Struggling Aussies turn to Coles and Woolworths, Albanese leads Pope Francis tributes, 12-year-old girl dies riding e-scooter
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live news blog this Tuesday. Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led tributes for the leader of the Catholic Church, saying he was "close to the people of Australia".
Struggling Aussies are turning to Coles and Woolworths for financial relief, new data shows. More and more shoppers are ditching trusted brands for cheaper own brand alternatives.
A 12-year-old girl has died while riding an e-scooter. Police believe she fell into the road before colliding with a passing car.
Labor continues to dodge questions on whether Russia did in fact request to base military aircraft in Indonesia. Defence Minister Richard Marles refused to declare if the Albanese government has been informed of such a development after the prime minister did the same earlier on Monday.
Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day.
While Coles and Woolworths have copped a lot of criticism in recent years amid cost-of-living struggles, more and more Aussies are turning to the supermarkets' own brands to get through financial difficulties.
New research from SAP Emarsys says 60 per cent of shoppers have switched to more affordable own brands, while 55 per cent of shoppers believe the quality of those items are comparable to branded ones.
'Aussie consumers aren't just becoming less loyal to brands - they're ignoring them entirely.' SAP Emarsys CMO Sara Richter said.
A 63-year-old man has a court date after cops say they pulled him over riding a lawnmower along a main road while clinging to a takeaway meal.
Police in Taree on NSW's Mid North Coast allege the lawnmower did not have licence plates and that the man did not have a licence. NSW Police allege he hasn't had one since 1986.
It comes after an Easter Weekend where three people lost their lives on the state's roads, and while Acting Police Minister Tara Moriarty said most drivers stuck to the rules, a small number were responsible for "preventable tragedies".
Over the long weekend, police said 4,892 were caught speeding, while 802 people failed drug-driving tests.
Take a look now at these striking images in the video below, showing a remarkable influx of ladybirds in SA's southeast.
One photo even shows the insects clinging to the back of a man's shirt. Local photographer Darren Archibald told the ABC parts of the ground are "covered" in ladybugs. Drought and cooler conditions have led to the surge in numbers.
The first votes in the May 3 federal election will be cast from Tuesday, as campaigning is overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis.
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are still expected to front the third leaders' debate on Tuesday night, but the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader have cancelled planned events for Tuesday.
The Opposition Leader has said 'today's not the day for big politicking'.
Mr Dutton says he will spend the day 'reflecting' instead of engaging in 'overt politicking' on Tuesday, out of respect for Pope Francis.
He is expected to attend a church service, while Mr Albanese attended mass at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral early on Tuesday.
- NCA NewsWire
It's been 12 years since Pope Francis became the head of the Catholic Church so you may need a reminder of how a new leader is elected.
Nine days of official mourning will now take place following Pope Francis' death, a period when his funeral will take place. Two to three weeks after the funeral, a conclave will take place.
Cardinals and Vatican officials chosen by the pope will gather in Vatican City to vote on who will be the next pope.
"The cardinals vote by secret ballot, processing one by one up to Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded ballot in a large chalice," the US Conference of Catholic Bishops explains.
"The result of each ballot [is] counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. If no one receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke."
This process repeats until a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote. At this point, white smoke will rise from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, indicating to the wider world that the cardinals have elected a new pope.
Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until someone receives this vote share.
Pope Francis's election in 2013 was confirmed on the second day, after five ballots.
A man has been charged with the murder of beloved 19-year-old Audrey Griffin a month after her remains were discovered in a NSW Central Coast creek.
The body of the teenager was found partially submerged in the Erina Creek near The Entrance Rd, Erina, on the Central Coast at about 3.45pm on Monday, March 24.
She had been reported missing only a few hours earlier, with her friends last seeing the 19-year-old at about 2am on a night out at the Gosford Hotel.
Initial inquiries led police to believe the death wasn't suspicious.
However after further investigation, police arrested a 53-year-old man in Surry Hills at about 12.20pm on Monday.
He has been charged with murder and 11 other unrelated domestic violence matters.
