https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/521232/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Reuters Reuters Pope Leo on Monday ⁠said concerns that artificial intelligence ⁠could destroy the world are not “fake news” and should be taken seriously, in an apparent rebuke of US President Donald Trump. The first US pope, who has warned of the dangers of AI throughout his 16-month papacy, also directly criticised technology CEOs ‌who argued there should be no guardrails on the technology. “I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI, should be taken seriously,” the pontiff... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369117/pope-leo-says-concerns-about-ai-doom-scenarios-are-not-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369117/pope-leo-says-concerns-about-ai-doom-scenarios-are-not-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:45:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Saturday celebrated an open-air mass in front of hundreds of thousands of faithful in Paris after riding in the Popemobile along the iconic Champs Elysees to the cheers of huge crowds clutching French and Vatican flags. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is on a four-day trip to France, a secular country with deep Catholic roots, on the first official papal visit to France in nearly two decades. In the highlight of the visit’s second day, the 71-year-old pope led... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368916/pope-celebrates-giant-paris-mass-landmark-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368916/pope-celebrates-giant-paris-mass-landmark-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:15:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Friday warned against losing humanity in a “paradise of machines”, after church bells rang and thousands gathered to welcome him to France amid worldwide concern over the dangers of artificial intelligence. “If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” Leo said after President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him to the presidential palace, on the first of four days... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368852/paris-pope-warns-against-losing-humanity-paradise-machines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3368852/paris-pope-warns-against-losing-humanity-paradise-machines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:14:40 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s Catholic diocese has urged worshippers to avoid masses led by a conservative group excommunicated by the Vatican after a priest from the fraternity was reported to be holding regular events in the city. The diocese’s call came about a month after the Vatican excommunicated followers of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) over the group’s decision to consecrate four new bishops against the direct instruction of Pope Leo XIV. In a statement on Monday, the diocese said the traditional... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3362818/hong-kong-church-goers-urged-avoid-masses-breakaway-catholic-group-sspx?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/society/article/3362818/hong-kong-church-goers-urged-avoid-masses-breakaway-catholic-group-sspx?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 11:19:28 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao Joseph Chang Yanfeng was ordained bishop of Chifeng in China’s northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Wednesday, highlighting the uneasy diplomatic engagement between Beijing and the Vatican on the sensitive issue of Catholic appointments. According to Vatican News, Pope Leo XIV approved Chang’s appointment on June 15, under the terms of a 2018 provisional agreement between the Holy See and Beijing. The ordination fills a vacancy for the Catholic diocese of Chifeng that had lasted nearly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361584/vatican-and-beijing-agree-new-china-bishop-ordination-fills-20-year-vacancy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3361584/vatican-and-beijing-agree-new-china-bishop-ordination-fills-20-year-vacancy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Saturday visited Italy’s Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders. The Catholic Church’s first US pope, who has clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over its treatment of migrants, is marking July 4, the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, on a migration frontline. Leo’s visit also comes just two weeks after the European Union’s approval of new migrant... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3359410/pope-visits-africa-europe-crossing-anti-migrant-policies-rise-us-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3359410/pope-visits-africa-europe-crossing-anti-migrant-policies-rise-us-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2026 09:04:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Vatican on Thursday excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St Pius X and said any lay believers who “formally adhere” to the group would suffer the same fate. The Vatican decree comes a day after the traditionalist breakaway group consecrated four new bishops, defying a plea from Pope Leo not to do so. The decree called the ceremony “an act of schismatic nature”. For the Holy See, consecrating bishops without the approval of the pope is a direct act of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3359157/vatican-excommunicates-6-bishops-rebel-catholic-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3359157/vatican-excommunicates-6-bishops-rebel-catholic-group?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:58:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters More than 100 Catholic bishops, nuns, priests and parishioners joined a procession across ⁠the US-Mexico border on Friday evening, urging the US government to treat migrants with dignity and respect. The procession, from Nogales, Arizona, to its sister city in the Mexican state of Sonora, was planned to coincide with commemorations of America’s 250th anniversary. “We want to be well together. This is what the Church is all about,” Bishop of Tucson, Arizona, James Misko said as he celebrated mass... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358618/us-mexico-catholic-bishops-call-humane-treatment-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3358618/us-mexico-catholic-bishops-call-humane-treatment-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2026 14:59:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo on Saturday exalted the first American saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, as a model for Christians today to care for migrants in need, as he visited her birthplace during a day trip to northern Italy. Leo, who has clashed with the Trump administration over its migrant crackdown, urged young people in particular to learn about Cabrini’s life and service, once again confirming history’s first US pope as the heir to Pope Francis in prioritising the plight of migrants. Leo prayed before... