Pope prays for earthquake victims in Pakistan

Pope Francis on Wednesday offered prayers for the victims of an earthquake that struck near the Iranian border with Pakistan, which killed more than 30 people in a neighbouring region of Pakistan.
``I learned with sadness of the violent earthquake that struck the peoples of Iran and Pakistan, bringing death, suffering and destruction,’’ he said during his weekly audience in Saint Peter's Square.

Vatican is forced to admit Pope Emeritus Benedict's health has worsened following reports 'he will not be with us much longer'

• Respected Vatican expert sparks fears for Pope Emeritus's health
• Spanish journalist Paloma Gomez Borerro suggested Pope Benedict is close to death
• He blamed his decision to stand down on health reasons

The health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has deteriorated, the Vatican has revealed.
Senior church officials were forced to make their fears public after a respected Vatican expert declared 'we won't have him with us for very much longer'.
The 85-year-old, who stepped down in February, has looked increasingly frail in his few public appearances.

Concerns: New fears have been raised over the health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI since he resigned

He is reported to have appeared unsteady on his feet when his successor, Pope Francis, visited him at the papal summer retreat of Castel Gandolfo near Rome recently.

Pope, UN chief discuss Syrian conflict, Korean Peninsula tensions

Pope Francis and UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday discussed the civil war in
Syria and escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
They talked about ``issues of common interest, in particular the conflict situation and serious humanitarian emergency, especially in Syria, and others, like in the Korean Peninsula and conflicts in the African continent,’’ the Holy See said.

Pope Francis: Church must 'act decisively' against paedophile priests

Pope Francis said the Catholic Church must "act decisively" against the scourge of paedophile priests, in his first public remarks on the scandal since being elected last month.

Pope Francis during Easter Mass in the Vatican Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Tackling the sexual abuse of children by clergymen was vital for restoring the "credibility" of the Church worldwide, Francis said.

He issued the declaration after holding a meeting with Archbishop Gerhard Muller, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican department which investigates cases of sexual abuse and decides if priests should be defrocked.

Rosary renews family prayer in Year of Faith

The group, created by Dr. Blythe Kaufman, mother of three and a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, has helped establish Children’s Rosary prayer groups across the country.

Pope stresses ``fundamental'' importance of women in Church

Pope Francis has emphasised the ``fundamental’’ importance of women in the Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, saying they were the first witnesses of Christ and have a special role in spreading

the faith.
The pontiff's decision a week ago to include women in a traditional foot-washing ritual drew ire from traditionalists, who see the custom as a re-enactment of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles and said it should therefore be limited to men.

Pope plans stargazing show at St Peter's Basilica

St Peter's Basilica could be used as a makeshift planetarium

The new Pope is considering letting astronomers use the dome of St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City as a makeshift planetarium, in a bold attempt to heal the long-standing rift between science and religion. Pope Francis has already given his blessing to the plan, which would see the constellations being projected onto the dome's interior as they would have appeared around the time of Jesus's death. The Pope's interest in the cosmos is said to have been sparked after he was shown recent images of the cosmic microwave background – dubbed the echo of the Big Bang – obtained by the European Space Agency's Planck mission.

Pope Appeals For Peace In Nigeria In Easter Message

Pope Francis used his first Easter Sunday address to call for peace in the world and appealed for a diplomatic solution to the crisis torn countries and regions of the world such the Korean peninsula, Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Mail and the Central Republic of Africa.
The Pope decried the continued insurgent attacks in Nigeria when he prayed for Africa and and referred to Mali and Nigeria, “where attacks sadly continue.” He sued for peace across the world.