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RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Pope Leo, in first month, makes a break in style from Francis
In his first month, Pope Leo XIV has taken a very different approach to his predecessor Francis. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has led some two dozen public events since he was elected as the first US pope on 8 May but not made notable appointments, nor announced plans for foreign trips, nor said where he will live at the Vatican. It's a stark contrast to when Francis, originally from Argentina, was selected as the first pope from the Americas in March 2013. Within a month, Francis had announced he would be the first pontiff in more than a century to live outside the Vatican's apostolic palace, appointed his successor as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and created a new formal advisory group of senior Catholic cardinals. Two of Leo's long-time associates said they expect the 69-year-old Pope to take a deliberative approach to the challenges facing the Catholic Church and may require months before making major decisions. "Leo is taking his time," Rev Mark Francis, a friend of the new pontiff since the 1970s, said. "While he is going to continue in the path indicated by Pope Francis, his disposition is very different." Leo was first appointed a bishop by Francis in 2015 and then chosen by the late pope to take up a senior Vatican role two years ago. He has frequently praised his predecessor in his first weeks. He has also repeated some of Francis' main themes, and has echoed the Argentine pontiff's emotional appeals for an end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. But the two men have different temperaments, according to Rev Francis, who attended seminary with Leo in Chicago and later knew him when they both lived in Rome in the 2000s. "Leo is much more focused and methodical and not inclined to hasty decisions," he said. Among the challenges facing the American pope is the Vatican's €83 million budget shortfall, which Reuters reported in February had stirred contention among senior cardinals under his predecessor. Other looming issues facing the 1.4 billion-member Church include declining adherence to the faith in Europe, ongoing revelations of clerical sexual abuse, and doctrinal debates over matters such as inclusion of LGBT Catholics and the possibility of women's ordination. Francis, who sought to modernise the Church, did not formally change many doctrines but garnered criticism from conservative cardinals by opening the door to communion for divorcees and blessings for same-sex couples. Rev Anthony Pizzo, who has known Leo since 1974 when they attended Villanova University outside Philadelphia together, said the pope is someone who listens carefully and seeks to hear many viewpoints before making decisions. "This is going to be his modus operandi," said Rev Pizzo, who leads the Midwest US province of the Augustinian religious order, to which Leo also belongs. "When you first come into leadership, listen well, get to know your constituency … to make a well-informed decision," he added, describing the pope's thought process. A 'shy' listener Francis and Leo came to the papacy at different ages and with different career backgrounds. Francis, elected at age 76, had been a cardinal for 12 years before ascending to the papacy. He had earlier been a leading contender in the 2005 conclave that elected his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Leo, seven years younger when he donned the white papal cassock, is a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal and Vatican official two years ago. He spent most of his prior career as a missionary in Peru. Early in his tenure, Francis told journalists that, due to his age, he expected to have a brief papacy of only a few years. Leo, the youngest pontiff since John Paul II was elected at age 58 in 1978, can perhaps expect a papacy of ten or more years. Among the challenges facing the new pope is the Vatican budget shortfall and the city-state also has a much larger gap in its pension fund, said to total some €631m by the Vatican's finance czar in 2022 but estimated by several insiders to have since ballooned significantly. In his first weeks, Leo has not addressed the budget issues and has made only a few new appointments to Vatican roles. But he has held formal one-on-one meetings with many senior Vatican officials, which Rev Pizzo suggested the pope could be using to try to learn quickly. Rev Jorge Martinez Vizueta, who knew Leo in Peru, said he is someone who pays close attention to what people tell him. "He listens a lot, even with a certain shyness," said Rev Martinez, an Augustinian at a monastery where Leo previously was a spiritual advisor. Although Leo has not announced where he will live, more than three informed sources said he is expected to move into the official papal apartments in the Vatican's apostolic palace overlooking St Peter's Square. Francis shunned the palace in favour of a Vatican hotel. One senior source, who asked not to be identified, said the papal apartments, which have not been lived in since 2013, will require at least two to three months of renovations. Careful with responses While Francis made some big decisions quickly in his first month, he also took time on other issues. He did not make his first trip abroad until late July 2013, four months into his papacy. Leo's first foreign trip is likely to be to