Police will allege the man had a physical altercation with the teenager.
He was refused bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
Ms Griffin's death rocked the local community, who remembered her as a 'beautiful girl' who was 'treasured by a lot of people'.
'She touched the hearts of so many people and always had a smile,' a friend penned on social media.
- NCA NewsWire
It's the simple question Labor is refusing to answer.
Did Russia make a request to position military aircraft in Indonesia?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeatedly dodged that question on Monday morning and now Defence Minister Richard Marles has followed his lead, saying he wouldn't "get into it".
It is of course the possibility that Labor doesn't actually know the answer to that question but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says if that's the case, it should just simply be said.
Marles argued however it was not Labor's position to be declaring such information.
"What we know about that is not something I'm going to ventilate in the public domain, nor am I going to comment on it," he told Sky News.
'What matters is the assurance that Indonesia has provided to us, which they did, with great speed when we reached out and that was to assure us that there was no prospect of Russian aircraft operating from their soil.'
High school student Summah Richards has been remembered for having a smile that could light up a room.
Summah, 12, was riding her e-scooter in the quiet town of Laidley in rural Queensland before a tragic collision took her life about 3pm on Saturday.
According to police, initial investigations indicated that both vehicles were travelling south on Vaux Street and around 3pm the rider of the scooter fell into the path of a grey Holden Barina on Vaux Street.
Police said Summah was declared dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Holden Barina were not injured. Investigations are ongoing.
Stacey Ardrey, the best friend of Summah's mother, has remembered Summah as 'a remarkable young girl with such a vibrant spirit'.
Read more from NCA NewsWire here.
Pope Francis has been remembered as a leader who was determined to be with the people until the end as millions of Australian Catholics mourn the pontiff's passing.
The 88-year-old's death on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic leader.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Perth archbishop Tim Costelloe reflected on images taken just hours before the Pope's death, when Francis made a public appearance at St Peter's Square.
"Even though he was so sick, and so weak, he was determined to be with his people," Archbishop Costelloe told ABC Radio National on Tuesday.
"And I think being with his people, being present to his people, was probably the great gift that he brought to the church and to the world."
Many mourners attended early masses at local cathedrals following the Pope's passing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is Catholic, said the major party leaders had agreed to dial back election campaigning on Tuesday as a sign of respect.
He attended mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne on a rainy Tuesday morning, when he was greeted by the cathedral's dean, Monsignor Stuart Hall.
The Pope's death could also prove a turning point in Australia's relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation's sole cardinal in December.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a "pope of peace" and a man of simple piety.
Read more here.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
While Coles and Woolworths have copped a lot of criticism in recent years amid cost-of-living struggles, more and more Aussies are turning to the supermarkets' own brands to get through financial difficulties.
New research from SAP Emarsys says 60 per cent of shoppers have switched to more affordable own brands, while 55 per cent of shoppers believe the quality of those items are comparable to branded ones.
'Aussie consumers aren't just becoming less loyal to brands - they're ignoring them entirely.' SAP Emarsys CMO Sara Richter said.
A 63-year-old man has a court date after cops say they pulled him over riding a lawnmower along a main road while clinging to a takeaway meal.
Police in Taree on NSW's Mid North Coast allege the lawnmower did not have licence plates and that the man did not have a licence. NSW Police allege he hasn't had one since 1986.
It comes after an Easter Weekend where three people lost their lives on the state's roads, and while Acting Police Minister Tara Moriarty said most drivers stuck to the rules, a small number were responsible for "preventable tragedies".
Over the long weekend, police said 4,892 were caught speeding, while 802 people failed drug-driving tests.
Take a look now at these striking images in the video below, showing a remarkable influx of ladybirds in SA's southeast.
One photo even shows the insects clinging to the back of a man's shirt. Local photographer Darren Archibald told the ABC parts of the ground are "covered" in ladybugs. Drought and cooler conditions have led to the surge in numbers.
The first votes in the May 3 federal election will be cast from Tuesday, as campaigning is overshadowed by the death of Pope Francis.
