remote diocese in Western Australia. Emeritus Bishop Christopher Saunders was arrested on Wednesday at his home in Broome, where he became bishop in 1996, according to CNN affiliate Seven News. Saunders is the highest-ranking Australian Catholic official charged with historical sex abuse charges since Cardinal George Pell faced court over historical assaults allegedly committed in the late 1990s. Of the survivors who reported being abused in a religious institution, 61.4% said the abuse occurred in a Catholic organization. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse reported that 7% of Australian Catholic priests had been accused of abusing children.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Bishop Christopher Saunders, Saunders, Timothy Costelloe, ” Costelloe, ”, Costelloe, Cardinal George Pell, Pell Organizations: Australia CNN, Australian Catholic, CNN, Seven News . Police, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Catholic Bishops Conference, WA, Police, Australian, Australia’s, Catholic, Royal Commission Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Broome, Western Australia, Rome

☆ Opinion: Cecilia Gentili’s life can’t be diminished by one Catholic archdiocese
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Opinion Allison Hope | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The day after Valentine’s Day, a massive, fabulous funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York to honor the late, great Cecila Gentili. St. Patrick’s Cathedral is perhaps the most famous Catholic church outside of the Vatican. Enrique Salvo, pastor of St. Patrick’s, did not mince words in a statement he issued from the Archdiocese of New York’s office only days later. Cecilia Gentili's casket is brought into St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, on February 15. The Archdiocese of New York revealed its true colors with this statement, and along with them, the persistence of anti-LGBTQ judgment within the Catholic Church.

Persons: Allison Hope, Read, Billy Porter, Gentili’s, Gentili, Patrick’s, ” Allison Hope, Allison Hope “, Enrique Salvo, ’, Lent, Salvo, “, “ Saint Cecilia, Mother, Liaam Winslet, Mary Magdalene, ”, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Cecilia Gentili's, Laura Oliverio, Webster, it’s, Pope Francis’s Organizations: New Yorker, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Slate, Patrick’s, Archdiocese, Gentili, Catholic, Patrick's, Merriam Locations: New, St, New York, Patrick’s, ‘ America’s Parish, “ Saint, New York City, Archdiocese

☆ Child abuse scandal rattles Orban’s image as defender of ‘family values’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Orban has long posed as a globetrotting defender of Christian values and an enemy of liberalism. But Orban’s critics say his carefully constructed image is a thin guise for a plutocratic mode of governance designed to enrich a small group of oligarchs. The scandal could also weaken Hungary’s bid to gain more influence in Brussels in the upcoming European elections. Since the scandal was revealed last weekend by Hungarian news site 444.hu, “Orban has not made an appearance or said anything. Critics argue that Orban’s proposed constitutional solution to the scandal is a symptom of his autocratic mode of governance.

Persons: CNN —, Viktor Orban, Katalin Novak, Orban’s, ”, Judit Varga, Fidesz party’s, Varga, Orban, Hungary’s, “ Orban, Kim Lane Scheppele, Attila Kisbendek, Peter Magyar, “, ” Magyar, Magyar, Hungary ”, ” Orban, Critics, ” Scheppele, Hungary –, Bernadett Szabo, Scheppele, ‘, illiberal, ’ ”, Pope Francis, Eva Fodor, Fodor, Attila Kisbenedek, Zoltan Balog, Balog, hasn’t, Mark Rutte, Europe’s, he’s Organizations: CNN, CNN — Hungary’s, Fidesz, European Union, Princeton University, Partizan, State of, Reuters, Survey, Christian, Central European University, Getty Locations: Washington, Moscow, Brussels, Budapest, AFP, Varga’s, Hungary, State, Christian Europe, China, Venezuela, ”, Netherlands

