Rappler's latest stories on pope francis
Pope Francis 'very distressed' over Turkey's Hagia Sophia conversion to mosque
This is the Vatican's first reaction to Turkey's decision that has drawn international criticism

Pope Francis writes to Paralympian Zanardi, hailing his example
'You have taught us to live life to the full, making disability a lesson in humanity,' says the Pope in his letter to Alessandro Zanardi, who has been in a coma in hospital since a handbike crash last week

Pope says racism 'intolerable,' in reaction to Floyd killing
But the pontiff also condemns the violence that followed George Floyd's death in the city of Minneapolis as 'self-destructive and self-defeating'

Brazil coronavirus toll surges, Pope gives address after 3 months
'From the great trials of humanity – among them this pandemic – one emerges better or worse. You don't emerge the same,' says Pope Francis

Pope calls for end to 'pandemic of poverty' after virus
'All the suffering will be of no use if we do not build together a more just, more equitable, more Christian society, not in name but in reality,' says Pope Francis

Pope to resume window addresses to faithful
With the pontiff now set to return to the window, police will be on hand to ensure that believers and onlookers observe social distancing rules, says the Holy See

[OPINION] Laudato Si', 5 years later
Laudato Si' has become one of the most influential social encyclicals that has been released by a pope

Pope broke tradition again to make Tagle 'cardinal-bishop'
The promotion of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to the rank of cardinal-bishop 'required special papal permission'

Pope promotes Tagle as one of 11 highest ranking cardinals
(UPDATED) Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is now one of the 11 'close-in consultors' of Pope Francis, boosting his chances of becoming the next pontiff

Pope Francis appoints Cebuano archbishop as envoy to Guatemala
Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, the newly appointed apostolic nuncio to Guatemala, is a 66-year-old native of Cebu City

Pope prays for lockdown victims of domestic abuse
Worries about domestic abuse have spread across the world as nations force billions to stay at home to stop the spread of a disease that has officially killed nearly 115,000 people

How virus changed Vatican's Holy Week, Easter Sunday celebrations
Here is a timeline with videos showing the way COVID-19 has affected the Vatican

[FULL TEXT] Pope Francis' Easter message in the time of COVID-19
Indifference, self-centeredness, division, and forgetfulness are not words we want to hear at this time. We want to ban these words forever!

Pope Francis marks 'Easter of solitude' in coronavirus lockdown
'For many, this is an Easter of solitude lived amid the sorrow and hardship that the pandemic is causing, from physical suffering to economic difficulties,' the Pope says inside the cavernous but near empty Saint Paul's Cathedral

LIVE: Easter Sunday 2020 - Mass with Pope Francis
Bookmark this page to watch the live online Mass led by Pope Francis at 5 pm, Manila time, on Easter Sunday

Pope guides locked-down world through virtual Easter
'We can either get depressed and alienated... or we can get creative,' says Pope Francis

Pope Francis: Amid crisis, best fruits of sports emerge
After leading the Angelus Prayer on Palm Sunday, Pope Francis also reflects on the United Nations' International Day of Sports
Pope Francis livestreams Palm Sunday mass due to virus 'tragedy'
Many of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics are observing the sacred days under home confinement

LIVE: Palm Sunday 2020 with Pope Francis
Bookmark this page to watch the online Palm Sunday Mass led by Pope Francis, live from Vatican City at 5 pm (Manila time)

[REFLECTIONS] Look out for the loneliest amid the pandemic – Pope Francis
Even if we are isolated, thought and spirit can go far with the creativity of love. This is what we need today: the creativity of love.

Pope Francis: 'You, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm'
Here is the full text of Pope Francis' homily at his Extraordinary 'Urbi et Orbi' to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic

Pope Francis faces coronavirus 'tempest' alone in St Peter's Square
'We were not shaken awake by wars or injustice across the world, nor did we listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet. We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick.'

