Pope Francis made history on Sunday as the first pontiff to visit Corsica, the French Mediterranean island, during a brief trip focused on faith and the region's cultural heritage.
Pope Francis has made a historic trip to Corsica, becoming the first pope to visit the French Mediterranean island. Landing in the capital city of Ajaccio on Sunday, the visit marks his 47th foreign trip since taking the papal office in 2013.
The pontiff's itinerary includes addressing a conference on popular religiosity across the Mediterranean region, a subject that reflects the deep cultural and religious traditions of the area. Corsica, known for its stunning mountainous landscapes and as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, holds significant historical and cultural importance as the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean.
With an estimated 81.5% of its 356,000 residents identifying as Catholic, Corsica remains a deeply religious region. However, the island faces ongoing economic challenges, with approximately 20% of its population living below the poverty line.
During his visit, Pope Francis is expected to meet with Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who has led the Catholic Church in Corsica since 2021 and was elevated to cardinal by the pope in 2023. The trip continues Pope Francis’s focus on the Mediterranean region, following his previous visits to Malta, Lesbos, and Lampedusa, where he emphasized themes of migration, faith, and solidarity.
This unprecedented visit underlines the Vatican’s commitment to addressing both spiritual and social issues in the Mediterranean, a region that remains a key focus for the pontiff's papacy.
Pope Francis' health was so precarious during his recent 38-day hospital stay that his doctors considered halting treatment at one point, allowing him to pass away peacefully, according to the head of his medical team.
After spending 38 days in hospital battling double pneumonia, Pope Francis made his first public appearance on Sunday since February 14 and returned to the Vatican.
Pope Francis has welcomed the progress in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He described the steps taken toward peace in the South Caucasus as a "sign of hope" and emphasized that this process could serve as an example for resolving other conflicts.
Pope Francis appeared publicly for the first time in more than five weeks on Sunday, offering a brief wave from a balcony at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital before leaving the facility.
Pope Francis will be discharged from the hospital on Sunday after 38 days of treatment for life-threatening pneumonia. Doctors report steady recovery, though he will require two months of rest and rehabilitation.
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle is advising him against speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless Russia commits to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, is visiting Washington this week for talks with members of the Trump administration, sparking fresh speculation over behind-the-scenes diplomacy between Moscow and Washington.
A Russian drone strike hit residential buildings in Kharkiv late on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 32 others, Ukrainian officials said, as nightly attacks on the country's cities continue to mount.
In Sydney’s Bennelong, where Chinese Australians make up a large share of the electorate, the fight for votes is playing out on unexpected turf: Xiaohongshu.
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle is advising him against speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin unless Russia commits to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, is visiting Washington this week for talks with members of the Trump administration, sparking fresh speculation over behind-the-scenes diplomacy between Moscow and Washington.
A Russian drone strike hit residential buildings in Kharkiv late on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 32 others, Ukrainian officials said, as nightly attacks on the country's cities continue to mount.
In Sydney’s Bennelong, where Chinese Australians make up a large share of the electorate, the fight for votes is playing out on unexpected turf: Xiaohongshu.
Leaders from Central Asia and the European Union will meet in Samarkand on April 4 for the first-ever EU-Central Asia Summit, aimed at deepening ties. Talks will focus on trade, investment, green energy, and security — marking a new era of cooperation.
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