https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed On Friday afternoon, during a visit to the "school of peace", Pope Leo XIV sought to encourage the young people on the ship to listen in "a world that is increasingly prone to violence, hatred and separation". https://www.thelocal.it/20251018/pope-leo-visits-ship-sailing-the-mediterranean-to-promote-peace Sat, 18 Oct 2025 14:57:59 +0200 pope-leo-visits-ship-sailing-the-mediterranean-to-promote-peace Robert Francis Prevost became the first pope from the United States on Thursday, picking the papal name of Leo XIV and urging people to "build bridges through dialogue" in his first address to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. https://www.thelocal.it/20250508/white-smoke-emerges-from-sistine-chapel-as-new-pope-is-elected Thu, 08 May 2025 20:45:20 +0200 white-smoke-emerges-from-sistine-chapel-as-new-pope-is-elected Catholic cardinals will meet on May 7th to start voting for a new pope, the Vatican announced on Monday, a week after the death of Pope Francis. https://www.thelocal.it/20250428/conclave-to-elect-new-pope-to-start-on-may-7th Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:42:37 +0200 conclave-to-elect-new-pope-to-start-on-may-7th The death of Pope Francis on Monday sets in motion centuries-old traditions which will culminate in the election by cardinals of a new pontiff -- but with a few changes. https://www.thelocal.it/20250421/what-happens-after-the-pope-dies Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:26:04 +0200 what-happens-after-the-pope-dies A man jumped onto the altar of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Friday, knocking off six candelabra worth about €30,000 before officers intervened, reports said. https://www.thelocal.it/20250208/candelabra-damaged-after-man-mounts-vatican-altar Sat, 08 Feb 2025 15:00:31 +0100 candelabra-damaged-after-man-mounts-vatican-altar Homosexual men can train to become Catholic priests in Italy but not if they "support the so-called gay culture", according to new guidelines approved by the Vatican. https://www.thelocal.it/20250111/gay-men-can-train-as-priests-but-dont-flaunt-it-italian-church-says Sat, 11 Jan 2025 10:07:52 +0100 gay-men-can-train-as-priests-but-dont-flaunt-it-italian-church-says Pope Francis opened the "Holy Door" of St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve on Tuesday, launching the Jubilee year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome. https://www.thelocal.it/20241225/pope-francis-launches-holy-jubilee-year-from-vatican Wed, 25 Dec 2024 09:41:24 +0100 pope-francis-launches-holy-jubilee-year-from-vatican Pope Francis will mark Christmas Eve on Tuesday with a special ceremony launching the 2025 Jubilee, a year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome. https://www.thelocal.it/20241224/with-a-holy-door-pope-francis-to-launch-jubilee-year Tue, 24 Dec 2024 09:45:50 +0100 with-a-holy-door-pope-francis-to-launch-jubilee-year From his reforms to his foreign relations, criticism of Pope Francis has intensified since the death of his predecessor Benedict XVI, revealing a climate of "civil war" at a time when the Catholic Church is engaged in a global conversation about its future. https://www.thelocal.it/20230211/pope-francis-addresses-growing-conflict-within-the-church Sat, 11 Feb 2023 10:51:42 +0100 pope-francis-addresses-growing-conflict-within-the-church Pope Francis expressed his pleasure at being once again among his flock on Wednesday as he delivered his weekly general audience in public for the first time in six months. https://www.thelocal.it/20210512/pope-resumes-public-audience-after-six-months-of-coronavirus-closure Wed, 12 May 2021 14:03:03 +0200 pope-resumes-public-audience-after-six-months-of-coronavirus-closure Pope Francis proclaimed vaccines an "essential tool" in ending the pandemic in his Easter Sunday address and urged their swift rollout to the world's poorest countries. https://www.thelocal.it/20210404/pope-calls-for-a-quicker-vaccine-rollout-in-italys-easter-sunday-message Sun, 04 Apr 2021 15:51:29 +0200 pope-calls-for-a-quicker-vaccine-rollout-in-italys-easter-sunday-message Pope Francis held a scaled down 'Way of the Cross' service on Friday in a quiet St. Peter's Square due to Italy's lockdown measures. The poignant procession saw children take the spotlight to share their dreams and fears. https://www.thelocal.it/20210403/children-lead-the-way-in-italys-reduced-good-friday-service Sat, 03 Apr 2021 13:02:03 +0200 children-lead-the-way-in-italys-reduced-good-friday-service Pope Francis has broken with Catholic tradition to appoint a woman as an undersecretary of the synod of bishops, the first to hold the post with voting rights in a body that studies major questions of doctrine. https://www.thelocal.it/20210207/pope-appoints-first-woman-to-senior-synod-post Sun, 07 Feb 2021 12:03:59 +0100 pope-appoints-first-woman-to-senior-synod-post The Vatican on Monday reminded priests they should not be charging fixed prices for celebrating weddings and funerals - a common practice in parts of Italy. https://www.thelocal.it/20200721/pope-warns-italys-priests-to-stop-charging-for-weddings-and-funerals Tue, 21 Jul 2020 10:51:12 +0200 pope-warns-italys-priests-to-stop-charging-for-weddings-and-funerals Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican reopened to visitors on Monday after being closed for over two months under Italy's lockdown orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. https://www.thelocal.it/20200518/italy-reopens-churches-and-resumes-mass Mon, 18 May 2020 13:07:25 +0200 italy-reopens-churches-and-resumes-mass Pope Francis will gather Catholic bishops at the Vatican Sunday to champion the isolated and poverty-struck indigenous communities of the Amazon, whose way of life is under threat. https://www.thelocal.it/20191005/vatican-to-shine-light-on-amazons-indigenous-communities Sat, 05 Oct 2019 12:59:08 +0200 vatican-to-shine-light-on-amazons-indigenous-communities Italy's Foreign Ministry has said it is working with other countries to ensure safety for Asia Bibi, who was acquitted after being sentenced for blasphemy, after her family warned that her life is in danger. https://www.thelocal.it/20181107/italy-offers-to-help-pakistani-woman-in-blasphemy-case Wed, 07 Nov 2018 12:50:08 +0100 italy-offers-to-help-pakistani-woman-in-blasphemy-case Italy’s far-right League has blocked a Muslim group’s attempt to turn a former hospital chapel in Bergamo into a mosque. https://www.thelocal.it/20181029/italy-league-chapel-mosque-bergamo Mon, 29 Oct 2018 13:14:26 +0100 italy-league-chapel-mosque-bergamo Rome's Jewish community is embroiled in a standoff with Israel's top religious authority after it declared the Eternal City's cherished dish of "carciofi alla giudia" (deep-fried whole artichoke) not kosher. https://www.thelocal.it/20180407/romes-jews-reject-israel-artichoke-dictat Sat, 07 Apr 2018 05:02:29 +0200 romes-jews-reject-israel-artichoke-dictat The Vatican has had to set up exorcism training courses to cope with demand after the number of requests for their services tripled in Italy over the space of a few years. https://www.thelocal.it/20180223/vatican-exorcism-training-courses-demand-triples-italy Fri, 23 Feb 2018 11:27:43 +0100 vatican-exorcism-training-courses-demand-triples-italy