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357842/pope-leo-exalts-first-american-saint-model-christians-her-care-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357842/pope-leo-exalts-first-american-saint-model-christians-her-care-migrants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2026 17:29:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Italy’s foreign minister on Friday cancelled a visit to the United States over reported comments by US President Donald Trump that appeared to mock Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “The grave and offensive words of President Trump … offend the whole of Italy,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who had been due to visit the US on Sunday and Monday, said on social media. Meloni said she was “stunned” by Trump’s comments to Italian channel La7 in which, according to a transcript provided by the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357722/italian-minister-cancels-us-trip-after-trump-claims-meloni-begged-him-photo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3357722/italian-minister-cancels-us-trip-after-trump-claims-meloni-begged-him-photo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:14:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Even popes have travel delays. Lucky for Pope Leo, King Felipe VI offered a way out, and a way home. Leo’s Iberia charter, due to take him back to Rome after a week-long visit to Spain, was grounded by a technical problem Friday, prompting Spain’s king to offer his private jet instead. Felipe escorted Leo to his Falcon on the tarmac at the airport in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. Leo and members of his delegation boarded the plane and took off, more than three hours after he was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356976/pope-leos-plane-grounded-so-spains-king-gives-him-ride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356976/pope-leos-plane-grounded-so-spains-king-gives-him-ride?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:49:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Wednesday blessed a giant new tower at Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia Basilica after celebrating mass inside what is now the world’s tallest church. A choir of 600 singers performed at the service which lasted around 90 minutes and was attended by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as well as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The stained-glass windows in various colours shone brightly in between the treelike columns of the temple as Leo delivered his homily in Spanish, Catalan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356678/pope-leo-blesses-new-tower-spains-sagrada-familia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356678/pope-leo-blesses-new-tower-spains-sagrada-familia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:43:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Monday told Spain’s parliament that escalating conflict, deepening polarisation and widespread disregard for human rights had pushed the world into a profound crisis, in one of his most expansive political addresses yet. Leo, who has adopted a more forceful tone recently against the direction of global leadership, also firmly repeated his opposition to increased European military spending, urging politicians instead to end the wars ravaging the ‌globe and help migrants. “The world is... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356278/more-1-million-people-flood-madrid-streets-see-pope-leo-preside-over-open-air-mass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356278/more-1-million-people-flood-madrid-streets-see-pope-leo-preside-over-open-air-mass?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2026 16:50:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo on Saturday urged global leaders to avoid dividing their electorates with “sterile simplifications” to gain popularity and called on them to listen to the world’s cries for peace, in a forceful speech opening a week-long tour of Spain. Leo, who has angered US President Donald Trump by criticising his anti-immigration policies and the Iran war, will meet homeless people in Madrid and migrants in the Canary Islands during a visit he has said he hopes will set an example to the world about... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356222/pope-leo-urges-end-polarising-narratives-spain-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3356222/pope-leo-urges-end-polarising-narratives-spain-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 13:39:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo called for the “disarming” of artificial intelligence in his long-awaited manifesto on the rapidly developing technology on Monday, and warned of “new forms of slavery” behind its rise. The “just war” theory – espoused recently by the Trump administration – was “outdated”, Pope Leo XIV wrote in his first encyclical, which he presented in person at the Vatican, alongside AI experts including the co-founder of US giant Anthropic. The first US pope, who has clashed with the White House... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3354770/pope-calls-disarming-ai-technology-should-be-human-friendly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3354770/pope-calls-disarming-ai-technology-should-be-human-friendly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 10:31:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo on Saturday called out companies who seek “dizzying” profits at the cost of environmental pollution, on a visit to an area in Italy known as a hotbed for illegal dumping of toxic waste. On a visit to Acerra, ‌about 220 km (137 miles) south of Rome, the first US pope urged the world to “reject temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the land, water, air, and social coexistence”. Leo said he wanted to come to the area near Naples known as the “Land of Fires” –... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3354626/pope-leo-urges-end-pollution-criticises-profits-earned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3354626/pope-leo-urges-end-pollution-criticises-profits-earned?