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.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation o...
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabi...
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. Presiden...
Leaders of countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) have agreed to hold coordinated population censuses around 2030. They took the decision at the CIS Council of Heads of State meeting in Awaza, Turkmenistan on Friday, media reported.
A powerful explosion has been reported at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, raising fresh concerns over aviation security in Saudi Arabia as tensions across the region continue to escalate.
Britain and Israel have reached a temporary compromise over the future of the British Consulate General in East Jerusalem, easing a diplomatic dispute that had threatened to further strain relations between the two countries.
South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her efforts to promote peace and international law,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Indian police detained more than 2,000 protesters in Delhi on Saturday as authorities blocked a planned demonstration calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over disputed changes to voter lists.
At least 12 people, including three children, have been killed in a Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel exports, questioning why Moscow was granted an economic benefit without an apparent concession towards ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment