The Ukrainian president’s talks with the pope and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came at a potentially pivotal moment in the war with Russia, as Kyiv’s forces make advances near the key city of Bakhmut.
Author: JASON HOROWITZ
It’s May in Rome: A Time to Revere, and Fear, Fava Beans
Although favism, a blood disorder that can cause a violent reaction to fava beans, lurks throughout Italy, many Romans look forward to May, when the legumes are in season.
Secret ‘Mission’ for Peace in Ukraine May Show Limits of Pope’s Influence
Since Francis made cryptic reference to a Vatican peace effort, the suggestion has elicited denial or bewilderment by war’s protagonists.
Pope Reveals He’s Working on Secret ‘Mission’ of Peace in Ukraine
Francis said he was doing “all that is humanly possible” to help return Ukrainian children taken to Russia and urged Hungary not to slam doors on migrants.
Eduard Habsburg, Hungary’s Ambassador to Pope, Has Offbeat Résumé
Eduard Habsburg, Viktor Orban’s man at the Vatican, took the post after a career as a zombie movie screenwriter, novelist and cartoon producer. “I can get along with anybody,” says the descendant of emperors.
Leonardo’s Ferry Left High and Dry by Global Warming and Red Tape
A ferry used to traverse the banks of the Adda River, in northern Italy, but drought and an abundance of bureaucracy has closed it down.
Seeking Visibility, Pope’s Commission on Sex Abuse Gets a New Home
In moving from cramped offices to a palazzo, the organization is aiming for more visibility, and to be better able to welcome victims.
Surrogacy Emerges as the Wedge Issue for Italy’s Hard Right
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has ordered municipalities to stop certifying foreign birth certificates for same-sex couples who used surrogacy, leaving some babies in a legal limbo.
Pope Increases Lay Leaders’ Responsibility in Sexual Abuse Law
The most significant part of the law, a permanent version of a 2019 measure, may be its impact on the “lay faithful,” who will be more accountable for abuse.
Who Will Take Care of Italy’s Older People? Robots, Maybe.
The Western world’s oldest population is facing a crisis of caregivers. Some are looking for a little helping, plastic, hand.