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton are still expected to front the third leaders' debate on Tuesday night, but the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader have cancelled planned events for Tuesday.
The Opposition Leader has said 'today's not the day for big politicking'.
Mr Dutton says he will spend the day 'reflecting' instead of engaging in 'overt politicking' on Tuesday, out of respect for Pope Francis.
He is expected to attend a church service, while Mr Albanese attended mass at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral early on Tuesday.
- NCA NewsWire
It's been 12 years since Pope Francis became the head of the Catholic Church so you may need a reminder of how a new leader is elected.
Nine days of official mourning will now take place following Pope Francis' death, a period when his funeral will take place. Two to three weeks after the funeral, a conclave will take place.
Cardinals and Vatican officials chosen by the pope will gather in Vatican City to vote on who will be the next pope.
"The cardinals vote by secret ballot, processing one by one up to Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded ballot in a large chalice," the US Conference of Catholic Bishops explains.
"The result of each ballot [is] counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. If no one receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke."
This process repeats until a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote. At this point, white smoke will rise from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, indicating to the wider world that the cardinals have elected a new pope.
Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until someone receives this vote share.
Pope Francis's election in 2013 was confirmed on the second day, after five ballots.
A man has been charged with the murder of beloved 19-year-old Audrey Griffin a month after her remains were discovered in a NSW Central Coast creek.
The body of the teenager was found partially submerged in the Erina Creek near The Entrance Rd, Erina, on the Central Coast at about 3.45pm on Monday, March 24.
She had been reported missing only a few hours earlier, with her friends last seeing the 19-year-old at about 2am on a night out at the Gosford Hotel.
Initial inquiries led police to believe the death wasn't suspicious.
However after further investigation, police arrested a 53-year-old man in Surry Hills at about 12.20pm on Monday.
He has been charged with murder and 11 other unrelated domestic violence matters.
Police will allege the man had a physical altercation with the teenager.
He was refused bail and is due to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
Ms Griffin's death rocked the local community, who remembered her as a 'beautiful girl' who was 'treasured by a lot of people'.
'She touched the hearts of so many people and always had a smile,' a friend penned on social media.
- NCA NewsWire
It's the simple question Labor is refusing to answer.
Did Russia make a request to position military aircraft in Indonesia?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese repeatedly dodged that question on Monday morning and now Defence Minister Richard Marles has followed his lead, saying he wouldn't "get into it".
It is of course the possibility that Labor doesn't actually know the answer to that question but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says if that's the case, it should just simply be said.
Marles argued however it was not Labor's position to be declaring such information.
"What we know about that is not something I'm going to ventilate in the public domain, nor am I going to comment on it," he told Sky News.
'What matters is the assurance that Indonesia has provided to us, which they did, with great speed when we reached out and that was to assure us that there was no prospect of Russian aircraft operating from their soil.'
High school student Summah Richards has been remembered for having a smile that could light up a room.
Summah, 12, was riding her e-scooter in the quiet town of Laidley in rural Queensland before a tragic collision took her life about 3pm on Saturday.
According to police, initial investigations indicated that both vehicles were travelling south on Vaux Street and around 3pm the rider of the scooter fell into the path of a grey Holden Barina on Vaux Street.
Police said Summah was declared dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the Holden Barina were not injured. Investigations are ongoing.
Stacey Ardrey, the best friend of Summah's mother, has remembered Summah as 'a remarkable young girl with such a vibrant spirit'.
Read more from NCA NewsWire here.
Pope Francis has been remembered as a leader who was determined to be with the people until the end as millions of Australian Catholics mourn the pontiff's passing.
The 88-year-old's death on Monday after a recent serious battle with double pneumonia was marked by tolling church bells and preparations for scores of memorial masses for the Catholic leader.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Perth archbishop Tim Costelloe reflected on images taken just hours before the Pope's death, when Francis made a public appearance at St Peter's Square.
"Even though he was so sick, and so weak, he was determined to be with his people," Archbishop Costelloe told ABC Radio National on Tuesday.
