Catholicism

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic was in the Vatican on Friday where he met with the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

The Roman Catholic Church "is not rushing to declare Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac a saint," Francis said during his meeting, according to Nikolic.

Pope Francis used his first Mass in Ecuador on July 6 to ask for support in his efforts to reach out to Catholics who feel shunned by the Church when the world's bishops gather at the Vatican in October. 

Pope Francis urged European leaders on Wednesday to reach a solution on the Greek crisis based on human dignity. A Vatican statement said the Pope was concerned about the social implications because of the ongoing crisis. “The dignity of the human must remain at the centre of every technical and political debate”, the statement read.

Pope Francis will call June 18 on the world's leaders to pull together to fight global warming, publishing his hotly-anticipated thesis on the environment which slams profiteers and slaves to progress.

Pope Francis named two Palestinian women as saints on May 17, in a ceremony in Saint Peter's Square just days after the Vatican formalised its de facto recognition of the State of Palestine.

AGERPRES correspondent Catalin Alexandru reports: Pope Francis received President Klaus Iohannis in Vatican on Friday; the Romanian head of state was accompanied by his wife, Carmen, and by an official delegation.

Pope Francis spoke before 7,000 children about war, peace, juvenile prisons and the rest he needs.

“Many men in power do not wish for peace, for they live from war profits. They gain much more from war than peace”, stated the Pope towards the onlooking children.

He also added that peace is a product of love, that takes effort and care.

Cuban President Raul Castro arrived at the Vatican on May 10 to thank Pope Francis for his role in brokering the rapprochement between Havana and Washington.

Pope Francis visited Ostia and spoke before the gathered faithful who were comprised of people with special needs, and the elderly. The Pope asked the faithful to pray for him, since he is old and facing various health problems, not serious in nature.

Turkey summoned the Vatican Ambassador in Ankara after Pope Francis described the mass killing of Armenians in WW1 as genocide.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry requested a meeting with the Vatican's envoy in Ankara after the Pope's comments during Sunday's Mass in the Armenian Catholic rite at Peter's Basilica, according to reports of the BBC News.