☆ Israel Tones Down Criticism of Vatican's Gaza Remarks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday toned down its criticism of the Vatican, saying that remarks by Pope Francis' deputy on the killings in Gaza were "regrettable" rather than "deplorable". War in Israel and Gaza View All 209 ImagesBut on Thursday, the embassy said it should have used the word "regrettable", and that the mix-up was the result of an imprecise translation. But any comments involving Israel have particular historical and cultural sensitivities, built up over centuries. "A more precise" Italian translation would have been "sfortunata", the embassy said, a word which means something more like unfortunate. The air and ground offensive that Israel launched in response has so far killed 28,663 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run territory.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pietro Parolin, Israel, Pope Francis of, Alvise Armellini, Andrew Heavens Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Hamas, Israel Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestinian

☆ Israeli Embassy Protests After Vatican Denounces Gaza 'Carnage'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Israel protested with the Vatican on Wednesday after Pope Francis' deputy defined what is happening in Gaza as "carnage" resulting from a disproportionate Israeli military response to Hamas. A day earlier, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin reiterated the "request that Israel's right to defence, which has been invoked to justify this operation, be proportional, and certainly with 30,000 deaths, it is not." Photos You Should See View All 22 Images"No one can define what is happening in the (Gaza) Strip as 'collateral damage' in the fight against terrorism. The right to defence, Israel's right to bring the perpetrators of the October massacre to justice, cannot justify this carnage," it said. At least 28,576 Palestinians have since been killed in Israeli strikes, the health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pietro Parolin, Parolin, L'Osservatore Romano, Francis, Alvise, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: VATICAN CITY Locations: Israel, Gaza, Palestine

The project, dubbed Metamorphosis, focuses on transforming what otherwise might be discarded into something of value to society: rotten wood into fine instruments, inmates into craftsmen, all under the principle of rehabilitation. Two inmates were granted leave to see the concert featuring 14 prison-made stringed instruments playing a program that included works by Bach and Vivaldi. Other inmates, like Nikolae, who joined Lamponi at La Scala, are permitted more latitude. His own rocky journey to a new country has given him an understanding of the desperation that drove migrants onto unseaworthy boats. Originally, the boats were being transformed into crucifixes and nativity scenes, but the inmates who were already trained luthiers thought: why not instruments?

Persons: Bach, Vivaldi, Giuseppe Sala, “, ”, Claudio Lamponi, Nikolae, Lamponi, Nikolae —, ’ ’, ” Lamponi, Andrea Volonghi, ’ ’ Volonghi, Mario Brunello, Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori Organizations: MILAN, Orchestra of, Scala, La Scala, rosaries, Opera, Spirit and Arts Foundation, Orchestra Locations: Italy’s, La, Rome, Tunisia, Cremona, Milan

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Argentina’s faith and politics came together Sunday as Pope Francis canonized the country’s first female saint with Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei, sitting in the front row of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass to declare Mama Antula a saint marked the first meeting between the Argentine pope and Milei, who once called Francis an “imbecile” for defending social justice. Milei is to meet privately with Francis on Monday, before also having private talks with Italy’s far-right Premier Giorgia Meloni and the president. “It’s a gift of God that Pope Francis — an Argentine pope, a Jesuit pope — can canonize her,” he said. “But Mama Antula is a saint independent of Francis.”

Persons: Pope Francis, Javier Milei, Mama Antula, Milei, Francis, ”, Francis ’, —, Italy’s, Giorgia Meloni, ” Francis, Moses, “, María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, Silvia Correale, Mama, Mama Antula's, ” Correale, Ignatius, Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, Antula, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis — Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Argentine, Associated Press, St, Catholic Church Locations: Peter’s, Argentina, Rome, Israel, Argentine, Jerusalem, Buenos Aires, Uruguay

The fear of the ongoing crackdown by President Daniel Ortega – on the Catholic Church in particular but not sparing evangelicals – has become so pervasive that it is silencing criticism of the authoritarian government and even mentions of the repression from the pulpit. Her work recording hundreds of instances of church persecution recently won her an International Religious Freedom Award from the U.S. State Department. “If it’s dangerous to pray the rosary in the street, it is exceedingly so to report attacks,” Molina said. Despite the growing fear, many faithful continue to attend church services – where they remain available. “The dictatorship, what it wants is to completely eliminate the Catholic faith, because they haven’t succeeded in making the church kneel before them,” Molina said.