"And I think being with his people, being present to his people, was probably the great gift that he brought to the church and to the world."
Many mourners attended early masses at local cathedrals following the Pope's passing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is Catholic, said the major party leaders had agreed to dial back election campaigning on Tuesday as a sign of respect.
He attended mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne on a rainy Tuesday morning, when he was greeted by the cathedral's dean, Monsignor Stuart Hall.
The Pope's death could also prove a turning point in Australia's relationship with the Vatican after Francis overlooked local archbishops when selecting the nation's sole cardinal in December.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok said he was filled with sadness for the loss of a "pope of peace" and a man of simple piety.
Read more here.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
US Catholic school fires teacher after husband's obituary reveals his marriage to a man
A longtime music teacher at a Catholic school in the New Orleans area recently lost his job when it was revealed to an evidently 'disgruntled' parent that he was another man's widower, igniting a scandal within an archdiocese that has otherwise largely been occupied with trying to reorganize its finances in federal bankruptcy court after its clergymen spent decades sexually molesting children. In an email to community members at the archdiocese-run school from which he was dismissed, Mark Richards explained that he had been fired because a parent notified officials about an obituary for his husband, who died of a heart attack in September 2023. Richards' email alluded to how his employment contract at St Francis Xavier school in Metairie, Louisiana, contained a morality clause prohibiting educators from 'contracting a marriage in violation of the rules of the Catholic church' and 'actively engaging in homosexual activity', along with other conduct that the document maintains is inconsistent with the teachings of the religion that does not recognize same-sex matrimony. Related: US supreme court rules schools must let kids opt out of LGBTQ+ book readings He wrote that he signed the annually renewable contract and morality clause – which is required of all the archdiocese's teachers but historically has been far from universally enforced – with 'a wink and a nudge since it was no big secret that I am gay'. The St Francis Xavier community was comfortable enough with his marriage to his husband, John Messinger, that 'everyone at the school was very sympathetic and supportive' after his death. But that changed when the parent who alerted local church officials to Messinger's obituary – which listed Richards as his husband – complained. He said he was fired on 25 June as music teacher and band director at St Francis after 21 years at the school, 'and the reason for this termination is that I am a gay man'. 'I have not been in violation of the morality clause for the last two years, and no one can find any incident of my acting inappropriately with anyone – let alone a student,' added Richards, who met Messinger two years before he started working at St Francis and then married him in 2014. Nonetheless, Richards said, all that his superiors would tell him was 'you're fired' after a parent – whose identity was shielded and whom the teacher presumed to be 'disgruntled' – reported discovering his being mentioned in Messinger's obituary. As the New Orleans NBC affiliate WDSU reported on Friday, Richards' email garnered him sympathy from many parents at the school which ousted him. A parent-organized petition supporting Richards, calling his firing 'unjust' and exalting him as 'a beacon of kindness and understanding in [students'] lives', had collected about 1,500 signatures, the station and the Louisiana news outlet each noted. One mother, Katheryn Lee, told WDSU: 'I would like to see the morality clause change.' 'I would like the line regarding homosexuality in the morality clause that educators sign to be removed,' Lee said. 'Your identity is not your morality. I hope we have a voice in this.' A father named Rick English told the station he believed the morality clause at the center of Richards' dismissal is 'a violation of human rights' that needed to be reviewed. 'To me, it's a social injustice at this point,' he remarked. Both and WDSU reported that school administrators sent an email to the St Francis community confirming it had not renewed Richards' employment contract while claiming, too, that he had not provided 'a fully accurate description of the employment situation'. But administrators said they could not elaborate, making a reference to unspecified legal considerations. 'This decision is final and will not be revisited,' school officials' email also said, in part. 'We strive to always make decisions that uphold the teachings of the Catholic faith that are in the best interest of our school.' Richards, meanwhile, had written to St Francis parents: 'Teaching your children has been one of the joys of my life, and I treasure the memories.' Still, as he put it to WDSU, Richards felt betrayed by those who opted to fire him. 'It's just a stab in the back,' Richards reportedly said. 'It's just time for this to stop. The rest of the free world does not think homosexuality is a big deal.' St Francis is one of numerous archdiocese of New Orleans affiliates that are being counted on to contribute to what is expected to be a nine-figure settlement resolving a bankruptcy protection case filed by archdiocesan leaders in 2020. Those officials made that chapter 11 bankruptcy filing mainly in an attempt to dispense with hundreds of clergy molestation claims dating back decades as affordably as possible. As of Sunday, the most recent settlement offer was for the archdiocese, its affiliates and its insurers to pay between $180m and $230m to about 600 abuse survivors. But attorneys representing hundreds of those survivors oppose that deal, saying it is far less than the $323m settlement approved in late 2024 in a similar case pitting about 600 clergy abuse claimants against the archdiocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York. Any proposed settlement would need support from two-thirds of survivors who vote on it for it to gain approval.
