The Local France https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Blast hits Rome church as Hollande meets Pope A handmade bomb exploded outside a French church in the Italian capital of Rome on Friday just hours before the French President François Hollande was due in the city for a landmark meeting with Pope Francis. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140124/breaking-blast-outside-french-church-in-rome Fri, 24 Jan 2014 10:26:00 +0100 breaking-blast-outside-french-church-in-rome Hollande set for 'no holds barred' summit with Pope French President François Hollande can expect a rough ride when he meets Pope Francis on Friday. After legalising gay marriage, softening laws on abortion, vowing to explore a change to euthanasia and allegedly being caught having a fling, Hollande may have some explaining to do. https://www.thelocal.fr/20140124/francois-hollande-pope-francis-rome-french-president-visit Fri, 24 Jan 2014 09:21:00 +0100 francois-hollande-pope-francis-rome-french-president-visit Vatican denies Pope made call to gay Catholic The Vatican firmly denied reports in France on Friday that Pope Francis had telephoned a young gay French Catholic to reassure him. Christophe Trutino had claimed in a newspaper interview the Pontiff had told him “Your homosexuality. It doesn't matter" in a personal call. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130906/pope-calls-gay-french-student-to-reassure-him Fri, 06 Sep 2013 11:54:00 +0200 pope-calls-gay-french-student-to-reassure-him France salutes election of Pope Francis Political leaders in France warmly acknowledged the election of Argentine Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new head of the Catholic Church. Some on the left in France, however, criticized the Vatican conclave's choice of pontiff. https://www.thelocal.fr/20130314/france-salutes-election-of-pope-francois Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:24:00 +0100 france-salutes-election-of-pope-francois