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 10:08:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo and the co-founder of artificial intelligence company Anthropic will launch the pontiff’s first encyclical on May 25, a document on the care of human dignity in the era of AI, the Vatican said on Monday. An encyclical is an official letter from the pope to Roman Catholic bishops, usually to make a statement on official teachings. The presence of Anthropic’s Christopher Olah at the Vatican is significant, and suggests that the US pope’s position on AI will become a new flashpoint with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354013/pope-leo-anthropic-launch-pontiffs-first-ai-document-focusing-human-dignity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354013/pope-leo-anthropic-launch-pontiffs-first-ai-document-focusing-human-dignity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 14:47:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Secretary of State Marco Rubio left the Vatican on Thursday after seeing Pope Leo in what was expected to have been a fraught meeting following President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the Catholic leader over the Iran war. Rubio spent 2-1/2 hours at the Vatican before driving away in a convoy under tight security. He met initially Leo before ‌sitting down with senior Vatican officials, including top diplomat Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. “The meeting underscored the strong... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3352797/rubio-meets-pope-leo-vatican-defuse-tensions-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3352797/rubio-meets-pope-leo-vatican-defuse-tensions-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 12:30:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo will inaugurate the soaring central tower of Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia basilica when he visits Spain next month in a week-long trip that will also take him to a migrant reception centre in the Canary Islands, the Vatican said on Wednesday. The June 6-12 visit will first bring Leo to Madrid for meetings with the government, parliament and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. He will also preside over a prayer vigil with young people that will recall the last time a pope visited... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3352659/pope-inaugurate-barcelonas-sagrada-familia-june-trip-spain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3352659/pope-inaugurate-barcelonas-sagrada-familia-june-trip-spain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 14:09:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse It was the perfect split-screen for the race to succeed Donald Trump – so long as your name is Marco Rubio and not J.D. Vance. In a packed White House briefing room, journalists shouted over each other in a bid to get a question from the US secretary of state. At the same time Vice-President Vance – Rubio’s most likely rival for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination – was hundreds of kilometres away from the action at a political fundraiser in Oklahoma. “Guys, this is chaos,” said Rubio as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352603/rubios-star-rising-trump-world-duel-vance-2028-heats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352603/rubios-star-rising-trump-world-duel-vance-2028-heats?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 08:38:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Pope Leo, potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make to the Vatican on Thursday. In an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Trump said the first American-born pontiff was helping Iran and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating immigrants with disrespect. “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352541/trump-renews-attacks-pope-leo-just-days-rubios-vatican-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352541/trump-renews-attacks-pope-leo-just-days-rubios-vatican-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 18:55:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on a trip to Rome this week, in the wake of the pontiff’s clash with US President Donald Trump, a Vatican source said on Sunday. The source confirmed Italian media reports about the meeting, which newspapers said would take place on Thursday in an attempt to “thaw” relations. It comes just weeks after Trump’s extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo over the Catholic leader’s anti-war rhetoric. The private visit with the top US diplomat, who is a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352292/rubio-visit-rome-meet-pope-leo-after-trump-row-attempt-thaw-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352292/rubio-visit-rome-meet-pope-leo-after-trump-row-attempt-thaw-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 18:14:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo and new Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally met for the first time on Monday, in a symbolic encounter at the Vatican in which the leaders of the long-separated Catholic Church and Church of England exchanged gifts and prayed together. Mullally, the first woman to serve as spiritual leader of the world’s 85 million Anglicans, was ‌welcomed by Leo, the first US leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, into his formal office at the Vatican’s ornate apostolic palace. The two, who... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3351618/pope-meets-first-female-archbishop-canterbury-symbolic-vatican-encounter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3351618/pope-meets-first-female-archbishop-canterbury-symbolic-vatican-encounter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:36:06 +0000 dpa dpa Pope Leo has called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty on Saturday, a day after the US administration mulled expanding the penalty. “The dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed,” Leo said in a video message marking the 15th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in his home state of Illinois. “The Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from the moment of conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3351441/pope-leo-urges-worldwide-abolition-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3351441/pope-leo-urges-worldwide-abolition-death-penalty?