Latest news with #VaticanCity
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Moment Pope Leo is hit on the head with a flag thrown from worshipers who then charge towards him as he begs them to stay calm in the Vatican
This is the tense moment an object is thrown at Pope Leo XIV from a huge crowd that tries to charge him on World Drugs Day. Swarms of worshippers were pressed against the railing, desperately trying to reach out to the Catholic leader. One overly-enthusiastic faithful threw a red and yellow object - believed to be representing the football club AS Roma - and knocked the pontiff's skullcap. It is believed that the newly appointed pope is a fan of AS Roma, which many felt was confirmed last month after he allegedly responded 'Forza Roma' to a Giallorossi supporter. As he rearranges his skullcap, a huge swell from the crowd breaks the railings and they suddenly surge forward, trying to grab at Pope Leo's arms. The pope's security team immediately rushed towards the barrier and tried to restore order as the first US leader of the global Catholic Church tries to step back for his safety. He pleads with the crowd to calm down, gesturing with his hands to the group to step back. Once the eager crowd are behind the barriers again, Pope Leo goes forward to shake hands with worshippers once more, even blessing a baby. The pontiff spoke with the crowd yesterday about the ramifications of substance abuse at the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Established by the United Nations, the day was intended to raise awareness of the impacts of substance abuse in society and to work towards an end of drug addiction through campaigns, educational events and community schemes. The gathering at San Damaso square was attended by Italian government officials, recovering drug addicts as well as people who help them. Pope Leo called on governments to not criminalise the poor and instead those those who make businesses out of addiction. He said: 'Our fight is against those who make their immense business out of drugs and every other addiction, think of alcohol or gambling. 'There are huge concentrations of interest and extensive criminal organizations that states have a duty to dismantle.' 'Too often, in the name of security, war is waged against the poor, filling prisons with those who are merely the final link in a chain of death. 'Those who hold the chain in their hands instead manage to gain influence and impunity. Pope Leo pleads with the crowd to calm down, gesturing with his hands to the group to step back The pontiff spoke with the crowd yesterday about the ramifications of substance abuse at the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 'Too often, in the name of security, war is waged against the poor, filling prisons with those who are merely the final link in a chain of death,' Pope Leo told crowds in San Damaso 'Our cities must not be freed of the marginalised, but of marginalisation. They must be cleared not of the desperate, but of desperation.' Pope Leo was elected as the latest pontiff of the Catholic Church last month after only two days of conclave. He had spent many years before as head of the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo, Peru, where he had moved to as a missionary in 1985 and was known as Robert Prevost. Seen as a man who has similar attitudes on reform to the late Pope Francis, many of Pope Leo's initial messages have been one of peace. However it has been widely reported that along side his religious duties, he is an avid sports fan. Father Joseph Farrell, the Vicar General of the Augustinians, has spoken about how Pope Leo play tennis frequently, while it has been said that the Chicago-native is fan of the White Sox baseball team in MLB. 'He's a regular tennis player. He would come up and play on our grounds once a week at least,' Father Farrell said. 'He is [AS] Roma all the way,' he added. The club have also shared a statement on X saying: 'AS Roma joins in rejoicing with Rome and the world following the election of Pope Leo XIV, and wishes him all the very best for his papacy.'
Arab News
a day ago
- General
- Arab News
Vatican unveils last of restored Raphael Rooms after 10-year cleaning that yielded new discoveries
VATICAN CITY: The Vatican Museums on Thursday unveiled the last and most important of the restored Raphael Rooms, the spectacularly frescoed reception rooms of the Apostolic Palace that in some ways rival the Sistine Chapel as the peak of high Renaissance artistry. A decadelong project to clean and restore the largest of the four Raphael Rooms uncovered a novel mural painting technique that the superstar Renaissance painter and architect began but never completed. Raphael used oil paint directly on the wall, and arranged a grid of nails embedded in the walls to hold in place the resin surface onto which he painted. Vatican Museums officials recounted the discoveries in inaugurating the hall, known as the Room of Constantine, after the last scaffolding came down. The reception room, which was painted by Raphael and his students starting in the first quarter-century of the 1500s, is dedicated to the fourth-century Roman emperor Constantine, whose embrace of Christianity helped spread the faith throughout the Roman Empire. 'With this restoration, we rewrite a part of the history of art,' Vatican Museums director Barbara Jatta said. Pope Julius II summoned the young Raphael Sanzio from Florence to Rome in 1508 to decorate a new private apartment for himself in the Apostolic Palace, giving the then-25-year-old a major commission at the height of his artistic output. Even at the time, there were reports that Raphael had wanted to decorate the rooms not with frescoes but with oil paint directly on the wall, to give the images greater brilliance. The 10-year restoration of the Room of Constantine proved those reports correct, said Fabio Piacentini, one of the chief restorers. Vatican technicians discovered that two female figures on opposite corners of the hall, Justice and Courtesy, were actually oil-on-wall paintings, not frescoes in which paint is applied to wet plaster. They were therefore clearly the work of Raphael himself, he said. But Raphael died on April 6, 1520, at the age of 37, and before the hall could be completed. The rest of the paintings in the room were frescoes completed by his students who couldn't master the oil technique Raphael had used, Jatta said. During the cleaning, restorers discovered that Raphael had clearly intended to do more with oil paints: Under the plaster frescoes, they found a series of metal nails they believed had been drilled into the wall to hold in place the natural resin surface that Raphael had intended to paint on, Piacentini said. 'From a historical and critical point of view, and also technical, it was truly a discovery,' he said. 'The technique used and planned by Raphael was truly experimental for the time, and has never been found in any other mural made with oil paint.' The final part of the restoration of the room was the ceiling, painted by Tommaso Laureti and featuring a remarkable example of Renaissance perspective with his fresco of a fake tapestry 'Triumph of Christianity over Paganism.' The Raphael Rooms were never fully closed off to the public during their long restoration, but they are now free of scaffolding for the many visitors flocking to the Vatican Museums for the 2025 Jubilee.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Vatican Unveils Last of Restored Raphael Rooms After 10-Year Cleaning That Yielded New Discoveries
The Vatican Museums on Thursday unveiled the last and most important of the restored Raphael Rooms, the spectacularly frescoed reception rooms of the Apostolic Palace that in some ways rival the Sistine Chapel as the peak of high Renaissance artistry. A decade-long project to clean and restore the largest of the four Raphael Rooms uncovered a novel mural painting technique that the superstar Renaissance painter and architect began but never completed: the use of oil paint directly on the wall, and a grid of nails embedded in the walls to hold in place the resin surface onto which he painted. Vatican Museums officials recounted the discoveries on Thursday in inaugurating the hall, known as the Room of Constantine, after the last scaffolding came down. The reception room, which was painted by Raphael and his students starting in the first quarter-century of the 1500s, is dedicated to the fourth-century Roman emperor Constantine whose embrace of Christianity helped spread the faith throughout the Roman Empire. 'With this restoration, we rewrite a part of the history of art,' Vatican Museums director Barbara Jatta said. Pope Julius II summoned the young Raphael Sanzio from Florence to Rome in 1508 to decorate a new private apartment for himself in the Apostolic Palace, giving the then 25-year-old painter and architect a major commission at the height of his artistic output. Even at the time, there were reports that Raphael had wanted to decorate the rooms not with frescoes but with oil paint directly on the wall, to give the images greater brilliance. The 10-year restoration of the Rome of Constantine proved those reports correct, said Fabio Piacentini, one of the chief restorers. Vatican technicians discovered that two female figures, Justice and Courtesy and located on opposite corners of the hall, were actually oil-on-wall paintings, not frescoes in which paint is applied to wet plaster. They were therefore clearly the work of Raphael himself, he said. But Raphael died on April 6, 1520, at the age of 37, and before the hall could be completed. The rest of the paintings in the room were frescoes completed by his students who couldn't master the oil technique Raphael had used, Jatta said. During the cleaning, restorers discovered that Raphael had clearly intended to do more with oil paints: Under the plaster frescoes, they found a series of metal nails which they believed had been drilled into the wall to hold in place the natural resin surface that Raphael had intended to paint onto, Piacentini said. 'From a historical and critical point of view, and also technical, it was truly a discovery,' he said. 'The technique used and planned by Raphael was truly experimental for the time, and has never been found in any other mural made with oil paint.' The final part of the restoration of the room was the ceiling, painted by Tommaso Laureti and featuring a remarkable example of Renaissance perspective with his fresco of a fake tapestry 'Triumph of Christianity over Paganism.' The Raphael Rooms were never fully closed off to the public during their long restoration, but they are now free of scaffolding for the many visitors flocking to the Vatican Museums for the 2025 Jubilee.
UAE Moments
2 days ago
- Business
- UAE Moments
Your Daily Career Tarot Card Reading for June 27th, 2025
27.6.25 The Pope: Your skills and experience are in demand, meaning you could be put in a teaching role or be required to act as a coach or mentor. You're ideally placed to share your knowledge and to help others or another to flourish. Additionally, creating an online tutorial that allows folks to benefit from your experience without it costing much, if anything, might also be a beneficial proposition.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Vatican unveils last of restored Raphael Rooms after 10-year cleaning that yielded new discoveries
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican Museums on Thursday unveiled the last and most important of the restored Raphael Rooms, the spectacularly frescoed reception rooms of the Apostolic Palace that in some ways rival the Sistine Chapel as the peak of high Renaissance artistry. A decade-long project to clean and restore the largest of the four Raphael Rooms uncovered a novel mural painting technique that the superstar Renaissance painter and architect began but never completed: the use of oil paint directly on the wall, and a grid of nails embedded in the walls to hold in place the resin surface onto which he painted. Vatican Museums officials recounted the discoveries on Thursday in inaugurating the hall, known as the Room of Constantine, after the last scaffolding came down. The reception room, which was painted by Raphael and his students starting in the first quarter-century of the 1500s, is dedicated to the fourth-century Roman emperor Constantine whose embrace of Christianity helped spread the faith throughout the Roman Empire. 'With this restoration, we rewrite a part of the history of art,' Vatican Museums director Barbara Jatta said. Pope Julius II summoned the young Raphael Sanzio from Florence to Rome in 1508 to decorate a new private apartment for himself in the Apostolic Palace, giving the then 25-year-old painter and architect a major commission at the height of his artistic output. Even at the time, there were reports that Raphael had wanted to decorate the rooms not with frescoes but with oil paint directly on the wall, to give the images greater brilliance. The 10-year restoration of the Rome of Constantine proved those reports correct, said Fabio Piacentini, one of the chief restorers. Vatican technicians discovered that two female figures, Justice and Courtesy and located on opposite corners of the hall, were actually oil-on-wall paintings, not frescoes in which paint is applied to wet plaster. They were therefore clearly the work of Raphael himself, he said. But Raphael died on April 6, 1520, at the age of 37, and before the hall could be completed. The rest of the paintings in the room were frescoes completed by his students who couldn't master the oil technique Raphael had used, Jatta said. During the cleaning, restorers discovered that Raphael had clearly intended to do more with oil paints: Under the plaster frescoes, they found a series of metal nails which they believed had been drilled into the wall to hold in place the natural resin surface that Raphael had intended to paint onto, Piacentini said. 'From a historical and critical point of view, and also technical, it was truly a discovery,' he said. 'The technique used and planned by Raphael was truly experimental for the time, and has never been found in any other mural made with oil paint.' The final part of the restoration of the room was the ceiling, painted by Tommaso Laureti and featuring a remarkable example of Renaissance perspective with his fresco of a fake tapestry 'Triumph of Christianity over Paganism.' The Raphael Rooms were never fully closed off to the public during their long restoration, but they are now free of scaffolding for the many visitors flocking to the Vatican Museums for the 2025 Jubilee. By Nicole Winfield.
