Latest news with #Vatican
News.com.au
an hour ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Europe bakes in summer's first heatwave as continent warms
Southern Europeans braced Saturday for the first heatwave of the northern hemisphere summer, as climate change pushes thermometers on the world's fastest-warming continent increasingly into the red. Temperatures are set to rise to 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) in Rome, driving the Eternal City's many tourists and Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican alike towards the Italian capital's 2,500 public fountains for refreshment. With residents of the southern French port city of Marseille expected to have to cope with temperatures flirting with 40C (104F), authorities in the country's second-largest city ordered public swimming pools to be made free of charge to help residents beat the Mediterranean heat. Two-thirds of Portugal will be on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires, with 42C (108F) expected in the capital Lisbon, while visitors to -- and protesters against -- Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos's Friday wedding in Venice likewise sweltered under the summer sun. "I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and never stay still, because that's when you get sunstroke," Sriane Mina, an Italian student, told AFP on Friday in Venice. Scientists have long warned that humanity's burning of fossil fuels is heating up the world with disastrous consequences for the environment, with Europe's ever-hotter and increasingly common blistering summer heatwaves a direct result of that warming. The heatwave is forecast to become even more intense on Sunday. Spain, which has in past years seen a series of deadly summer blazes ravaging the Iberian peninsula, is expecting peak temperatures in excess of 40C (104F) across most of the country. - Outdoor work ban - According to the Spanish meteorological agency, temperatures may even register 42C (108F) in some areas, including the Guadalquivir, Guadiana, and Tagus regions. The past three years have been the hottest in Spain's history. With peaks of 39C (102F) expected in Naples and Palermo, Sicily has ordered a ban on outdoor work in the hottest hours of the day, as has the Liguria region in northern Italy. The country's trade unions are campaigning to extend the measure to other parts of the country. In Nice, on the French Riviera, nearly 250 portable fans have been distributed to schools over the past two weeks to help cope with the heat. The heatwave comes hot on the heels of a series of tumbling records for extreme heat, including Europe's hottest March ever, according to the EU's Copernicus climate monitor. As a result of the planet's warming, extreme weather events including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves like this weekend's have become more frequent and intense, scientists warn. By some estimates 2024, the hottest year in recorded history so far, saw worldwide disasters that cost more than $300 billion.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Europe bakes in summer's first heatwave as continent warms
MARSEILLES: Sweating Europeans braced on Saturday for the first heatwave of the northern hemisphere summer, as climate change pushes the world's fastest-warming continent's thermometers increasingly into the red. Temperatures are set to rise to 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rome, driving the Eternal City's many tourists and Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican alike toward the Italian capital's some 2,500 public fountains for refreshment. With residents of the southern port city of Marseille expected to have to cope with temperatures flirting with 40C (104F), authorities in France's second-largest city ordered public swimming pools to be made free of charge to help residents beat the Mediterranean heat. Two-thirds of Portugal will be on high alert on Sunday for extreme heat and forest fires with 42C (108F) expected in the capital Lisbon, while visitors to — and protesters against — Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos's Friday wedding in Venice likewise sweltered under the summer sun. 'I try not to think about it, but I drink a lot of water and never stay still, because that's when you get sunstroke,' Sriane Mina, an Italian student, told AFPTV on Friday in Venice. Meanwhile Spain, which has in past years seen a series of deadly summer blazes ravaging the Iberian peninsula, is expecting peak temperatures in excess of 40C (104F) across most of the country from Sunday. Scientists have long warned that humanity's burning of fossil fuels is heating up the world with disastrous consequences for the environment, with Europe's ever-hotter and increasingly common blistering summer heatwaves a direct result of that warming. With peaks of 39C (102F) expected in Naples and Palermo, Sicily has ordered a ban on outdoor work in the hottest hours of the day, as has the Liguria region in northern Italy. The country's trade unions are campaigning to extend the measure to other parts of the country. The heatwave comes hot on the heels of a series of tumbling records for extreme heat, including Europe's hottest March ever, according to the EU's Copernicus climate monitor. As a result of the planet's warming, extreme weather events including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves like this weekend's have become more frequent and intense, scientists warn. By some estimates 2024, the hottest year in recorded history so far, saw worldwide disasters which cost more than $300 billion.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV Blesses Commanders Rival Ahead Of 2025 Season
Pope Leo XIV Blesses Commanders Rival Ahead Of 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Last year in the playoffs, the Detroit Lions needed all the help they could get against the upstart Washington Commanders, who buzz-sawed coach Dan Campbell's favored team in a 45-31 shellacking. Advertisement The Lions are coming back into 2025 with some extra juice, though, as they figure to once again join Washington as a Super Bowl contender. The Lions have The Vatican on their side. Pope Leo XIV - seriously - has blessed an NFL player ahead of the 2025 regular season. And really ... playfully ... Washington fans shouldn't be as upset about this as Chicago Bears fans surely are. The first-ever American pope just happens to be from Chicago ... and has long been well-known for his fandom of the Bears and the White Sox and all things Windy City. As it happens, Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta and his new bride, Callahan Dellinger LaPorta, scheduled a vacation in Rome ... Advertisement And yes, they got blessed by the Pope, as the young NFL tight end demonstrated for all to see as took to Instagram to show off the photo on Wednesday. "Thank you to a very busy man for blessing me and my bride. A special moment we'll never forget,'' he wrote. Bears fans can be mock-unhappy about this ... but Chicago has spent a great deal of time in the NFC North basement and doesn't figure to be a match for the powerful Lions anyway. And the Commanders? As they and the Lions prepare to give chase to upsetting defending champion Philadelphia toward a Super Bowl run, they'll take any "blessing'' they can get. Advertisement Perhaps Dan Quinn should book himself a quick trip to The Vatican? Related: Commanders Trade Terry McLaurin for T.J. Watt in Blockbuster Prediction Related: What is Commanders' Biggest 'Red Flag' In 2025? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Pope Leo XIV appeals for unity within the Catholic Church in Holy Year messages to priests
