Latest news with #TheVaticanMedia
Toronto Sun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
JD Vance gives Pope Leo XIV an invitation from Trump to visit U.S.
Published May 19, 2025 • 3 minute read This photo taken and handout on May 19, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows US Vice President JD Vance during a private audience with Pope Leo XIV in The Vatican. Photo by SIMONE RISOLUTI / VATICAN MEDIA/AFP via Getty Imag ROME (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States during a meeting at the Vatican on Monday ahead of a flurry of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Vance gave the first American pope a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump and the first lady inviting him. The Chicago-born pope took the letter and put it on his desk and was heard saying 'at some point,' in the video footage of the meeting provided by Vatican Media. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, also gave the Augustinian pope a copy of two of St. Augustine's most seminal works, 'The City of God' and 'On Christian Doctrine,' the vice president's office said. Another gift: A Chicago Bears T-shirt with Leo's name on it. 'As you can probably imagine, people in the United States are extremely excited about you,' Vance told Leo as they exchanged gifts. Leo gave Vance a bronze sculpture with the words in Italian 'Peace is a fragile flower,' and a coffee-table sized picture book of the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace. Leo noted that Francis had chosen not to live in them and added, 'And I may live in, but it's not totally decided.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vance led the U.S. delegation to Sunday's formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope. Joining him at the meeting on Monday was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic, Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said. The two then also met with the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. 'There was an exchange of views on some current international issues, calling for respect for humanitarian law and international law in areas of conflict and for a negotiated solution between the parties involved,' according to a Vatican statement after their meeting. The Vatican listed Vance's delegation as the first of several private audiences Leo was having Monday with people who had come to Rome for his inaugural Mass, including other Christian leaders and a group of faithful from his old diocese in Chiclayo, Peru. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Vatican, which was largely sidelined during the first three years of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has offered to host any peace talks while continuing humanitarian efforts to facilitate prisoner swaps and reunite Ukrainian children taken by Russia. After greeting Leo briefly at the end of Sunday's Mass, Vance spent the rest of the day in separate meetings, including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also met with European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni, who said she hoped the trialateral meeting could be a 'new beginning.' In the evening, Meloni spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and several other European leaders ahead of Trump's expected call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to a statement from Meloni's office. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, is a Chicago-born Augustinian missionary who spent the bulk of his ministry in Chiclayo, a commercial city of around 800,000 on Peru's northern Pacific coast. In the days since his May 8 election, Leo has vowed 'every effort' to help bring peace to Ukraine. He also has emphasized his continuity with Pope Francis, who made caring for migrants and the poor a priority of his pontificate. Before his election, Prevost shared news articles on X that were critical of the Trump administration's plans for mass deportations of migrants. Vance was one of the last foreign officials to meet with Francis before the Argentine pope's April 21 death. The two had tangled over migration, with Francis publicly rebuking the Trump administration's deportation plan and correcting Vance's theological justification for it.
The Citizen
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Pope Leo XIV receives US VP Vance
The US Vice President is in The Vatican. This photo taken and handout on May 19, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows US Vice President JD Vance during a private audience with Pope Leo XIV in The Vatican. (Picture: AFP PHOTO / VATICAN MEDIA Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican Monday, Vance's spokesperson said, a day after attending the new US pontiff's inauguration mass. The Vatican released photographs of a smiling Vance meeting the Chicago-born pope, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. © Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
18-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Pope Leo meets Zelenskiy, recalls ‘martyred Ukraine'
This photo taken and handout on May 18, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV during a private audience with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife Olena Zelenska in The Vatican, after the pontiff's inauguration. Handout / Vatican Media/ AFP VATICAN CITY, Holy See — Pope Leo XIV held his first private audience as Catholic leader on Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, after highlighting the hopes for peace for a "martyred Ukraine." Zelenskiy attended the inauguration mass on Sunday morning of Leo, the first pope from the United States, where he also shook hands with US Vice President JD Vance. The politicians were among hundreds of dignitaries and an estimated 200,000 members of the public who attended the ceremony in St Peter's Square, 10 days after Leo became the first US head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. "The martyred Ukraine is waiting for negotiations for a just and lasting peace to finally happen," the 69-year-old pope said in a prayer after the mass. Zelenskiy lined up to shake hands with Pope Leo afterwards, and then he and his wife joined the pontiff for a private audience. In a video published by the Vatican, the soft-spoken Leo told the Ukrainian leader: "Nice to see you again." When they were all seated, he apologized for making the couple wait. As is customary, they also exchanged gifts. Leo only had two private audiences on Sunday. The other was with President Dina Boluarte of Peru, a country where the pontiff worked as a missionary for two decades and of which he also has citizenship. Special words Earlier, in his homily, Leo said he wanted the Church to be a "leaven for a reconciled world," calling for peace. In response, Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram: "We are grateful for the special words spoken today at the solemn mass about the need for a just peace and for the attention given to Ukraine and our people. "Every nation deserves to live in peace and security." He offered his congratulations to the pope "on the beginning of such a special mission." "May the prayers for a just peace and a dignified life for all people be heard," he said. The late Pope Francis met Zelenskiy several times and repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine, even appointing a special envoy who visited Kyiv and Moscow. But many Ukrainians remember him bitterly for failing to clearly blame Russia for its invasion and calling for Ukraine to raise the "white flag." Moscow and Kyiv held their first direct talks in more than three years this week but did not agree to a truce. In his Regina Coeli prayer at the end of the mass, Leo also noted: "In Gaza, children, families and elderly survivors are reduced to hunger." And he recalled how "in Myanmar, new hostilities have destroyed innocent young lives." — Agence France-Presse