Chicago Tribune
6 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Pope Leo XIV marks feast day as Vatican launches campaign to help erase its $57-68 million deficit
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday celebrated a special feast day traditionally used by the Catholic Church to drum up donations from the faithful, with the Vatican under the first American pope rolling out a new campaign to urge ordinary Catholics to help bail out the deficit-ridden Holy See. Leo celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, marking the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and thanked donors who have contributed, using the language of the publicity campaign to say their financial support was a sign of union with his young pontificate. In churches around the world, Masses on the July 29 feast day often include a special collection for Peter's Pence, a fund which both underwrites the operations of the central government of the Catholic Church and pays for the pope's personal acts of charity. Pope Leo XIV: What to know about Chicago-born Robert PrevostWith a promotional video, poster, QR code and website soliciting donations via credit card, PayPal, bank transfer and post office transfer, the Vatican is betting this year that an American-style fundraising pitch under the Chicago-born Leo will do more to help keep the Holy See bureaucracy afloat and erase its 50 million to 60 million euro ($57-68 million) structural deficit. The video features footage of Leo's emotional first moments as pope, when he stepped out onto the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and later choked up as he received the fisherman's ring of the papacy. With an evocative soundtrack in the background, the video superimposes a message, available in several languages, urging donations to Leo via the Peter's Pence collection. 'With your donation to Peter's Pence, you support the steps of the Holy Father,' it says. 'Help him proclaim the Gospel to the world and extend a hand to our brothers and sisters in need. Support the steps of Pope Leo XIV. Donate to Peter's Pence.' At the end of his noon blessing Sunday, Leo used the same language about his first steps to say the Peter's Pence fund is 'a sign of communion with the pope and participation with his Apostolic Ministry.' 'From the heart, I thank those who with their gifts are supporting my first steps as the successor of St. Peter,' he said. The fund has been the source of scandal in recent years, amid revelations that the Vatican's secretariat of state mismanaged its holdings through bad investments, incompetent management and waste. The recent trial over the Vatican's bungled investment in a London property confirmed that the vast majority of Peter's Pence contributions had funded the Holy See's budgetary shortfalls, not papal charity initiatives as many parishioners had been led to believe. Between the revelations and the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed churches and canceled out the traditional pass-the-basket collection on June 29, Peter's Pence donations fell to 43.5 million euros in 2022 — a low not seen since 1986 — that was nevertheless offset the same year by other investment income and revenue to the fund. Donations rose to 48.4 million euros (about $56.7 million) in 2023 and hit 54.3 million euros (nearly $63.6 million) last year, according to the Peter's Pence annual report issued last week. But the fund incurred expenses of 75.4 million euros ($88.3 million) in 2024, continuing the trend in which the fund is exhausting itself as it covers the Holy See's budgetary shortfalls. On top of the budget deficit, the Vatican is also facing a 1 billion euro (about $1.17 billion) shortfall in its pension fund that Pope Francis, in the months before he died, warned was unable in the medium term to fulfill its obligations. Unlike countries, the Holy See doesn't issue bonds or impose income tax on its residents to run its operations, relying instead on donations, investments and revenue generated by the Vatican Museums, and sales of stamps, coins, publications and other initiatives. For years, the United States has been the greatest source of donations to Peter's Pence, with U.S. Catholics contributing around a quarter of the total each year. Vatican officials are hoping that under Leo's pontificate, with new financial controls in place and an American math major running the Holy See, donors will be reassured that their money won't be misspent or mismanaged. 'This is a concrete way to support the Holy Father in his mission of service to the universal Church,' the Vatican's economy ministry said in a press release last week announcing the annual collection and new promotional materials surrounding it. 'Peter's Pence is a gesture of communion and participation in the Pope's mission to proclaim the Gospel, promote peace, and spread Christian charity.'
9 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV marks feast day as Vatican launches campaign to help erase its $57-68 million deficit
ROME -- Pope Leo XIV on Sunday celebrated a special feast day traditionally used by the Catholic Church to drum up donations from the faithful, with the Vatican under the first American pope rolling out a new campaign to urge ordinary Catholics to help bail out the deficit-ridden Holy See. Leo celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, marking the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and repeated his message calling for unity and communion among all Christians. In churches around the world, Masses on the July 29 feast day often include a special collection for Peter's Pence, a fund which both underwrites the operations of the central government of the Catholic Church and pays for the pope's personal acts of charity. With a promotional video, poster, QR code and website soliciting donations via credit card, PayPal, bank transfer and post office transfer, the Vatican is betting this year that an American-style fundraising pitch under the Chicago-born Leo will help keep the Holy See bureaucracy afloat and erase its 50 million to 60 million euro ($57-68 million) structural deficit. The video features footage of Leo's emotional first moments as pope, when he stepped out onto the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and later choked up as he received the fisherman's ring of the papacy. With an evocative soundtrack in the background, the video superimposes a message, available in several languages, urging donations to Leo via the Peter's Pence collection. 'With your donation to Peter's Pence, you support the steps of the Holy Father,' it says. 'Help him proclaim the Gospel to the world and extend a hand to our brothers and sisters in need. Support the steps of Pope Leo XIV. Donate to Peter's Pence.' The fund has been the source of scandal in recent years, amid revelations that the Vatican's secretariat of state mismanaged its holdings through bad investments, incompetent management and waste. The recent trial over the Vatican's bungled investment in a London property confirmed that the vast majority of Peter's Pence contributions had funded the Holy See's budgetary shortfalls, not papal charity initiatives as many parishioners had been led to believe. Between the revelations and the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed churches and canceled out the traditional pass-the-basket collection on June 29, Peter's Pence donations fell to 43.5 million euros in 2022 — a low not seen since 1986 — that was nevertheless offset the same year by other investment income and revenue to the fund. Donations rose to 48.4 million euros (about $56.7 million) in 2023 and hit 54.3 million euros (nearly $63.6 million) last year, according to the Peter's Pence annual report issued last week. But the fund incurred expenses of 75.4 million euros ($88.3 million) in 2024, continuing the trend in which the fund is exhausting itself as it covers the Holy See's budgetary shortfalls. On top of the budget deficit, the Vatican is also facing a 1 billion euro (about $1.17 billion) shortfall in its pension fund that Pope Francis, in the months before he died, warned was unable in the medium term to fulfill its obligations. Unlike countries, the Holy See doesn't issue bonds or impose income tax on its residents to run its operations, relying instead on donations, investments and revenue generated by the Vatican Museums, and sales of stamps, coins, publications and other initiatives. For years, the United States has been the greatest source of donations to Peter's Pence, with U.S. Catholics contributing around a quarter of the total each year. Vatican officials are hoping that under Leo's pontificate, with new financial controls in place and an American math major running the Holy See, donors will be reassured that their money won't be misspent or mismanaged. 'This is a concrete way to support the Holy Father in his mission of service to the universal Church,' the Vatican's economy ministry said in a press release last week announcing the annual collection and new promotional materials surrounding it. 'Peter's Pence is a gesture of communion and participation in the Pope's mission to proclaim the Gospel, promote peace, and spread Christian charity.'
