Latest news with #ApostolicPalace
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Pope Leo XIV renews his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
A gust of wind blows Pope Leo XIV's mantel at the end of the noon Angelus prayer in the square in front of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Sunday, July 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV renewed his call on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians. 'I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. Pope Leo also expressed his 'deep sorrow' for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest. 'I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,' the pope added. The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it was investigating. 'We need to dialogue and abandon weapons,' the pope said earlier Sunday, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano. 'The world no longer tolerates war,' Leo told reporters waiting for him outside the cathedral.
Malay Mail
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Pope Leo draws crowds to hilltop Italian village for first Angelus prayer, wishes peace for victims of war
CASTEL GANDOLFO (Italy), July 14 — Thousands of people streamed to a small Italian hilltop village not far from Rome yesterday, to hear Pope Leo deliver his first Angelus prayer from his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. 'I am happy to be among you... and thank you all for your warm welcome,' the Pope declared, standing outside the gates of the Apostolic Palace, flanked by two Swiss Guards in full dress uniform. Arriving on July 6, Leo is taking a two-week break at the Castel Gandolfo, some 20 kilometres southeast of Rome, reviving it as a summer papal residence. His predecessor, Pope Francis, preferred to stay at the Vatican for the summer. Undeterred by rainy weather, thousands of people crowded the streets of the village, perched on a hilltop and overlooking a lake, to get a glimpse of the new pope as he delivered for the first time the Angelus prayer, which popes usually deliver every Sunday. The pope presided over mass in the Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova, before crossing the square to the cheers of the crowd. 'Let us not forget to pray for peace and for all those who find themselves in suffering and need because of war,' he said. — AFP
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands attend Pope Leo's first Angelus prayer
Thousands of people streamed to a small Italian hilltop village not far from Rome on Sunday, to hear Pope Leo deliver his first Angelus prayer from his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. "I am happy to be among you... and thank you all for your warm welcome," the Pope declared, standing outside the gates of the Apostolic Palace, flanked by two Swiss Guards in full dress uniform. Arriving on July 6, Leo is taking a two-week break at the Castel Gandolfo, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Rome, reviving it as a summer papal residence. His predecessor, Pope Francis, preferred to stay at the Vatican for the summer. Undeterred by rainy weather, thousands of people crowded the streets of the village, perched on a hilltop and overlooking a lake, to get a glimpse of the new pope as he delivered for the first time the Angelus prayer, which popes usually deliver every Sunday. The pope presided over mass in the Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova, before crossing the square to the cheers of the crowd. "Let us not forget to pray for peace and for all those who find themselves in suffering and need because of war," he said. cmk/yad/djt
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands attend Pope Leo's first Angelus prayer
Thousands of people streamed to a small Italian hilltop village not far from Rome on Sunday, to hear Pope Leo deliver his first Angelus prayer from his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. "I am happy to be among you... and thank you all for your warm welcome," the Pope declared, standing outside the gates of the Apostolic Palace, flanked by two Swiss Guards in full dress uniform. Arriving on July 6, Leo is taking a two-week break at the Castel Gandolfo, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Rome, reviving it as a summer papal residence. His predecessor, Pope Francis, preferred to stay at the Vatican for the summer. Undeterred by rainy weather, thousands of people crowded the streets of the village, perched on a hilltop and overlooking a lake, to get a glimpse of the new pope as he delivered for the first time the Angelus prayer, which popes usually deliver every Sunday. The pope presided over mass in the Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova, before crossing the square to the cheers of the crowd. "Let us not forget to pray for peace and for all those who find themselves in suffering and need because of war," he said. cmk/yad/djt
Malay Mail
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘Hug therapy': How Pope Leo XIV is trying to unify Vatican with tradition, measured leadership