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 15:51:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters A top envoy to ⁠US President Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the coming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The plan is an effort to repair ‌ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (Fifa president ⁠Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351060/trump-envoy-seeks-replace-iran-italy-world-cup-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351060/trump-envoy-seeks-replace-iran-italy-world-cup-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:07:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo on Tuesday used the fourth and final leg of his Africa tour in Equatorial Guinea to denounce the “colonisation” of Africa’s minerals and the “lust for power” in a country whose president has been in office since 1979. Adoring crowds in the largely Catholic country lined the road from the airport into the administrative capital, Malabo, cheering the first pope to visit since St John Paul II in 1982. Wearing his formal red mozzetta cape, Leo thrilled the flag-waving masses by arriving at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350961/pope-leo-denounces-colonisation-minerals-final-leg-africa-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350961/pope-leo-denounces-colonisation-minerals-final-leg-africa-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:54:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump and many of his leading Christian supporters and top Republicans are taking part this week in a marathon reading of the Bible in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a “return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country”. The America Reads the Bible event – with each participant reading a passage aloud – is being live-streamed from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations. It featured a video of Trump from the Oval Office on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350934/trump-reads-bible-after-high-profile-clash-pope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350934/trump-reads-bible-after-high-profile-clash-pope?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:48:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo lamented during an event in Angola on Monday that many people in the world were being “exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the rich”, the latest example of a forceful new speaking style he has adopted on his ‌four-nation Africa tour. The first US pope, who has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump with his more outspoken comments, told worshippers at a Mass in Saurimo, near the Democratic Republic of Congo border, that violence and oppression went against the Christian... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350762/pope-leo-criticises-exploitation-worlds-authoritarians-during-angola-trip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350762/pope-leo-criticises-exploitation-worlds-authoritarians-during-angola-trip?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:55:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo on Sunday recalled the “sorrow and great suffering” Angolans endured for centuries, as the American pope prayed at a Catholic shrine located at the site of an important hub of the African slave trade during Portugal’s colonial rule. Leo travelled to the Sanctuary of Mama Muxima, nestled in the Angolan savannahs of baobab trees at the edge of the Kwanza River. It became a major pilgrimage destination after believers reported an appearance by the Virgin Mary around 1833. But the Church of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350655/pope-leo-prays-catholic-shrine-angola-was-centre-african-slave-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350655/pope-leo-prays-catholic-shrine-angola-was-centre-african-slave-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:25:23 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo sought ⁠to downplay his feud ⁠with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, ⁠saying reporting about comments he has made so far during his Africa tour “has not been accurate in all its aspects”. Speaking to reporters in English aboard his flight to Angola for the third leg of his ambitious 10-day Africa tour, the first US pope said comments ‌he made two days earlier in Cameroon decrying that the world was being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” were not aimed at Trump. That speech, said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350604/pope-leo-seeks-defuse-tensions-trump-says-not-trying-debate-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350604/pope-leo-seeks-defuse-tensions-trump-says-not-trying-debate-him?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 03:32:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo called on Cameroonians on Friday to reject violence and be generous with their neighbours during an event billed as the biggest of his four-nation Africa tour, with roughly 120,000 people flocking to a mass he led in the port city of Douala. Amid heavy security, some believers had made their way on Thursday to the city’s Japoma ‌Stadium, venue of the mass, and slept overnight outside on mats to hear Friday’s address from the pontiff, who has become outspoken on war and inequality and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350542/pope-urges-cameroon-reject-violence-mass-draws-120000-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350542/pope-urges-cameroon-reject-violence-mass-draws-120000-people?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:15:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo blasted leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants”, in unusually forceful remarks in Cameroon on Thursday after US President Donald Trump attacked him again on social media. Leo, the first US pope, also decried leaders who used religious language to justify wars and urged a “decisive change of course” in a meeting in the biggest city ‌in Cameroon’s anglophone regions, where a simmering conflict going back nearly a decade has left... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350355/cameroon-pope-leo-assails-tyrants-ravaging-world-amid-trump-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350355/cameroon-pope-leo-assails-tyrants-ravaging-world-amid-trump-row?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:50:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump posted an image of Jesus embracing him on Wednesday, as a war of words between his administration and the pope showed little sign of abating. The image, reposted to Trump’s Truth Social account, shows Trump with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a similarly posed Jesus. Trump is standing behind a microphone, and behind him is an American flag. The original post ‌had a caption that included the words: “God might be playing his Trump card!” Trump’s repost... