Sep 26, 2026
A suspect has been arrested following an attack on the famous Medjugorje pilgrimage site in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where a Virgin Mary statue was vandalized with graffiti reading 'Devil in a skirt' and parts of the shrine were set on fire.
Pope Leo marked his first anniversary as head of the Catholic Church by calling on world leaders to calm global tensions and reduce hatred, one day after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican.
President Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo over the pontiff's stance on Iran, accusing him of endangering Catholics, while the Pope denied Trump's claim that he supports nuclear weapons. The dispute comes ahead of Secretary of State Rubio's trip to Rome and marks what Vatican officials describe as an unprecedented low in U.S.-Vatican relations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to the Vatican for talks with Pope Leo XIV in what observers view as an effort to repair strained relations between the White House and the Holy See. The Vatican emphasized the need to work for peace during the meeting, which follows weeks of tension including a reported clash over Iran policy.
Pope Leo observed World Press Freedom Day on Sunday by condemning ongoing violations of media freedom worldwide and paying tribute to journalists who have been killed while reporting from war zones and conflict areas.
Pope Leo XIV delivered unusually forceful remarks in Cameroon blasting leaders who spend billions on wars, in comments widely seen as directed at US President Trump following their recent public dispute. The Pope urged Cameroon to tackle corruption and called for peace during his four-nation Africa tour.
Pope Leo XIV embarked on the first-ever papal trip to Algeria, calling for forgiveness in a speech paying tribute to victims of the country's war of independence from France. The visit marks the opening of an 11-day, four-nation African tour.
In his strongest statement yet on the conflict, Pope Leo XIV denounced the 'delusion of omnipotence' driving the US-Israel war on Iran and demanded political leaders negotiate peace, marking a significant escalation in papal criticism.