#PopeLeo appears outside St Peter’s Basilica to greet the crowd gathered there under the rain. This just before he celebrates his first Christmas Eve mass since his election seven months ago. He greets and blesses them, thanking them for their courage and desire to be there
🇮🇹 🌡️ In #Italy, 18 cities remain under the highest heat alert on Wednesday as the country continues to bear the brunt of an intense #heatwave, prompting authorities in more than half of the country's regions to issue a ban on outdoor work in the afternoon.
@seemagup has more ⤵️
🇮🇹 Activist groups in #Venice have been up in arms and staged multiple protests ahead of US multi-billionaire Jeff #Bezos’s wedding to Lauren Sanchez scheduled for this weekend.
Our correspondent in #Rome@seemagup has the latest ⤵️
Pope Leo XIV holds a private audience with US Vice President James David (J.D.) Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attended the Inauguration Mass of his pontificate on Sunday.
https://t.co/3XTs1m2fuk
After singing the Regina Coeli, Pope Lio XIV denounced (as Pope Francis did) a WWIII being fought at piecemeal, and repeated Pope Paul VI appeal to the powerful of the world: "Never again war."
He asked for prayers, and real and lasting peace for "beloved" Ukraine; expressed pain over what's happening in the Gaza Strip and celebrated the agreement between India and Pakistan.
The Vatican fire brigade has put up the chimney stack, which will announce the election of the new Pope.
The Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel on May 7 to begin the conclave to select the next Pope.
Twice a day, in the morning (except on May 7) and in the evening, smoke will emerge from the chimney - black if no Pope has been elected and white if at least 89 Cardinals have agreed on who will lead the Catholic Church.
Apre al pubblico la tomba di Papa Francesco a Santa Maria Maggiore, i fedeli sfilano davanti alla lapide. In fila famiglie, pellegrini, religiosi ma anche atei #ANSA https://t.co/eR0BW4KGcQ
"This dialogue is what creates peace. It is impossible for peace to exist without dialogue. All the wars, all the strife, all the unsolved problems over which we clash are due to a lack of dialogue. When there is a problem, talk: this makes peace." - Pope Francis, 2013
Buon giorno from the top of #StPeter’s basilica as the faithful are gathering ahead of religious and world leaders this morning for the first papal funeral of a sitting pope in 20 years #PopeFrancis@France24_en