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Pope Leo XIV urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take a meaningful step in favor of peace during a phone call Wednesday that focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine and the worsening humanitarian situation. The conversation, described by the Vatican as “frank and focused on the urgency of dialogue,” saw the Pope appeal directly for a gesture from Moscow that could help reduce tensions and create the conditions for further diplomatic engagement. According to Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, the Pontiff underlined the “importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek...

Russia does not see the Vatican as a serious venue for peace talks with Ukraine because the Holy See is the seat of Catholicism and is surrounded by Italy, a NATO and EU member, three senior Russian sources told Reuters. They also point out that many Russian officials cannot even fly there due to Western restrictions. The Vatican has so far been silent in public on the idea raised by U.S. President Donald Trump after a call with President Vladimir Putin that Pope Leo XIV could host talks aimed at ending Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two. Italian Prime...

Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Leo XIV on Monday and gave the Chicago-born pontiff a Bears football jersey inscribed with his title. Vance, a Catholic convert, brought along the present on his visit with the first American pope, who said, “Good choice,” as he accepted it. Video obtained by CBS News also shows the vice president handing Pope Leo XIV a letter from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, inviting the new Catholic leader to the White House. “I know you have many things to do, but I wanted to make sure I gave you that...

After leaving the Marines and beginning his higher education, Vice President JD Vance drifted into atheism — struggling, he would eventually write, with feelings of “irrelevance” in his faith and with “a desire for social acceptance among American elites.” Vance, who later converted to Catholicism, this weekend made his second trip to the Vatican in less than a month. On the first visit, Vance met with Pope Francis on Easter, hours before he died. On Sunday, Vance led a U.S. delegation at the inaugural Mass of the first U.S.-born pope, Leo XIV…The vice president scored a prime seat in the...

Vice President J.D. Vance came face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since their Oval Office showdown earlier this year. The two attended Pope Leo XIV's first Sunday mass after being elected the new leader of the Catholic Church – and the first American to ever hold the top post in Vatican City. After the service, Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Vance and Zelensky in Rome for talks aimed at advancing the goal of ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. 'The leaders discussed their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine and provided updates...

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV has suggested that the Vatican could host high-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as Istanbul talks were watered down following Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to come face to face with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin's statement on Friday, the supreme pontiff plans to "if necessary, provide the Vatican, the Holy See, as a direct meeting (place) between the two sides." Parolin has also expressed his disappointment with the talks in Turkey, which took place on Friday. "It's all tragic because we hoped that a...

In the five years since I began writing the Twilight Patriot Substack, I’ve had occasion to mention only one pope — and that was the medieval Pope Innocent III, who appears briefly in my essay on the Magna Carta.If you’re a Catholic and you believe that these men are chosen with the aid of the Holy Spirit, then the reason for refusing to put them in political boxes should be obvious. If, like me, you’re merely an astute observer of events, then just remember how John Paul II annoyed the traditionalists by kissing the Quran as a gesture of friendship...

As scientific discoveries bring humanity closer than ever to confirming the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life, award-winning filmmaker, musician, and UFOlogist Mark Christopher Lee is making an urgent appeal to the newly elected Pope Leo: prepare the Catholic Church — and its global followers — for first contact. Lee, whose work on the intersection of spirituality, disclosure, and UFO phenomena has earned him a dedicated international following, warns that the world is on the verge of a transformational moment — one that could redefine our understanding of religion, science, and the human story itself. Snip... “With new data emerging from...

Pope Leo XIV urged reporters to do their part in protecting the “precious gift of free speech” in his first address to the media on Monday – and also called on governments around the world to release journalists they have imprisoned. The pope called for an improved model of communication that “does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition, and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it.” “The Church must face the challenges posed by the times. In the same...

The Vatican and President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Monday that Pope Leo XIV had spoken with the Ukrainian head of state, offering support to find an end to the ongoing invasion of his country. Vatican News, the official news outlet of the Holy See, offered few details on the conversation, reinforcing Zelensky’s public comments on the matter. Zelensky published an image on social media of himself apparently taking the pontiff’s phone call, praising Pope Leo for a “very warm and truly substantive” conversation. “I thanked His Holiness for his support of Ukraine and all our people. We deeply value his...

Prevost may be regarded a centrist but his older brother Lou is a huge Trump supporter! And, Lou doesn’t hide his affection for President Trump. Lou posted this last month on Facebook! Here are a few of Lou’s thoughts.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte announced on Sunday that she would soon present two proposals: to hold presidential elections this year, rather than in 2026 as planned, and “total” constitutional reform. Boluarte vowed to make the changes if the nation’s Congress failed to pass the measures. The latter, a core demand of far-left rioters whose violence has resulted in 58 deaths and counting, would essentially result in a complete overhaul of Peru’s constitution. Leftists have been rioting in the country for nearly two months, erecting roadblocks to cut food supplies and burning down historic buildings, following the impeachment and arrest of...

Because this is a podcast, I'll provide a summary: Sowell says Robert Francis Prevost was elevated to Pope because he is an able administrator, a voice of calmness, and accumulated a cosmopolitan resume. His elevation to Pope followed another who presided over social activism and moral drift. Sowell says Pope Francis gained applause from secular institutions and the elite of the world, at the cost of shrinking congregations; and, the Cardinal-Electors chose Prevost for preservation rather than change.

"People are going to be thrilled to hear the pope speak in their language with an American accent," [David] Fink [a professor of religion at Furman University] said.

Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV. The 69-year-old is the first American to become a pontiff and will lead members of the Catholic Church's global community of 1.4bn people. Born in Chicago, he is seen as a reformer and worked for many years as a missionary in Peru before being made an archbishop there. He also has Peruvian nationality and is fondly remembered as a figure who worked with marginalised communities and helped build bridges in the local Church. Why do popes choose different names? One of the first acts of...

The Catholic Church’s new Pope has publicly described migration as a “huge problem” even as he also urges Christians to treat migrants with respect. “It’s a huge problem, and it’s a problem worldwide, not only in this country. There’s got to be a way both to solve the problem, but also treat people with respect,” then-Cardinal Robert Prevost preached in a Catholic Mass, according to an undated video: His comments recognized both the Catholic Church’s universalist and idealist perspective and the practical management problem facing elected secular governments: Both the first [Old Testament] reading and the [New Testament] Gospel make...

Robert Francis Prevost, who was selected as the Catholic Church’s first American pope Thursday and took the name Leo XIV, has a family history that some were celebrating as uniquely diverse, with one genealogist claiming he has ties to “free people of color” in New Orleans. Key Facts The maternal side of Pope Leo XIV’s family can be traced back to at least the 1840s among “free people of color” in New Orleans, according to Jari C. Honora, a genealogist with the Historic New Orleans Collection, a research center documenting the city’s history. Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., who represents New...

Grand Old Popey. Pope Leo XIV was an active voter who participated in several Republican primaries in recent years and voted in the most recent presidential election, according to a report. Then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, a Chicago native, pulled the lever in Republican primaries in 2012, 2014, and 2016, the Washington Free Beacon reported, citing election records. The Dolton, Illinois, born pontifex also voted in general elections in 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2024, the report stated.

Why pick the first American Pope now? Robert Prevost was made Pope Leo XIV as a counterweight to President Trump. There’s been little ambiguity about the new pope’s politics and less about the overall agenda. Pope Francis had all but rigged the process to assure another radical successor.

NEW ORLEANS — The first American Pope has a family history with deep ties to New Orleans.