Latest news with #Papal
Mint
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Russia Douses Trump's Desire for Pope to Host Ukraine Talks
The US and European leaders are placing their hopes in the Vatican to engage Russia and Ukraine in peace talks, after President Donald Trump said Pope Leo XIV had expressed interest in the idea. The Kremlin isn't so keen. Russian officials have no plans for President Vladimir Putin to travel to the Vatican or anywhere else for talks now, and they're focused instead on technical-level negotiations that began in Istanbul last week, according to people with knowledge of the situation, asking not to be identified discussing internal matters. The Kremlin expects those negotiations to resume in Istanbul, one of the people said. There are 'no agreements' to hold the next round of talks at the Vatican, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters Thursday. Still, European officials say discussions are taking place on a role for the Vatican as a potential host or mediator of negotiations. Talks could happen as soon as next week, though it depends on Russia's readiness to attend, the people said, asking not to be identified because the issue is sensitive. US officials are in contact with the Ukrainians to ensure the talks can take place, the people said. They're also signaling to Russian counterparts that they'd prefer to avoid participation in the meeting by hardliners such as Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led Moscow's delegation in Istanbul, the people added. Momentum for Papal engagement has accelerated since Monday's two-hour phone call between Trump and Putin failed to win Russia's commitment to a truce in Europe's largest conflict since World War II. Ukraine and European allies had expected Trump to announce sanctions if Putin refused to halt the war, but the US leader declared instead that Kyiv and Moscow should 'immediately start negotiations' toward a ceasefire and that he'd 'back away' if no progress was made on a deal. 'The Vatican, as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations,' Trump said in a post on his Truth Social. 'Let the process begin!' Putin won't travel to Italy, a NATO member state, because of security concerns, and Russia doesn't regard the Vatican as neutral in the conflict, said Sergei Markov, a political consultant with close ties to the Kremlin. The issue is complicated further by relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church led by Patriarch Kirill, a vocal supporter of Putin and the war in Ukraine. A 2016 meeting in Cuba between Kirill and Pope Francis was the first between the leaders of the Roman Catholic faith and the Russian Church since the Great Schism of 1054 that split eastern and western Christianity over theological differences. The Russian Church opposes the Vatican's involvement in the peace talks, regarding it as a historical rival in Ukraine that also failed to criticize the authorities' closure of churches loyal to Moscow, according to people with knowledge of the issue. Italy is a signatory to the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. In principle, at least, it would be obliged to arrest him if he came to Rome. Even if all those hurdles were overcome, negotiations are far from reaching a deal that would require a summit meeting involving Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to sign an accord ending the war. Putin and Trump didn't mention a summit on their phone call. The Holy See has telegraphed the newly-enthroned Pope's readiness to engage in diplomacy to end the war that's now in its fourth year. Leo met with US Vice President JD Vance on Monday, a day after Zelenskiy thanked the Vatican 'for its willingness to serve as a platform for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia,' in a message on the X platform. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni 'received confirmation from the Holy Father of the readiness to welcome the next round of talks between the parties in the Vatican,' in a phone call with the Pope on Tuesday, according to a statement from her office. Late Thursday, Meloni said she had another phone call with Trump and is 'constantly in touch with several leaders' to kick off a new round of talks. 'The availability that the Vatican and the Pope have given is precious,' Meloni told reporters after meeting with Danish Premier Mette Frederiksen. 