Persons: Daniel Ortega –, –, ”, Martha Patricia Molina, ” Molina, ’, Ortega, Nicaragua’s, ” Ortega, Rosario Murillo, Alicia Quiñones, It’s, Molina, Mother Teresa’s, didn’t, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, Silvio Báez, Pope Francis, Dolly Mora, “ It’s, they’re, “, haven’t, Nicole Winfield Organizations: MIAMI, Central American, Catholic Church, U.S . State Department, Associated Press, “, . government’s, PEN International, Ortega’s Sandinista, Liberation, University of Central America, Jesuit, Vatican, AP, Lilly Endowment Inc Locations: Nicaragua, Nicaraguan, United States, Americas, America, –, Rome, Managua’s, Miami, ”

☆ First Female Argentine Saint Brings Together Pope Francis and Milei
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Alvise ArmelliniVATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday will elevate to sainthood the first female saint from his native Argentina, an event that will be attended at the Vatican by his former strong critic, Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, a maverick right-wing libertarian, in the past called Francis an "imbecile", a "son-of-a-bitch preaching communism" and the devil's man on earth - but has softened his tone since taking office in December. Francis has said he hopes to be able make his first trip back to his homeland since being pope in 2013 in the second half of this year. Francis, himself a Jesuit, described her on Friday in a meeting with pilgrims from Argentina as a "gift to the Argentine people and also to the entire Church," praising her dedication to the poor. Quoting from his past writings, the pope condemned the "radical individualism" that permeates today's society as a "virus", in words that may jar with Milei's radical free-market instincts.

Persons: Alvise, Pope Francis, Javier Milei, Francis, Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, Mama Antula, Milei, Sergio Mattarella, Giorgia Meloni, Lucinda Alice Elliot, Clelia Oziel Organizations: CITY, Jesuit Locations: Argentina, Argentine, St Peter's, America, Israel, Italy, Buenos Aires

☆ The Friar Who Became the Vatican’s Go-To Guy on A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Jason Horowitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Before dawn, Paolo Benanti climbed to the bell tower of his 16th-century monastery, admired the sunrise over the ruins of the Roman forum and reflected on a world in flux. “It was a wonderful meditation on what is going on inside,” he said, stepping onto the street in his friar robe. “And outside too.”There is a lot is going on for Father Benanti, who, as both the Vatican’s and the Italian government’s go-to artificial intelligence ethicist, spends his days thinking about the Holy Ghost and the ghosts in the machines. In recent weeks, the ethics professor, ordained priest and self-proclaimed geek has joined Bill Gates at a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, presided over a commission seeking to save Italian media from ChatGPT bylines and general A.I. oblivion, and met with Vatican officials to further Pope Francis’s aim of protecting the vulnerable from the coming technological storm.

Persons: Paolo Benanti, ”, Father Benanti, Bill Gates, Giorgia Meloni, bylines, Pope Francis’s Organizations: Vatican Locations: Italian

☆ Pope Francis hits back at critics of blessings for same-sex couples
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Christopher Lamb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Pope Francis has hit back at those criticizing his decision to allow blessings for same-sex couples, saying the critics are guilty of hypocrisy. The heart of the document is welcome.”Last year, the 87-year-old Pontiff authorized priests to offer informal blessings of couples in “irregular” unions in a landmark document issued on December 18, 2023. It is the first time the Vatican has allowed for such blessings, having previously forbidden any such move. The Vatican has insisted that the blessings for same-sex couples are not of the “union” but for the people who request them. Francis’ authorizing of blessings for same-sex couples is part of his broader efforts to shift the church’s tone and approach to LGBTQ+ Catholics, although this has been met with resistance from some sections within Catholicism.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope, ”, ’, Don Vincenzo Vitale, “, Francis ’, Francis Organizations: CNN, Credere Locations: Africa, United States, Europe

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