Turkey, to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of an early Church council with Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Vatican has not announced the trip, but it was previously planned for Francis. Bartholomew told an Italian television station that he and Leo discussed the possibility of the new pope travelling to Turkey in late November. Francis, who often spoke off the cuff, was known for giving freewheeling news conferences on flights home from his trips abroad and frequently responded to queries with an unexpected quip. Asked during his first flight home about a Vatican official said to be gay, Francis famously responded: "If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?" Rev Francis said Leo, who in his first month has largely read from prepared texts, is likely to be more careful with his responses during news conferences. "He won't be shooting from the hip like Francis did while speaking with journalists," he said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gun crimes on Ocean Boulevard spark concerns ahead of Carolina Country Music Fest in Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Myrtle Beach residents and visitors have mixed feelings about their safety heading into the Carolina Country Music Festival after recent gun violence on Ocean Boulevard. The latest incident happened Saturday afternoon and left one person with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Myrtle Beach police said. Terrell Moore, 44, of Myrtle Beach, was arrested Sunday in connection with the shooting, which happened in the area of 14th Avenue South and Ocean Boulevard. Myrtle Beach road closures announced ahead of Carolina Country Music Fest Moore was being charged with one count of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and one count of possession of a weapon during a violent crime and booked in the Myrtle Beach Jail on a $105,000 surety bond, according to online jail records. CCMF officials said more than 30,000 people attended the festival each night in 2024. However, this year, with recent gun violence in Myrtle Beach, some people are changing their plans. 'My son came last year and went with his wife,' resident Larry Paige said. 'This year, they sold their tickets. In fact, they sold them about a week ago. I think it was more about the crimes and the shooting. We shouldn't be dealing with that.' Saturday's Ocean Boulevard shooting is the third gun-related crime in the city of Myrtle Beach in a little more than a month. Two people were charged on May 22 after shooting at officers and crashing a stolen vehicle, police said. Officers chased them along Highway 17 Bypass. On April 26, police said Officer Brandon O'Rourke shot and killed 18-year-old Jerrius Davis of Bennettsville after Davis shot into a crowd on Ocean Boulevard. At least 11 people were injured. News13 spoke to another resident who said the recent crimes should not keep people from going to CCMF. 'My son's going,' Kelly Hubbard said. 'He went last year. It's the same as usual.' Another Myrtle Beach visitor said if he had tickets to the festival, he would think twice about going because of the gun-related incidents. However, he said those crimes will not stop him from visiting the city. 'We come here every year, around this week,' Joe DeMarco said. 'We've never had a problem, never felt unsafe. Unfortunately, I think these things kind of go on everywhere.' Hubbard said the city and Ocean Boulevard are safe, but people should be mindful of how late they are staying out. 'If you're coming late at night, in the hours that you wouldn't go anywhere, you're not going to feel safe,' she said. 'It depends on what you're doing. Just use your own judgment.' News13 reached out to Myrtle Beach police for a report on Saturday's shooting and to CCMF officials for a statement, but we have not heard back from either. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Louisville signs former Packers VP Andrew Brandt as advisor for athletic department
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville has signed Andrew Brandt, a former vice president of the NFL's Green Bay Packers, to be an advisor as the Cardinals' athletic department manages college sports' changing landscape, including revenue sharing and name, image and likeness pay. The Cardinals announced the move Thursday. Brandt currently is the executive director of the Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova University and has written for Sports Illustrated and has a podcast on The Business of Sports. Brandt also has been an agent representing NFL and NBA athletes.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vatican silent on Russia-Ukraine talks, leaving prospects uncertain
