Pope Francis

The Vatican's Apostolic Library, which is home to ancient manuscripts, rare books and reading rooms for scholars is opening its doors to the general public with a small new exhibition space aimed at pairing its artistic treasures with contemporary art.

Pope Francis arrived in Budapest on Sept. 12 to celebrate a mass, with eyes focused on his meeting with the anti-migration Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The head of 1.3 billion Catholics will have a half-hour meeting with Orban - accompanied by Hungarian President Janos Ader - in Budapest's grand Fine Arts Museum, in what could be an awkward brief encounter.

The leaders of the Catholic, Anglican and Greek Orthodox churches called on the global community to do more to protect the planet's future, dpa reported.

The Vatican has protested to Italy over a bill on homophobia currently passing through parliament.

The "Zan" bill would punish discrimination and incitement to violence against the LGBT community, as well as women and people with disabilities.

The Vatican argues the bill would curb religious freedoms secured in a treaty signed between Italy and Vatican Repubic.

Pope Francis, leading an Easter vigil service scaled down due to COVID-19, said on Saturday he hoped the dark times of the pandemic would end and that people could rediscover "the grace of everyday life".

Pope Francis starts a historic trip to war-battered Iraq on March 5, defying security fears and the pandemic to comfort one of the world's oldest and most persecuted Christian communities.

Pope Francis landed in war-battered Iraq on March 5 on a first-ever papal visit, defying security fears and the pandemic to comfort one of the world's oldest and most persecuted Christian communities.

The 84-year-old, who said he was travelling to Iraq as a "pilgrim of peace", will also reach out to Shiite Muslims when he meets Iraq's top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.

Pope Francis starts a historic trip to war-battered Iraq on March 5, defying security fears and the pandemic to comfort one of the world's oldest and most persecuted Christian communities.

This Christmas was celebrated differently in the Biblical birthplace of Jesus.

There will be no foreign tourists and  pilgrims due to a coronavirus travel ban on foreign nationals.

The Vatican announced that Pope Francis will read his Christmas message from inside the Vatican instead of from the outdoor central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica because of new coronavirus restrictions in Italy.