Toronto Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Avid tennis fan Pope Leo meets with No. 1 Jannik Sinner
Published May 14, 2025 • Last updated 4 minutes ago • 2 minute read This photo taken and handout on May 14, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV during a private audience with Italy's tennis player Jannik Sinner, in The Vatican. Photo by HANDOUT / AFP VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has made peace with Jannik Sinner. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope on Wednesday, gave him a tennis racket and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open. Leo, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player and fan and had said earlier this week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist. But at the time, Leo joked 'we can't invite Sinner,' an apparent reference to the English meaning of Sinner's last name. By Wednesday, all seemed forgotten. 'It's an honour,' Sinner said in Italian as he and his parents arrived in a reception room of the Vatican's auditorium. Holding one of his rackets and giving Leo another and a ball, Sinner suggested a quick volley. But the pope looked at the antiques around and said, 'Better not.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, then appeared to joke about his white cassock and its appropriateness for Wimbledon, noting the All England Club's all-white clothing rule. He asked how the Italian Open was going. 'Now I'm in the game,' Sinner said. 'At the beginning of the tournament, it was a bit difficult.' The top-ranked player has a quarterfinal match on Thursday in his first tournament back after a three-month ban for doping that was judged to be an accidental contamination. Sinner will next face either freshly-crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud or Jaume Munar. Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976. During the audience, Angelo Binaghi, the head of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, gave Leo an honorary federation card. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We all felt the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport and this filled us with pride,' Binaghi said in a statement. 'We hope to embrace the Holy Father again soon, maybe on a tennis court.' The pope and Sinner posed for photos in front of the Davis Cup trophy that Sinner helped Italy win for the second consecutive time last year. Also on display in the room was the Billie Jean King Cup trophy won by Italy in 2024, the biggest women's team event in tennis. Earlier in the week, after Leo's first quip about not wanting to invite him, Sinner said it was 'a good thing for us tennis players' that the new pope likes to play the sport. In addition to tennis, Leo is an avid Chicago White Sox baseball fan. His predecessor, Pope Francis, was a lifelong fan of Buenos Aires soccer club San Lorenzo. Celebrity Columnists Sunshine Girls NHL Editorials
IOL News
12-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Leo XIV to address faithful with St Peter's prayer
This photo taken and handout on May 9, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows Pope Leo XIV during a mass with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel in The Vatican. Image: Vatican Media/ AFP Pope Leo XIV will lead the Regina Coeli prayer from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on Sunday, in his second official public appearance since becoming the leader of the Catholic Church. The noon prayer is expected to draw thousands of people anxious for a closer look at the modest pontiff, born Robert Francis Prevost, who before becoming the first US pope spent much of his life as a missionary in Peru. Cardinals chose Leo as the 267th pope at a secret conclave Thursday, praying he could heal rifts within the Church, renew faith among the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and address a host of modern-day challenges weighing on the more than 2,000-year-old institution. Addressing cardinals on Saturday, the 69-year-old Leo called himself a "humble servant of God... and nothing more than this", and an "unworthy successor" to St Peter, according to a transcript of his speech released by the Vatican. Tribute to Francis In the first clues as to the direction of his pontificate, he said he would be driven by the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died April 21 aged 88 -- "with his example of complete dedication to service and to sober simplicity of life". On Saturday, Leo prayed before Francis's simple marble tomb inside Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica. The church was a favourite of Francis and the faithful have continued to line up to pay their respects there. Cardinals describe the Chicago-born Leo as in the mold of Francis, with a commitment to the poor and disadvantaged, and a focus on Catholics in far-flung areas of the Church away from Rome. As an Augustinian and former missionary, he also believes the Church is committed to "the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community", as he told Cardinals. Before visiting Francis's tomb, Leo made a surprise outing Saturday to an Augustinian shrine southeast of Rome, the Basilica Sanctuary of the Mother of Good Counsel. Cardinals have described the new pope's personal style as less direct than the sometimes impulsive Francis, a progressive who shook up the Church and often ruffled feathers within the Roman Curia, or government of the Holy See, during his 12-year papacy. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the conservative archbishop of New York, called his fellow countryman "a man of deep faith, rooted in prayer and capable of listening". "This is what gives us hope; not a political programme or a communicative strategy but the concrete testimony of the Gospel," Dolan told the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Soon after being elected Thursday, the soft-spoken Leo's first appearance at the balcony of St Peter's saw him wish peace to "all the people, wherever they are.. to the whole Earth." Now for journalists, diplomats Leo's Regina Coeli prayer to the Virgin Mary, which is recited particularly during Easter, kicks off a busy week of meetings and audiences. On Monday, he will be officially presented to the international media who came to Rome to cover his election. He plans to meet diplomats to the Vatican on Friday and then on Sunday, May 18 he presides over the inaugural mass at St Peter's to mark the beginning of his pontificate. The following week is marked by Leo's first general audience on May 21 -- a normally weekly event by the pope that includes readings from Scripture and a homily for the public. He also plans to meet with members of the Roman Curia and Vatican officials on May 24. In one of his first decisions, Leo has already said the heads of dicasteries, or Vatican departments, will keep their positions for now. Those roles had been suspended between Francis's death and the new pope's election. "The Holy Father wishes to reserve some time for reflection, prayer and dialogue, before any definitive appointment or confirmation," the Vatican said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Meanwhile, the pontiff begins his tours to take possession of Rome's four papal basilicas -- including a visit to Santa Maria Maggiore on May 25, where his predecessor Pope Francis is buried. Francis named Leo a cardinal in 2023 after choosing him to lead the powerful Dicastery of Bishops, which advises the pontiff on bishop appointments. But he has been largely unknown outside the Vatican. He spent approximately two decades in Peru on missions, a central priority of the Augustinian order, taking Peruvian citizenship and learning Spanish -- which he used during his first address from St Peter's Basilica. AFP