By Joshua McElwee VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo XIV may have offered to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks at the Vatican, but neither the pope nor senior Vatican officials have spoken publicly about the possibility, leaving prospects for such talks uncertain. The Vatican has made no public statement on the issue since U.S. President Donald Trump first suggested the idea of Vatican-hosted talks to end the three-year conflict after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that Leo had confirmed his willingness to host talks during a phone call that day, but the Vatican press office declined to comment on the call or give information about what the pope had said. Leo, elected to replace the late Pope Francis on May 8, held his first weekly audience on St. Peter's Square on Wednesday. He made a firm appeal for humanitarian assistance in Gaza but made no mention of Ukraine. Massimo Faggioli, an Italian academic who follows the Vatican closely, suggested the Vatican is wary of allowing a time of transition from one pope to the next of becoming politicised. "It's interesting to note that with a papal transition still in progress … different heads of government, Italy included, are trying to pressure the Vatican to become involved in peace talks that have gone nowhere in the last three years," said Faggioli, a professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Vatican officials were reticent to offer any insight into how they were considering possible Russia-Ukraine negotiations. One official, speaking anonymously without authorisation, said the Vatican has a general policy of being open to hosting negotiations to end any global conflict, but is careful about seeming too eager to step forward, so as not to be considered biased toward one of the belligerents. VATICAN OFTEN OPERATES BEHIND THE SCENES Leo said the Vatican could act as a mediator in global conflicts in a May 14 speech, without specifically mentioning Ukraine or Russia. Two days later, the Vatican's top diplomatic official said the pope had highlighted the Vatican's "availability" to host talks, including between Russia and Ukraine. "We have always said, we have always repeated to the two parties – we are available, if you want to meet, the Holy See, the Vatican could be a good place, with all the necessary discretion," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State. The Vatican, which maintains embassies in many world capitals, often plays a role as a mediator in conflicts, but usually prefers to avoid press coverage and operates behind the scenes. It does, however, sometimes host more direct negotiations. In 2019, Francis invited rival leaders in South Sudan to the Vatican for a summit to push for an end to a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. The 24-hour summit was focused on allowing the two leaders, both Christians, to take a spiritual retreat together. At the end of the gathering, Francis made a dramatic gesture, kneeling to kiss the feet of the two leaders and pleading with them not to return to war.
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Vatican silent on Russia-Ukraine talks, leaving prospects uncertain
VATICAN CITY - Pope Leo XIV may have offered to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks at the Vatican, but neither the pope nor senior Vatican officials have spoken publicly about the possibility, leaving prospects for such talks uncertain. The Vatican has made no public statement on the issue since U.S. President Donald Trump first suggested the idea of Vatican-hosted talks to end the three-year conflict after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that Leo had confirmed his willingness to host talks during a phone call that day, but the Vatican press office declined to comment on the call or give information about what the pope had said. Leo, elected to replace the late Pope Francis on May 8, held his first weekly audience on St. Peter's Square on Wednesday. He made a firm appeal for humanitarian assistance in Gaza but made no mention of Ukraine. Massimo Faggioli, an Italian academic who follows the Vatican closely, suggested the Vatican is wary of allowing a time of transition from one pope to the next of becoming politicised. "It's interesting to note that with a papal transition still in progress … different heads of government, Italy included, are trying to pressure the Vatican to become involved in peace talks that have gone nowhere in the last three years," said Faggioli, a professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Vatican officials were reticent to offer any insight into how they were considering possible Russia-Ukraine negotiations. One official, speaking anonymously without authorisation, said the Vatican has a general policy of being open to hosting negotiations to end any global conflict, but is careful about seeming too eager to step forward, so as not to be considered biased toward one of the belligerents. VATICAN OFTEN OPERATES BEHIND THE SCENES Leo said the Vatican could act as a mediator in global conflicts in a May 14 speech, without specifically mentioning Ukraine or Russia. Two days later, the Vatican's top diplomatic official said the pope had highlighted the Vatican's "availability" to host talks, including between Russia and Ukraine. "We have always said, we have always repeated to the two parties – we are available, if you want to meet, the Holy See, the Vatican could be a good place, with all the necessary discretion," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State. The Vatican, which maintains embassies in many world capitals, often plays a role as a mediator in conflicts, but usually prefers to avoid press coverage and operates behind the scenes. It does, however, sometimes host more direct negotiations. In 2019, Francis invited rival leaders in South Sudan to the Vatican for a summit to push for an end to a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people. The 24-hour summit was focused on allowing the two leaders, both Christians, to take a spiritual retreat together. At the end of the gathering, Francis made a dramatic gesture, kneeling to kiss the feet of the two leaders and pleading with them not to return to war. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