HOLY SEE (Vatican City), July 4 — Pope Leo XIV heads off on holiday on Sunday, having spent his first two months as Catholic leader rebuilding unity and bolstering tradition after his predecessor's unorthodox papacy. 'Prudent', 'methodical' and 'listening' are some of the words used by Vatican insiders who spoke to AFP to describe the approach of the first American pope, who took over on May 8 as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Leo was elected by cardinals following the death of Argentina's Pope Francis, a charismatic reformer who sparked worldwide devotion but also internal Church divisions during his 12-year papacy. Francis shook things up from the outset, eschewing the ornate garb and palaces of his predecessors, but his successor has moved more carefully, emphasising tradition and unity. On the all-important symbols, Leo has returned to wearing the traditional red mozzetta—short cape—and stole over his white papal robes. He will take a summer break from July 6 to 20 at the papal palace at Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome, a longtime country residence for pontiffs that Francis declined to use. Leo is also expected to move into the papal apartments of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace in the autumn after extensive renovations, according to a Vatican source. Francis had rejected the palace in favour of a simple apartment in the Santa Marta guesthouse. On policy matters, Leo has given numerous speeches but has so far avoided taking positions that might cause offence and has made no major appointments. In public, he smiles and engages with the crowds who flock to see him in St Peter's Square, from blessing babies to singing along to the chants of the Chicago White Sox, his favourite baseball team. But the discreet former missionary—who spent two decades in Peru before joining the Roman Curia, the Catholic Church's governing body, in 2023 -- has so far kept to the script and followed protocol. 'His style is simplicity... He is a presence that does not impose itself on others,' said Roberto Regoli, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. 'With him, rather than looking at appearances, you have to focus on the content,' he told AFP. 'Some relief' Charles Mercier, a professor of contemporary history at the University of Bordeaux, said Leo appeared keen to promote the institution over himself as an individual. 'Francis had a personal charisma that he greatly emphasised through his personality. Leo seems to want to blend into an institution, the papal office, that is more than him,' he told AFP. The approach has won Leo support within the Curia. Employees who spoke to AFP described a man who was 'pragmatic', 'impressively calm', 'measured and methodical', 'thoughtful' and 'concerned about balance'. 'He is someone who listens a lot, who needs to understand how things work before making decisions,' explained one employee of a dicastery, a Vatican government department. Even those speaking under cover of anonymity offered a broadly positive tone, reflecting how in just two months, Leo has re-engaged with the Curia. 'The Curia was shaken up by Pope Francis, with reforms decided sometimes unilaterally, even in an authoritarian manner, and often badly received,' a Vatican source told AFP on condition of anonymity. The arrival of Leo—'who has a good reputation', according to the source—'brought some relief'. 'We feel that things will be fluid, less personal,' they added. A phrase Leo uttered during his first meeting with the Curia on May 24 made a lasting impression: 'Popes come and go, the Curia remains.' This contrasts sharply with the criticism dealt out by Francis, who accused the Curia early in his papacy of 'spiritual Alzheimer's' and a lust for power. Assurances 'It's clear we're in a phase of hug therapy,' commented a European diplomatic source. Another envoy to the Holy See added that Leo was 'pursuing a unifying approach—exactly what he was elected to do'. Francis was also accused by critics of sidelining doctrine in favour of social issues, notably migration, even if he did not in fact change major tenets of Catholic belief. In his first few weeks, Leo reaffirmed the celibacy of priests, defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and urged bishops to stand firm against sexual abuse, a scandal that still roils the global Church. Despite criticising US President Donald Trump's migration policy before becoming pope, Leo has barely mentioned the subject since taking office, although he has emphasised the importance of social justice. On the diplomatic front, Leo has renewed calls for peace in Gaza and in Ukraine. He discussed the latter conflict with Russia's Vladimir Putin in a telephone call on June 4, where he urged the president to make a 'gesture that favours peace'. Francis had not spoken to Putin since before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Just as his overtures to the Curia have been well received, Leo's return to the traditional symbols of the papacy has been welcomed by those in the Church who accused Francis of distorting the papal office. But Mercier noted that this did not rule out change in the future. Leo is aiming for a 'symbolic rebalancing that undoubtedly stems from the desire to unite the Catholic flock, which has given the impression of being polarised under Francis', he said. But, he added, it could also be a strategy 'to provide symbolic assurances to enable continued progress on the substance'. — AFP