'Clearly there are various options on the table for the first part of talks on a technical level.' Meloni's efforts to involve the Pope in peace initiatives 'have also been jointly developed and endorsed by us,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters Thursday during a visit to Vilnius, Lithuania. A resolution to the war 'must first of all consist of a ceasefire,' he said. Friday's meeting in Istanbul was the first face-to-face negotiation between Russia and Ukraine since soon after the February 2022 full-scale invasion. Those talks collapsed amid recriminations over a draft protocol of Russian demands for Ukraine's subjugation. Putin proposed the resumption of direct contacts and has indicated he regards the talks as a continuation of the earlier ones, where Russia's negotiators were also led by Medinsky. The Russian delegation repeated hardline demands for Ukraine to surrender four regions of the country's south and east that the Kremlin claims as its territory but which its troops only partly occupy. Russia considers Turkey the best venue to continue talks on a memorandum setting out conditions for a peace deal that Putin discussed with Trump on their call, according to three people close to the Kremlin. The choice of Turkey and of representatives from the aborted 2022 talks is seen as Russia signaling that it's 'back to square one' in negotiations, a senior European official said. Zelenskiy and European countries have accused Putin of stalling the peace process in order to buy time to intensify his military offensive in Ukraine. The Holy See has helped mediate conflicts globally, including hastening a 2014 normalization of US-Cuba relations and in resolving a territorial dispute between Chile and Argentina in 1978 that had pushed the two countries to the brink of war. It has also been active in attempts at reaching peace between Israel and the Palestinians. 'The Vatican as a platform for talks will be a very difficult choice for the Kremlin,' said Ksenia Luchenko, an independent religious affairs analyst. 'If this is the only chance for Putin to have his mega deal with Trump, then he would probably go to the Vatican, but first he would try to offer all kinds of alternatives.' With assistance from Alberto Nardelli, Arne Delfs, Donato Paolo Mancini, Andrea Palasciano, Michael Nienaber and Chris Miller. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Herald Malaysia
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV to be held on May 18
The Holy See announces the upcoming schedule for the newly elected Pontiff, including the Mass to begin his pontificate. May 10, 2025 The Holy See Press Office announced the upcoming schedule for the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. VATICAN: The Holy See Press Office announced the upcoming schedule for the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. His inaugural Mass will be held in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, May 18 at 10am Rome time. Three weeks of firsts May 10, Saturday - Meeting with Cardinals May 11, Sunday - Regina Caeli prayer from the Central Loggia of St. Peter's Basilica May 12, Monday – Meeting with the international press May 16, Friday – Meeting with the Diplomatic Corps (Heads of Mission) May 18, Sunday - 10:00 AM, St. Peter's Square: Mass for the Beginning of the Pontificate May 20, Tuesday - Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls May 21, Wednesday - First General Audience May 24, Saturday - Meeting with the Roman Curia and Vatican City State employees May 25, Sunday - Regina Caeli - Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran - Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major In another statement, the Press Office shared the Holy Father's 'wish that the Heads and Members of the Institutions of the Roman Curia, as well as the Secretaries and the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State, continue, on a provisional basis' in their respective roles donec aliter provideatur (until otherwise provided). Pope Leo XIV, however, maintains the right to 'a certain amount of time for reflection, prayer, and dialogue' before making any 'definitive appointments or confirmations.'--Vatican News
Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pope Leo XIV's first general audience date determined; Vatican releases complete schedule
Pope Leo XIV has now become the new head of the Vatican after the demise of Pope Francis. It was only a day ago that white smoke was seen billowing from the Pristine Chapel, indicating that a new Pope had been chosen after four rounds of voting. The first three rounds of voting yielded no result, but Pope Leo XIV managed to get through in the fourth round, grabbing a majority. The Holy See Press Office has announced the schedule of Pope Leo XIV's activities over the next week, which includes an all-important meeting with Cardinals on May 10. May 12 will be a very significant affair as he will be interacting with the international press. ALSO READ | After Ras Baraka's arrest, 2 other Democrats spotted breaching Delaney Hall ICE center On May 21, he will be getting the opportunity to interact with the general audience, which would be the first time since he became the new Pope. The complete list of Pope Leo XIV's schedule is mentioned below, as per the The Holy See Press Office' data. May 10, Saturday - Meeting with Cardinals May 11, Sunday - Regina Caeli prayer from the Central Loggia of St. Peter's Basilica May 12, Monday – Meeting with the international press May 16, Friday – Meeting with the Diplomatic Corps (Heads of Mission) May 18, Sunday - 10:00 AM, St. Peter's Square: Mass for the Beginning of the Pontificate May 20, Tuesday - Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls May 21, Wednesday - First General Audience May 24, Saturday - Meeting with the Roman Curia and Vatican City State employees May 25, Sunday - Regina Caeli - Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran - Taking possession of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How Villanova Feels About Having the New Pope as an Alum
