Pope makes first visit out of Rome for seven months after health scares

Pope Francis encourages forgiveness and love in visit to Verona

The pope also spoke of the ''genius of Shakespeare'' the playwright who set his famous Romeo and Juliet play in Verona.

Pope Francis speaks about struggles facing people of Haiti during Venice mass

The pontiff also voiced concerns about the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and expressed concerns about the welfare of Rohingya, thousands of whom have fled a bloody military crackdown in Myanmar.

Pope Francis holds mass in St Mark's Square on first trip in months

Vatican Denounces Gender Theory and Surrogacy

Vatican Denounces, Gender Theory and Surrogacy. On April 8, the Vatican released a statement declaring that gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy are violations of human dignity that reject God's plan for human life. Associated Press reports that the Vatican's doctrine office released the 20-page declaration titled 'Infinite Dignity.' . The document, approved on March 25 by Pope Francis, includes a rejection of "gender theory," or the idea that a person's gender can be changed. It follows that any sex-change intervention, as a rule, risks threatening the unique dignity the person has received from the moment of conception, “Infinite Dignity” Vatican doctrine, via Associated Press. AP reports that the document has been criticized as outdated by LGBTQ+ Catholics who call its release harmful and contrary to recognizing the "infinite dignity" of all people. . While it lays out a wonderful rationale for why each human being, regardless of condition in life, must be respected, honored, and loved, it does not apply this principle to gender-diverse people, Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, via Associated Press. The Vatican document also denounces countries that criminalize homosexuality, echoing the pope's 2023 statement that "being homosexual is not a crime." . However, the document also lays out that surrogacy is also a violation of dignity of both the child and the surrogate mother. Previously, the Vatican has focused on the potential for the exploitation of poor women as surrogate mothers. . Considering this, the legitimate desire to have a child cannot be transformed into a ‘right to a child’ that fails to respect the dignity of that child as the recipient of the gift of life, “Infinite Dignity” Vatican doctrine, via Associated Press

Pope Francis calls for a ceasefire in Gaza during a blustery Easter Sunday Mass

Despite health concerns, the pontiff led the service in front of tens of thousands of people who had gathered in St Peter's Square in Vatican City.

This Day in History: Pope John Paul II Is Shot

This Day in History: , Pope John Paul II Is Shot. May 13, 1981. Mehmet Ali Agca shot Pope John Paul several times in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Agca was a Turkish terrorist and fugitive wanted for the murder of a journalist. The Pontiff was rushed to the hospital and survived the attack, asking for Catholics to pray for the would-be assassin. In a trial considered extraordinary because of its short length, Agca was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. In 1983, Pope John Paul visited Agca in prison and publicly forgave him for the shooting. In 2000, the Pope requested a pardon for Agca, which was granted. Agca was released from prison. 14 years later, Argca returned to Rome to lay white roses on John Paul's tomb

European Commission chief von der Leyen visits Rome as campaign trail continues

Prior to her Monday meetings with Italian political leaders, von der Leyen was a guest on national TV, where she spoke about the need to defend Ukraine against Russia's aggression to preserve peace in Europe.

New Analysis Suggests Long-Term Effectiveness for Wegovy Users

New Analysis Suggests , Long-Term Effectiveness , for Wegovy Users . NBC reports that patients taking Novo Nordisk's obesity treatment maintain an average of 10% weight loss over four years. The news potentially boosts the drugmaker's push for Wegovy to be covered by insurers and governments. . The company submitted long-term findings at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy. . This is the longest study we’ve conducted so far of semaglutide for weight loss, Martin Holst Lange, Novo’s head of development, via NBC. We see that once the majority of the weight loss is accrued, you don’t go back and start to increase in weight if you stay on the drug, Martin Holst Lange, Novo’s head of development, via NBC. According to another analysis published by the drugmaker, approximately 17% of trial participants stopped using the treatment due to side effects like nausea. . The costly treatment ranges from $200 to nearly $2,000 per month in the ten countries where the drug is available. NBC reports that Novo Nordisk was the first drugmaker to market GLP-1 agonists, originally developed as a diabetes treatment, to address record high obesity rates. NBC reports that Novo Nordisk was the first drugmaker to market GLP-1 agonists, originally developed as a diabetes treatment, to address record high obesity rates. Rival Eli Lilly launched its drug Zepbound in the United States in December of 2023. . Neither drugmaker has managed to produce enough of the treatment to meet surging demand

Pope greets artists and inmates at Venice Biennale

The Pontiff travelled to Venice to see the Holy See’s pavilion for this year’s Venice Biennale. It’s a first for a pope, and has given the 60th edition of the world’s longest running international art exhibit reason.

Pope meets prisoners and artists in Venice in first trip for months

'Day-tripping a very stressful tourism': Battling mass tourism, Venice introduces day tickets