Pope Francis remains in critical condition with blood tests showing mild signs of kidney failure 'which is currently under control,' the Vatican said on Sunday, February 23, 2025 as the 88-year-old pontiff battles pneumonia in both his lungs.
There has never been a pope from the US.
Argentina-born Pope Francis, who died on Monday, is being honoured at his local hometown soccer club in Buenos Aires, San Lorenzo de Almagro, where the football-loving head of the Roman Catholic Church remained a member during his 12-year papacy.
'We had prepared tapioca and crabs for him, and he enjoyed the Kerala cuisine thoroughly.'
The pontiff, the first leader of the global Catholic Church from the United States, appeared for about seven minutes on Rate Field's jumbotron during the event, organized by the Chicago archdiocese and featuring several other local personalities, including Bulls announcer Chuck Swirsky.
Efficient land use, minimum congestion, a focus on dharamshalas (inns) and homestays, upgrading the infrastructure while retaining the historical and cultural character of the city are some of the highlights of the plan prepared by Kukreja, the managing principal of CP Kukreja Architects.
Pope Francis made his first public appearance in five weeks, on the day of his discharge from the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Sunday, March 23, 2025.
Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was temporarily relieved of his pastoral responsibilities by Pope Francis in 2018 following allegations of rape by a nun, has resigned from the Jalandhar Bishop's post, a church source said on Thursday.
'Senior Vatican officials were pleasantly surprised at the number of Indians who had come to witness the ceremony.'
The ceremony, held at the famous St Peter's Basilica and attended by clergy and dignitaries from around the world, witnessed the induction of 21 new cardinals from various countries.
US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha, the first Indian-American Second Lady, are set to visit India early next week. Vance will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit. The visit comes amid global concerns over President Donald Trump's policy on tariffs. Vance's visit is likely to be more of a private trip though it will have official components.
Union Minister George Kurian on Saturday said the much-awaited visit of Pope Francis to India is likely to happen after 2025, which has been announced as the 'Jubilee Year' by the Catholic Church.
Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw Field Marshal K M Cariappa Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh The three highest-ranking military heroes of the Indian Armed Forces. They were the rarest of the rare. The bravest of the brave.
The United States and Ukraine have signed an 'economic partnership agreement,' giving Washington, DC access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals in return for creating an investment fund in the country, CNN reported.
The Sree Bhumi Sporting Club in Kolkata plan to make the Vatican City the theme for its pandal for the Durga Puja festival.
US Vice President J D Vance and his wife Usha arrived in Delhi on Monday for a four-day visit. They were welcomed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Vance's visit comes amid ongoing trade talks between India and the US. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances on Monday evening after holding talks with the US Vice President. Vance and his family will also travel to Jaipur and Agra during their trip.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (SAD), which led protests against Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has launched itself as a political party called the National Citizen Party (NCP). The new party, which aims to 'dismantle constitutional autocracy' and establish a 'second republic,' has pledged to create a 'solely Bangladesh-oriented' political system, with no room for 'pro-India and pro-Pakistan politics.' The NCP's inaugural rally was attended by representatives of various political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and envoys from the Vatican and Pakistan.
'I remember our priests saying that he liked sea food. So, they cooked sea food for him without masala and spice.' 'It seems he enjoyed Kerala food very much.'
'Assuming he has a sensitive bug, which is responsive to antibiotics, it may not necessarily be the worst-case scenario.'
Vatican greets all Hindus on the occasion of Diwali
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has criticized the Centre over the landing of US planes carrying illegal Indian immigrants at Amritsar airport, calling it a "deport centre." He stated that the holy city is known for its religious sites and should not be used for deportations. Mann has also questioned the choice of Amritsar as the landing site, suggesting that other airports in the country could have been used instead. The second US flight carrying 119 illegal Indian immigrants is slated to land in Amritsar on Saturday night. The Punjab government has made arrangements to take the residents of Punjab from among the second batch of deportees to their hometowns.
Although India's hopes to nab the big one went unrealised, it was heartening to see filmmaker Payal Kapadia and her globally acclaimed creation All We Imagine As Light, among the nominees for Best Non-English Film and Best Director. Aside from that disappointment, the Golden Globes remain a ho-hum affair livened up by occasional display of wit and wildness.
In a damning article, the Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano has condemned the popular teenage boy wizard for promoting witchcraft and occult.
During the symposium, which brought together several dozen religious and lay people, the issue of providing condoms to prostitutes to protect them from AIDS was raised.\n\nHowever, there was no mention of the issue in the communiqué.\n
The weekly audience held by Pope Benedict XVI at Paul VI Hall in Vatican City was in for a shock on Thursday, when a group of toned dancers took off their shirts for an acrobatic performance.
They met with a warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean.
Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday left the Vatican for the last time as pontiff and flew by helicopter to the Vatican's vacation retreat Castel Gandolfo, a hilltop town southeast of the city.
Setting stiff conditions for improving ties with the Vatican, China on Monday said the new pope should sever links with Taiwan and stop interfering in its internal affairs in the name of religion.
Vatican leaders claim HIV, being several times smaller than the sperm, can pass through tiny holes in condoms.
10 interesting facts about the Vatican and papacy
The two leader spoke privately for about 20 minutes.
The council will help the Pope revise the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia Pastor bonus -- the Church administration which helps him in the daily governance, the Vatican said in a statement.
The Vatican officials had applied for visa in mid-December
In a move reportedly sanctioned by Pope Benedict XVI, the Catholic Church has officially forgiven The Beatles for their sex and substance-fueled excesses and their infamous remark of being "more popular than Jesus".
"They must ensure culture of peace and solidarity between different religious communities and spread a teaching which honours all human creatures,"
The Vatican declined to comment on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's controversial remarks.
Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard will have a tough time filming two key scenes in their new flick Angels and Demons, based on Dan Brown's novel of the same name, for the Vatican has banned them from entering the Holy See and any church in Rome.
The Vatican has decided to abandon the traditional stable and the straw-ladden setting, shifting it to Nazareth, and placing Jesus in his father Joseph's carpentry shop in a bid to reflect the more straightforward scenario as described by St Matthew.
Only 117 of the total of 206 Cardinals of the Universal Catholic Church will be eligible to vote in the conclave to elect the 266th successor of St Peter as they are below the age of 80 years, Deputy Secretary General and Spokesman of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council Fr Stephen Alathara said.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances