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Pope Francis

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo criticised the pope and the Catholic Church on Friday. Photo: Reuters

Belgium PM blasts Pope Francis for Catholic Church sex abuse cover-up

The king also had strong words for the pope, demanding the church work ‘incessantly’ to atone for crimes and help victims heal after decades of revelations.

The king also had strong words for the pope, demanding the church work ‘incessantly’ to atone for crimes and help victims heal after decades of revelations

27 Sep 2024 - 6:41PM

‘We must do something’: Pope offers Vatican refuge to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi

24 Sep 2024 - 5:52PMvideocam

Pope Francis’ Singapore visit: a catalyst for deeper interfaith conversations?

17 Sep 2024 - 9:01AMvideocam

Pope calls Beijing ‘a promise and hope’ for church in new overture to China

Francis says China has ‘a capacity for dialogue and understanding that goes beyond other systems of democracy’ and says he wants to visit.

14 Sep 2024 - 4:15AMvideocam

Pope Francis speaks during a news conference aboard the papal plane on his flight back after his 12-day journey across Southeast Asia and Oceania on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Pope slams both Harris and Trump, tells US Catholics to choose ‘lesser evil’

The pontiff says not welcoming immigrations is a ‘grave’ sin and likened having an abortion to an ‘assassination’.

14 Sep 2024 - 3:56AM

‘We are humbled’: Pope Francis unites 50,000 at historic mass in Singapore

During his visit, the pope highlighted the plight of migrant workers, saying they contribute a lot to society and should be paid a fair wage.

12 Sep 2024 - 8:53PMvideocam

Meet Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, punk rock icon turned religious advocate

The princess has made headlines for a US$900 ‘gift’ to US Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr and his wife, Martha-Ann, which just showed up on his 2023 financial disclosure.

12 Sep 2024 - 2:38PM

Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis in front of her palace, St Emmeram, in Regensburg, Germany, in July. Photo: DPA

Pope Francis lands in Singapore for final stop on 12-day Asia-Pacific tour

He has defied doubts about his health during a journey that has taken him from a Jakarta grand mosque to a remote jungle of Papua New Guinea.

11 Sep 2024 - 8:29PMvideocam

‘I am so happy’: Pope’s East Timor mass draws 600,000, nearly half the nation

Pope Francis’ visit to East Timor drew a record-breaking crowd, highlighting the significance of the pontiff’s visit for the nation’s history and future.

10 Sep 2024 - 4:58PMvideocam

Pope Francis tours one of the world's most remote areas

9 Sep 2024 - 5:31PM

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Filipinos in Singapore rejoice over once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the pope

The last papal visit was in 1986 when Pope John Paul II stopped by the city state for five hours.

9 Sep 2024 - 2:31PM

Pope Francis waves to members of the Catholic community at a cathedral in Jakarta last week. The pontiff is set to arrive in Singapore on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Pope calls for PNG to ‘end’ tribal violence, urges fair share of its resources

In a keynote speech, the pope called for an end to tribal violence while insisting the people benefit from the country’s resource boom.

9 Sep 2024 - 4:57PMvideocam

Over 80,000 attend Pope’s mass in Indonesia

6 Sep 2024 - 4:13PM

Pope praises Indonesians for choosing children over pets

5 Sep 2024 - 3:27PM

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Indonesian Catholics in tears as pope visits Jakarta

5 Sep 2024 - 11:44AM

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Pope Francis calls for unity in Indonesia amid rising religious intolerance

The pontiff’s calls for interfaith dialogue come amid rising majoritarianism and recent incidents of violence against religious minorities.

5 Sep 2024 - 3:29PMvideocam

Pope to visit Indonesia’s ‘Tunnel of Friendship’ in historic Asia-Pacific trip

The pope will visit the Istiqlal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, and the ‘Tunnel of Friendship’ connecting it to the Our Lady of the Assumption cathedral, built in 2020 as a symbol of religious unity.

5 Sep 2024 - 11:49AMvideocam

Pope heads to Southeast Asia in ambitious trip

Pope Francis’ visit aims to cement the Catholic Church’s position in the region and comes despite his growing health problems.

31 Aug 2024 - 12:43PMvideocam

Pope Francis will visit four countries in Southeast Asia starting next week. Photo: Reuters

Voices across globe express concern over increasing Venezuela arrests after election

President Nicolas Maduro’s government has arrested 2,000 Venezuelans in the fiercest crackdown of his rule.

5 Aug 2024 - 12:20PMvideocam

Who was Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint-to-be?

Known as ‘God’s influencer’ before his tragic death from leukaemia at just 15, Acutis will be canonised as a saint in 2025

8 Jul 2024 - 6:30PM

Pope Francis deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’

Pontiff warns against ‘ideological temptations and populists’, urges people to move away from ‘polarisations that impoverish’.

7 Jul 2024 - 5:35PM

Pope Francis attends a meeting with the participants of the 50th Social Week of Catholics in Italy at the Generali Convention Centre in Trieste, northern Italy, on Sunday. Photo: AP

Pope urges ban on lethal AI weapons in historic G7 speech

No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human, the pontiff said, after a series of meetings with world leaders.

15 Jun 2024 - 1:24AMvideocam

Pope Francis speaks during the G7 leaders’ summit at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy on Friday. Photo: dpa

‘Never intended to offend’: Pope sorry for homophobic slur about gay priests

Pope Francis issued an extraordinary apology on Tuesday after a row over offensive language he was reported to have used to describe gay men.

28 May 2024 - 9:52PM

Vatican museum staff start unprecedented legal action over labour conditions

The workers, who are not allowed to be in a union, say their dignity and health have long been undermined; their move could lead to a lawsuit against the pope’s administration.

12 May 2024 - 10:42PMvideocam

Pope Francis to make first trip outside Rome in 7 months amid health concerns

The pontiff has suffered increasing health problems in recent years, from knee pain to surgery for a hernia and on his colon.

28 Apr 2024 - 11:02AMvideocam

Pope Francis greets the faithful in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Photo: Reuters

Pope to visit Indonesia, PNG, East Timor, Singapore in September

The 30,000km (18,600 miles) trip from September 2 to 13 is the longest for the Pope since he became head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013.

12 Apr 2024 - 7:05PM

Pope Francis arrives to lead the weekly general audience in St Peter’s square at the Vatican. Pope Francis, 87, will travel to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in September. Photo: AFP

Vatican says ‘no’ to sex changes and gender theory in new document

The Vatican reaffirmed its opposition to sex changes, gender theory and surrogate parenthood, as well as abortion and euthanasia, just four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples.

8 Apr 2024 - 7:06PMvideocam

Pope’s Easter message renews call for Gaza ceasefire, release of hostages

‘With their eyes children ask us, why all this death and destruction?’ said the 87-year-old, who also condemned ‘walls of selfishness and indifference’.

31 Mar 2024 - 7:32PMvideocam

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Pope Francis

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in December 1936 as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis is pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State. He was elected by a papal conclave on March 13, 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013.

last updated:

5 August, 2024