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350224/trump-posts-image-jesus-hugging-him-amid-row-pope-over-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350224/trump-posts-image-jesus-hugging-him-amid-row-pope-over-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:44:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo has said the world needs to hear a message of peace and coexistence, after US President Donald Trump attacked him for a second time this week on social media. Speaking on Wednesday during his flight from Algeria to Cameroon for the second leg of a whirlwind 10-day ‌Africa tour, the first US pontiff urged respect for all people and said his travels so far had shown the importance of pursuing dialogue between different communities. “Although we have different beliefs, we have different... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350217/pope-leo-stresses-message-peace-and-unity-despite-another-trump-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/africa/article/3350217/pope-leo-stresses-message-peace-and-unity-despite-another-trump-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:15:08 +0000 Gloria Tso Gloria Tso Yves Saint Laurent famously once said that fashion fades, but style is eternal. For designer Filippo Sorcinelli, who fashions garments for one of the world’s most revered religious figures, that statement carries even greater weight. Having dressed three popes – Benedict, Francis and now Leo – for some of their most notable appearances for the better part of two decades, Sorcinelli, 50, is now affectionately known as the pope’s tailor, his intricately embroidered liturgical vestments akin to the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3349975/designer-filippo-sorcinelli-dressing-last-three-popes-interview?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3349975/designer-filippo-sorcinelli-dressing-last-three-popes-interview?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:00:09 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service US President Donald Trump on Monday defended his now deleted social media post that appeared to depict himself as Jesus Christ, contending that it was meant to portray him as “a doctor” after right-wing figures continued a recent trend of pushing back on the president’s recent comments. “Well, it wasn’t a depiction. It was me, I did post it. And I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross,” Trump said during an impromptu event at the White House. “There was a Red Cross worker... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349972/trump-claims-jesus-meme-caused-outcry-was-him-doctor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349972/trump-claims-jesus-meme-caused-outcry-was-him-doctor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:36:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo on Sunday night, saying he did not think the US-born global leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church was “doing a very good job” and that “he’s a very liberal person”, while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left”. Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo, then kept it up after disembarking, in comments on the tarmac... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349830/trump-attacks-pope-leo-calling-him-weak-crime-and-terrible-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349830/trump-attacks-pope-leo-calling-him-weak-crime-and-terrible-foreign-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:02:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fuelling the US-Israel war on Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace. Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter’s Basilica on the same day the US and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held. History’s first US-born pope did not mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3349769/pope-leo-slams-delusion-omnipotence-stoking-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3349769/pope-leo-slams-delusion-omnipotence-stoking-us-israeli-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:25:35 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The Pentagon and the Vatican denied allegations of a rift following Pope Leo’s criticism of the Trump administration and a news report of a contentious meeting between a papal envoy and a top US defence official. In separate statements, the two sides both professed an eagerness to get along, saying the meeting that occurred in January was frank but polite. The Defence Department issued a statement that said “we have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349613/pentagon-plays-down-rift-vatican-despite-pope-leos-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3349613/pentagon-plays-down-rift-vatican-despite-pope-leos-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:15:07 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin,Orange Wang Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a ceasefire agreement with the United States brokered by Pakistan, as the two sides also agreed to start negotiations in Islamabad on Friday for a peace deal. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would pause its bombing campaign in Iran for two weeks, calling it a “double-sided ceasefire” requested by Pakistani mediators in a last-minute bid to create space for diplomacy. In a social media post, Trump said the suspension of military action was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3349299/trump-agrees-suspend-bombing-iran-2-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:28:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo celebrated his first Easter Mass as pontiff with a call on Sunday to lay down arms and seek peace to global conflicts through dialogue, but he departed from a tradition of listing the world’s woes by name in the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. Leo, the first US-born pope, emphasised Easter’s message of hope as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified, in both the blessing and his homily. “Let us allow our hearts to be transformed by his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3349090/pope-leo-calls-peace-dialogue-amid-ukraine-iran-wars-easter-mass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3349090/pope-leo-calls-peace-dialogue-amid-ukraine-iran-wars-easter-mass?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:35:27 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle The dramatic launch of the first manned space mission to the moon for more than 50 years invokes a childlike sense of excitement and wonder, with reflections on the prospect of another giant leap for mankind. Four astronauts, three from the United States and one from Canada, are on course to travel further away from Earth than any of their predecessors, circling the moon. Some of us are old enough to remember the first lunar missions in the 1960s and ’70s. These formed the backdrop to our... