Postcards: Hallelujah! A day to celebrate the Pope’s release from the hospital – and his beloved gelato
GIADA ZAMPANO, of Associated Press, reports on the launch of a new gelato flavour to celebrate the Catholic Church’s holy year…
Italian prisoners pray for Pope Francis, a longstanding advocate for the incarcerated
Vatican City RNS As Pope Francis remains hospitalised at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italian prisoners are praying for his recovery, Catholic chaplains said, noting the Pope’s longtime focus on addressing the needs of incarcerated people. Rev Raffaele Grimaldi, inspector general of chaplains in Italian prisons, told a small group of Vatican reporters on Friday […]
France, Germany, Italy and UK back Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction
Rome, Italy Reuters The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain said on Saturday they supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $US53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians from the enclave. “The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift […]
Significant Sights: The Pantheon – inside the monument to Rome’s legacy and Christian transformation
CLEMENTE LISI, in an article first published on Religion Unplugged, looks at the complicated history of Rome’s Pantheon…
Car drives into crowd in German city of Mannheim, killing two
Mannheim, Germany Reuters A car drove into a crowd in the western German city of Mannheim on Monday, killing at least two people and seriously injuring several others, overshadowing carnival celebrations in the region where police had been on alert for attacks. Police detained the car’s driver and later said he had acted alone, with […]
European leaders show support for Zelenskiy after Trump clash
Brussels, Belgium Reuters European leaders lined up to show solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, after he came under attack from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in a stunning White House confrontation. Within a short time, prime ministers and presidents from the north, south, east and west of the […]
Rare frescoes unearthed in Pompeii shed light on ancient rituals
Rome, Italy Reuters Archaeologists in Pompeii have uncovered rare, nearly life-sized frescoes that offer fresh insight into religious practices in the ancient city before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the site said on Wednesday. The discovery features a large-scale frieze that spans three walls of a banquet hall, presenting vivid imagery […]
In first for Italy, Tuscany approves right-to-die law
Florence, Italy Reuters Tuscany approved on Tuesday a right-to-die law, becoming the first region in Roman Catholic Italy to regulate assisted suicide in the absence of national legislation on a highly controversial topic. Italy’s constitutional court de-facto legalised the procedure in 2019, and urged parliament to pass a law to provide a clear legal framework. […]
Snapshot: Portofino, Italy
See KRISTĪNE ZĀLE’s image…
Victims of Libyan war crimes suspect express dismay, fear after Italy frees him
Rome, Italy Reuters Migrants expressed their dismay and sense of betrayal on Wednesday over Italy’s decision last week to release a Libyan policeman wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and human rights abuses and allow him to return home. One of the migrants said he still had nightmares every night because […]