Father Peter Donohue, the president of Villanova University, was having lunch with a few of the school's alums in a Chicago restaurant on Thursday when word got out that white smoke was billowing from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new Pope. Donohue asked the restaurant staff to turn up the TV sound. He knew his fellow Villanova alum, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—a Chicago native who graduated from the Philadelphia-area school in 1977, two years after Donohue—took part in the Papal conclave. But Donohue, like most other Catholics around the world, was not expecting to see Cardinal Prevost step onto the Vatican balcony, and introduce himself to the world as Pope Francis' successor. After all, other church officials had more experience than Prevost, who had only been a Cardinal since 2023. And no American had even been elected Pope before. So when Prevost was in fact announced as the next pope, Donohue was just as stunned as anyone. 'I practically fell off the chair,' he tells TIME. 'It was such a long shot.' And in the minutes and hours that followed, he fielded a parade of well-wishes, as Donohue was suddenly the first person in history to lead an American university that counts a Pope among its alumni pool. 'You would think I became the Pope,' says Donohue, 'I was getting so many congratulations.' Villanova, a mid-size Catholic institution run by the same Order of St. Augustine that produced the newly-installed Pope Leo XIV, is enjoying one heck of a moment. A strong academic institution with a loyal alumni base, Villanova was probably best-known in the popular imagination—before the ascension of one of its former math majors to the papacy—for its success in college basketball. The Wildcats, under Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright, won a pair of recent championships, in 2016 and 2018. 'We already had God: we had Jay Wright,' says Paul DiSenso, a 2000 Villanova alum who lives in the New York City area. 'Now we have the Pope too. That's pretty good.' What's more, three of those championship players—Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges—are currently in the starting lineup for the New York Knicks, who just last night completed a second stunning comeback victory against the defending NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, on the road in their second-round playoff series. The Knicks lead the series 2-0, and with two home games at Madison Square Garden coming up on Saturday and Monday, New York's 'Villanova Knicks' have a strong chance to lead the franchise to the conference finals for the first time in a quarter century. Forgive Knicks fans for believing that the surprise selection of Pope Leo XIV is some sign of divine intervention: even Father Donohue has been enjoying some of the Knicks papal memes running rampant around the internet. 'Oh, I've already seen that one!' he says when I mention that the image floating around of the Pope eating cake with the three Villanova Knicks and Donte DiVincenzo, the former Villanova and Knicks player who was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves before this season. And forgive Rosanne Breen for beaming with Villanova love. On a 1-10 scale, she says, 'my Villanova pride has always been a 10. And today it's like 210.' Because today, on her 62nd birthday, Breen, who graduated from the school in 1985—the year the Wildcats upset Georgetown in an epic national championship basketball game to win its first title—found out a fellow math major was elected pope. Breen's nephew, an engineering alum, texted her: Aunt Rosanne, can you believe the Pope walked the halls of Mendel Hall and had the same teachers you had? Breen won the school's math medal as the top student in 1985: Breen's kids are all wondering if the Pope also nabbed that honor too. If he didn't, they surely wouldn't mind mom one-upping the Pope on something. 'If he did,' says Donohue, 'he probably wouldn't have told anybody. That's the way he is. A very humble guy.' In September of 2022, Breen lost her family's Long Island home—and too many valuable possessions, including the math medal—in a fire. She told a couple in the neighborhood about losing her cherished award. Unbeknownst to Breen, her friends— who happen to be Jewish and had no connection to Villanova—called the school to inform officials about what happened to Breen. About a year ago, Breen discovered a surprise package in the mail. Villanova remade her math medal. It proudly stands in her rebuilt home. She was known as Rosanne Puntolillo back then: for the last 35 years, Rosanne has been married to Mike Breen, the NBA lead play-by-announcer for ESPN and—here's that divine sign—the New York Knicks. 