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/article/3349049/lunar-mission-gives-fresh-perspective-troubled-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/article/3349049/lunar-mission-gives-fresh-perspective-troubled-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo lifted a wooden cross and held it aloft from his waist at the start of the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on his first Good Friday as pontiff, marking the first time in decades that a pope has set out to carry the cross to every station. “I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in the world today, and for this voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says Christ still suffers,” Leo told reporters this week... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3349008/pope-leo-carries-cross-full-good-friday-procession-first-do-so-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3349008/pope-leo-carries-cross-full-good-friday-procession-first-do-so-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:50:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pope Leo on Saturday denounced the widening gap between the haves and have-nots as he visited Monaco, a millionaires’ playground that is the surprise pick for the first Western European trip of his papacy. Arriving by helicopter from Rome, the Pope was greeted by Monaco’s ruler Prince Albert II and his wife Princess Charlene at Monte Carlo’s heliport under radiant sunshine. Just after his arrival at the tiny principality on the French Riviera, Leo condemned what he termed the widening “chasms... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3348236/pope-leo-heads-swanky-monaco-pro-poor-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3348236/pope-leo-heads-swanky-monaco-pro-poor-message?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 06:05:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pope Leo XIV demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East on Sunday in his strongest comments to date, directly addressing the leaders who launched the war in Iran. “On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Pope Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace that the people are waiting for.” Pope Leo did not cite the United States... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3346681/cease-fire-pope-leo-demands-end-middle-east-war-urging-those-responsible-talk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3346681/cease-fire-pope-leo-demands-end-middle-east-war-urging-those-responsible-talk?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:36:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Pope Leo lamented ⁠a world “in flames” ⁠due to wars and ⁠the destruction of the environment during an Ash Wednesday Mass, opening the season of Lent for the world’s Christians. Before sprinkling ashes on the heads of participants, a sign of mortality, ‌the pope said the ashes could represent “the weight of a world that is ablaze, of entire cities destroyed by war”. He also told participants the ashes could signify “the ashes of international law and justice among peoples, [and] the ashes of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3343941/pope-leo-laments-world-flames-ash-wednesday-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3343941/pope-leo-laments-world-flames-ash-wednesday-service?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:06:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sarah Mullally was confirmed as Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England. The worldwide Anglican Communion, which includes the Episcopal Church in the US, has no formal head, but the archbishop traditionally has been seen as its spiritual leader. Mullally, 63, a cancer nurse turned cleric, officially took up the responsibilities of her new job as judges presided over a legal ceremony confirming her appointment, which was announced almost four... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3341578/sarah-mullally-confirmed-archbishop-canterbury-first-woman-lead-church-england?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3341578/sarah-mullally-confirmed-archbishop-canterbury-first-woman-lead-church-england?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:42:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse All 40 people who perished in a New Year’s fire at a Swiss ski resort bar were identified on Sunday, with half of them under the age of 18. A heavy pall of grief hung over Crans-Montana as more than a thousand mourners walked in silence through the resort to remember those killed and injured in the tragic blaze at the Le Constellation bar. After days of agonising uncertainty for loved ones, local police on Sunday finished identifying the fire’s 40 fatalities. Their ages ranged from 39 to two who... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3338700/raw-emotion-mourners-pay-tribute-victims-swiss-ski-resort-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3338700/raw-emotion-mourners-pay-tribute-victims-swiss-ski-resort-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 20:18:47 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain’s King Charles called for “compassion and reconciliation” at a time of “division” across the world in his Christmas Day message on Thursday. The 77-year-old monarch said he found it “enormously encouraging” how people of different faiths had a “shared longing for peace”. Charles praised individuals who risked their lives to save others in situations of violence, including those caught up in the killings at a Jewish event at Bondi Beach in Australia this month. “Individuals and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3337748/king-charles-calls-reconciliation-christmas-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3337748/king-charles-calls-reconciliation-christmas-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 23:05:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In an appeal on Thursday during a message and blessing given at Christmas and Easter, Pope Leo called for an end to all global wars. Speaking from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he lamented conflicts, political, ‌social or military, in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, ‌and Thailand and Cambodia, among others. Leo said people in Ukraine, where Russian troops are threatening cities critical to the country’s eastern defences, have been... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3337672/pope-leo-celebrates-first-christmas-pontiff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3337672/pope-leo-celebrates-first-christmas-pontiff?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 23:56:39 +0000