Pope Leo XIV arrives to celebrate an ordination Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican as part of the Jubilee of Priests, Friday, June 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) ROME — Pope Leo XIV doubled down on Friday on his appeal for unity in the polarized Catholic Church, urging priests to act in communion with their superiors and be models of reconciliation in a world driven by conflicts and divisions. Leo appealed for unity in a triptych of messages to priests who are celebrating a special Holy Year week in Rome dedicated to clergy. He hosted a special meeting on Thursday afternoon, celebrated an ordination Mass on Friday morning and also delivered a written message to priests around the world. During the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Leo ordained 32 new priests and recalled his appeal for unity during his installation Mass right after his May 8 election. 'Today, I share this desire once more with all of you,' he said. He quoted St. Augustine – the inspiration of his Augustinian religious order – in repeating the words he said on the night of his election: 'For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian.' During the meetings that preceded the conclave that elected the first American pope in history, cardinals made clear their hope that the next pontiff would heal some of the divisions within the church that deepened during the late Pope Francis' radical 12-year pontificate. Francis' progressive social justice priorities, his informal style, liturgical looseness and disdain for the capitalist economic system often alienated conservatives, particularly in Leo's native United States, who begged for a new pope who could pacify divisions. Leo's consistent reference to unity in the church suggests he has heard those appeals and is working to respond. In a message to priests around the world Friday, Leo offered encouragement in his appeal for unity, not a browbeating as Francis often gave priests. 'In a world marked by growing tensions, even within families and ecclesial communities, priests are called to promote reconciliation and foster communion,' Leo said. He added that priests should not be afraid of their own weaknesses. 'The Lord does not look for perfect priests, but for humble hearts that are open to conversion and prepared to love others as he himself loved us,' he said. He gave a similar message Thursday to thousands of priests who gathered in a Vatican-area auditorium for a Jubilee rally that ended with Leo giving English-language shoutouts to priests from various parts of the world, including his native Chicago. In the encounter, Leo acknowledged the 'crisis' in priestly vocations, which have been falling consistently in traditionally Christian parts of the world for years even as the overall global Catholic population grows. According to Vatican statistics, there were 407,730 priests globally at the end of 2022, down 142 from the previous year. Europe saw the greatest decline, losing 2,745 priests — a figure that was only compensated for globally by the addition of 1,676 priests in Africa and 1,160 in Asia. 'Thank you for who you are, and remind everyone that it's beautiful to be a priest,' he said. 'We aren't perfect, but we are friends of Christ … and that's enough.' ___ Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV appeals for unity within the Catholic Church in Holy Year messages to priests
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV doubled down on Friday on his appeal for unity in the polarized Catholic Church, urging priests to act in communion with their superiors and be models of reconciliation in a world driven by conflicts and divisions. Leo appealed for unity in a triptych of messages to priests who are celebrating a special Holy Year week in Rome dedicated to clergy. He hosted a special meeting on Thursday afternoon, celebrated an ordination Mass on Friday morning and also delivered a written message to priests around the world. During the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Leo ordained 32 new priests and recalled his appeal for unity during his installation Mass right after his May 8 election. 'Today, I share this desire once more with all of you,' he said. He quoted St. Augustine – the inspiration of his Augustinian religious order – in repeating the words he said on the night of his election: 'For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian.' During the meetings that preceded the conclave that elected the first American pope in history, cardinals made clear their hope that the next pontiff would heal some of the divisions within the church that deepened during the late Pope Francis' radical 12-year pontificate. Francis' progressive social justice priorities, his informal style, liturgical looseness and disdain for the capitalist economic system often alienated conservatives, particularly in Leo's native United States, who begged for a new pope who could pacify divisions. Leo's consistent reference to unity in the church suggests he has heard those appeals and is working to respond. In a message to priests around the world Friday, Leo offered encouragement in his appeal for unity, not a browbeating as Francis often gave priests. 'In a world marked by growing tensions, even within families and ecclesial communities, priests are called to promote reconciliation and foster communion,' Leo said. He added that priests should not be afraid of their own weaknesses. 'The Lord does not look for perfect priests, but for humble hearts that are open to conversion and prepared to love others as he himself loved us,' he said. He gave a similar message Thursday to thousands of priests who gathered in a Vatican-area auditorium for a Jubilee rally that ended with Leo giving English-language shoutouts to priests from various parts of the world, including his native Chicago. In the encounter, Leo acknowledged the 'crisis' in priestly vocations, which have been falling consistently in traditionally Christian parts of the world for years even as the overall global Catholic population grows. According to Vatican statistics, there were 407,730 priests globally at the end of 2022, down 142 from the previous year. Europe saw the greatest decline, losing 2,745 priests — a figure that was only compensated for globally by the addition of 1,676 priests in Africa and 1,160 in Asia. 'Thank you for who you are, and remind everyone that it's beautiful to be a priest,' he said. 'We aren't perfect, but we are friends of Christ … and that's enough.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