Pope reportedly tests negative for virus after Vatican scare
The 83-year-old pontiff has remained largely secluded at his residence since coming down with a cold late February

Italian clergyman in Pope's residence tests positive for virus
Italian newspapers say the 83-year-old Pope Francis has remained largely secluded at his residence since coming down with a cold at the end of last month

Pope urges 'small gestures' such as phone calls to fight off isolation
'They are gestures of tenderness, of affection, of compassion, which are nonetheless decisive and important – for example, a hot dish, a caress, a hug, a phone call,' says Pope Francis

Vatican to hold Easter celebrations without congregation due to virus
The Vatican says all general audiences and the Angelus presided over by Pope Francis will be livestreamed until April 12

[OPINION] The Pope and single-use plastics
Pope Francis’s encyclical 'Laudato Si’' points to one undeniable fact: that human behavior is at the root of the ‘ecological crisis,’ and therefore at the heart of solving it

Vatican closes to tourists – but not the faithful
A Vatican source clarifies that anyone who expresses a wish to pray at the basilica can still pass through the police barrier and walk onto the main square

'Caged' Pope Francis receives guests – from afar
The Vatican releases pictures showing bishops seated in armchairs spaced a meter apart, in keeping with Italian government regulations aimed at fighting an illness that has killed 366 people in Italy in just over two weeks

Pope Francis voices support for virus victims in first livestream prayer
Pope Francis delivers his message from the Vatican Library

Pope to deliver Sunday prayer by livestream due to coronavirus
The Pope, who suffered from cough, is also pulling out of an annual spiritual retreat south of Rome to stay at home and get well

French cardinal exits over failure to report alleged sex abuser
Archbishop of Lyon Philippe Barbarin is the most senior French priest to be caught up in a global pedophilia scandal that has seen clergy hauled before courts from Argentina to Australia

Pope 'tests negative for coronavirus' as Vatican ups controls
(UPDATED) 'There is no evidence to suggest a diagnosis of anything other than a slight ailment,' says a Vatican spokesman

Pope cancels more official appointments over cold
This comes as Italy grapples with the largest outbreak of the coronavirus in Europe. But the Vatican makes no reference to the disease in its announcement.

Pope has 'mild ailment,' skips mass – Vatican
The pontiff very rarely cancels an appointment in his busy schedule

Pope convenes bishops' synod in 2022
Pope Francis also issues a message of support to nongovernmental organizations and governments coming to the aid of migrants

Deaf Argentine child abuse victims accuse pope of inaction
'We were raped, sexually assaulted, and physically tortured by Catholic priests, nuns, and lay people,' the victims write to the pope

Pope urges Amazon 'outrage' but stays silent on married priests
In the Pope's highly anticipated text, there is no mention of priestly marriage, a controversial suggestion for increasing the number of priests in remote areas of the Amazon

Pope prays for coronavirus victims
'A prayer goes to our Chinese brothers and sisters who are suffering from such a cruel disease,' the pontiff says

Pope expected to stand firm on celibacy in text on Amazon synod
The Pope is being pressured to open the priesthood to married men in the Amazon, as well as to give women a greater role to play

7 years after stepping down, Benedict fuels 'two popes' headache
As the 'emeritus' Pope Benedict XVI continues in his retirement to write on the great themes of the Church, friction has arisen, most recently over the topic of married priests

Pope to visit Malta in May
The visit, to both the main island of Malta and the archipelago's island of Gozo, is the pontiff's first announced journey for 2020

Pope Francis repeats support for celibacy after Benedict outburst
The head of the Vatican's press center, Matteo Bruni, quotes Pope Francis as saying: 'Personally I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church. Secondly, I don't think optional celibacy should be allowed. No.'

Ex-pope Benedict rejects opening up priesthood to married men
'I cannot keep silent!' Benedict writes in a book, which follows an extraordinary meeting of bishops last year that recommended the ordination of married men in certain circumstances

Pope appoints new envoy to France after abuse claims
French investigators have looked into claims made against former ambassador to France Luigi Venture, who has denied the allegations of sexual abuse

Pope slams leaders on 'weak' response to climate crisis
In his annual speech to Vatican diplomats, the pontiff says climate change was a 'concern of everyone,' despite a tepid response from the international community

FALSE: Pope Francis says bible is a 'dangerous' book
Pope Francis is quoted out of context. While he indeed said that the bible is a dangerous book, he was referring to Christians in some countries being persecuted because of owning one.

FALSE: 'Photo' of Pope Francis staring at a woman's chest
Pope Francis' picture is stitched with a photo of an Argentine model who has been shown in past manipulated photos with the Pope

Are the Americans interfering?
A law is changing the way human rights is being pushed

Pope says sorry for slapping devotee's hand
Pope Francis confesses he had 'lost patience' with the admirer who had grabbed his hand