'I hope he's a basketball fan,' says Rosanne Breen of the Pope. 'I'm a little bit speechless,' she says. 'Of the million different things somebody could be, a Villanova math major is very much a grain of sand.' Ryan Mahoney, a 2011 Villanova graduate who worked as an intern at the Vatican, doing web design and planning virtual tours his junior year, hopes Pope Leo XIV's election allows the church to spread the school's core values—veritas (truth), unitas (unity), and caritas (love), emblazoned on Breen's medal and all over campus. 'It's exciting for me as an alum, but as a Catholic as well,' Mahoney says. 'An American Pope. who has these Augustinian values will be really nice for the global Catholic church.' Villanova is in uncharted waters: no data exists to forecast whether a papal election increases inbound interest—in the form of more applications and donations, for example—in an American institution of higher education. If sports success is any indicator, however, Villanova could see a Papal boon. Donohue says applications increased after the hoops titles, like they have for many schools. 'Certainly the name is out there,' he says. 'When we won the basketball championships, people suddenly said, 'let me look at Villanova. Let me investigate what this place is like.' And so maybe people look at us and say, 'Oh, the Pope is from Villanova. Maybe I should look at that.'' Though Donohue knew Pope Leo XIV during their undergrad days, he won't speak out of school. 'I can't tell stories about him now,' he says with a hearty guffaw. 'People would think that's terrible.' Prevost was bright, analytical and friendly, but it's not like Donohue thought, back in the mid-1970s, he was going to be Pope one day. 'Nobody says that about anybody.' Right before speaking with TIME on Thursday, Donohue sent Pope Leo XIV an email, at his personal address. 'It started out, 'Bob,'' Donohue says. 'Then I said, 'I guess I should say Your Holiness.'' He told Pope Leo that Villanova, and the Pope's Augustinian brothers in the United States, were praying for him, and wished him the best. 'I'm going to try to see if I can get him as the commencement speaker,' says Donohue. Not for this spring though. Villanova already booked someone. Plus, Prevost needs to settle in at the Vatican. 'We'll give him a year.' Write to Sean Gregory at
CNET
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Hey Wordle Players, the New Pope Is One of Us
Maybe an upcoming Wordle puzzle will include the word PAPAL. On Thursday, Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen the first American pope ever, taking the papal name Pope Leo XIV. Although he spent years of his ministry in Peru, he might just have some things in common with his fellow Americans. According to an interview with his brother, John, who lives in Illinois, the new pope enjoys the New York Times game Wordle, plays the Scrabble-like game Words With Friends, and yes, he has seen the 2024 movie Conclave, which focuses on a fictional papal election. Read more: Click for answers to today's Wordle, Connections, Strands, Connections: Sports Edition and Mini Crossword NBC Chicago spoke to the new pope's brother, who's understandably overwhelmed. John Prevost said he talked to his brother on Tuesday before the conclave started, and asked Robert Prevost, who was then still a cardinal, if he'd seen the Conclave film. And indeed he had. "He had just finished watching the movie 'Conclave,'" John Prevost told NBC Chicago. "I wanted to take his mind off of it and laugh about something. Because this is now an awesome responsibility." Read more: How to Stream Conclave According to NBC News, John Prevost also said his chat with his brother included "discussing Wordle and playing Words with Friends." Wordle, of course, is the New York Times' online game where players are given six chances to guess a five-letter word. (CNET posts the answers to Wordle and other NYT puzzles daily.) Words with Friends is another word game, but more like Scrabble, and allows for back-and-forth play between two friends. Or brothers. Or a soon-to-be pope and his brother. Read more: Wordle Players, Use Our Tip Sheet to Find Your Next Favorite Starter Word A representative for the New York Times did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The pope's brother also set the Holy Father's Chicago baseball allegiance straight. Although the Chicago Cubs tried to claim him on social media, his brother confirmed that the pope is from the South Side of Chicago, and is a White Sox fan. While quotes from NBC didn't flat-out say the new pope plays Wordle (they said he "discussed it"), who discusses a puzzle they don't play? So when you fire up your next round of Wordle, and puzzle over those double letters, or rack your brain for a way to use the yellow letters you just can't place, think to yourself that maybe the new pope is doing the exact same thing.
