Pope

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday. Leo XIV has an added and unique differentiation from all his predecessors – he is the first American to be elected pope

Alf McCreary: Pope Leo XIV is a wise choice

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday (8th). Photo: AP/Alessandra Tarantino

New pope welcomed by Northern Ireland's religious and political leaders

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025 (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

New American Pope makes first public appearance to jubilant scenes in Rome

Political and Religious Commentator Dr John Coulter.

John Coulter: New Pope must implement root and branch reform of Catholic Church

Messianic Jew Matthew Rudolph leading a Passover Service in a Christian Church in Dublin recently

Legacy of Pope Francis by P. Monaghan, Evangelical Catholic Initiative 30th Apri...

Prince William, Prince of Wales arrives at the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on April 26, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican (Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)

Prince William pays respects to Pope on behalf of King at historic funeral

(1st ROW - L TO R) French President's wife Brigitte Macron, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Finland's President Alexander Stubb, US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump, Estonia's President Alar Karis, Spain's King Felipe VI and his wife Spain's Queen Letizia observe the coffin of late Pope Francis during the funeral ceremony at St Peter's Square in The Vatican on April 26, 2025. (Photo by ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Francis: How the funeral of Pope Francis unfolded

Mourners in a queue to enter St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, to view Pope Francis's open coffin as preparations are being made for the funeral of the 88-year-old's Pontiff on Saturday following his death on Easter Monday. Picture date: Friday April 25, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story DEATH Pope. Photo credit should read: PA Wire

Quarter of a million people viewed Pope’s body over three days, says Vatican

Pope Francis arrives to attending the closing Mass at the World Meeting of Families at Phoenix Park in Dublin in 2018. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Archbishop Martin pays tribute to Pope Francis at special mass

Cardinal Kevin Farrell who certified Pope Francis’s death and sealed the papal apartment

Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell to be camerlengo at Vatican conclave

In this handout image supplied by the Vatican on April 10, King Charles III and Queen Camilla meet Pope Francis during day three of their State visit to The Republic of Italy on April 09, 2025 in Vatican City. Photo by Vatican via Getty Images

King Charles praises Pope Francis' care 'for people and planet'

Pope Francis

Vatican announces death of Pope Francis aged 88

King Charles III and Queen Camilla during a private meeting with Pope Francis in Rome. Picture date: Wednesday April 9, 2025.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have private meeting with Pope Francis

Pope Francis is being treated in hospital.

Pope awake after early stages of kidney failure detected

Patrick Kielty, the host of The Late Late Show, who is back on set for his second season presenting one of Ireland's biggest talk shows

Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty reveals fear he gave Pope Francis shingles

Having children is now major "green" concern (photo: Adobe)

Going Green: Choosing not to have children due to climate concerns
Two friends are choosing not to have children due to climate concerns. Is this really a wise choice?
Angela Terry

The Irish Football Association has said it stands against all formers of discrimination after video emerged which appeared to show sectarian singing in the social club of Coleraine FC. Photo: Google.

Coleraine FC investigating sectarian singing video

The Bugles, Pipes and Drums of The Royal Irish Regiment performed for Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday. Photo: LCpl Miskelly/The Royal Irish Regiment

Pope's seal of approval for Royal Irish Regiment band at The Vatican

The synod is also expected to confirm opposition to euthanasia or assisted dying which is now a topic of heated discussion in the UK

CoI primate meets Pope Francis

Rev Dr Houston McKelvey OBE, Church of Ireland

Thought for the week: Benefit of friendships across the divide

Ireland's James McCollum suffered an injury during day two of the first LV= Insurance Test match at Lord's

Entertainment key for England as Ireland face injury concern

Liam Logan and Jane Veitch fishing on Lough Barry

Roamer: Relax with a wee drap of tay and watch A Word In Yer Lug

Twitter Blue, the social media platform’s subscription service that allows users to buy a blue verification badge for the first time, has gone live in the UK.

Goodbye to the blue tick: Twitter removes verified marks

Pope Francis to be released from hospital tomorrow.

Vatican confirms Pope to leave hospital on Saturday

Pope Francis recently said that 'the English resolved the requests from Scotland' about independence in 'the English way' (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Pope Francis in hospital with respiratory infection

Pope Francis has been admitted to hospital with a pulmonary infection.

Pope requires 'several days of therapy' for pulmonary infection

Letters to editor

Sight of church leaders partnering papal visit will grieve all gospel lovers
A letter from Rev J Coates:
Letters

PACEMAKER BELFAST 09/04/2018 Norman Hamilton

'God loves gay and straight alike... but He also sets out a demanding lifestyle'

Crowds pack St.Peter’s Square at the Vatican on April 8, 2005, for the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Looking back, the chances of a Belfast-based writer and photographer bumping in to each other in such a huge audience on such an historic day must have been thousands to one

Alf McCreary: The News Letter photographer and a ladder at Pope’s funeral

Pope Francis attends the funeral mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as pallbearers carry the coffin at the end of the funeral mass at St. Peter's square

Mourners gather to pay respects at Pope Benedict XVI funeral

In this image released on Monday by the Vatican Media news service, the body of late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is lied out in state inside St Peter's Basilica. Vatican Media via AP

Nationalist parties tributes to former pope not as forthcoming as to the Queen

Pope Benedict

Irish president praises Pope Benedict's 'steadfast interest' in Northern Ireland

Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies aged 95

Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies aged 95

The burning bush, a symbol of Presbyterianism

Free Presbyterians slam Protestant churchman as ‘heretical’ for praising Pope

Rev Steve Stockman

Protestant churchman praises the Pope as having ‘a Christlikeness’ about him

Kilskeery parish church, Co Fermanagh. Picture: Billy Maxwell

Billy Kennedy on churches: Archbishop Welby reflects on church covid closures

Letter to the editor

Innocent until proven guilty must apply to all – that includes Prince Andrew

The front page News Letter report from 1982 of the great day when Gerry Armstrong led Northern Ireland to victory against Spain in the World Cup

Ben Lowry: Joint anthem at Northern Ireland games would be ploy to undermine it

A view of St Peter's Square at the Vatican, during the Sacred Mass for the Jubilee of the Bishops on Sunday, October 8, 2000. Picture: AP Photo/Plinio Lepri

Ultra-Conservatives call for probe into Pope’s death (1978)

Circa 1933: German dictator, Adolf Hitler addressing a rally in Germany. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: News Letter editorial reflects on ‘The Creed of the Nazis’

Health Minister, Robin Swann.

NI had shipment of vaccine in transit when EU triggered Article 16

The Pope appears to have ‘liked’ a racy photo on Instagram - but does he use soc...

Rushmere Shopping Centre in Craigavon.

Pope renews call for Rushmere train station

News Letter editorial

Many fine gestures of support and sacrifice at Christmas

Letter to the editor

The DUP needs to take a stand for the unborn

These newlyweds chanted 'f**k the Pope and the I.R.A.' as they were greeted by their guests at their own wedding ceremony last week.

'F**k the Pope and the I.R.A.' - Loughshore Hotel defends decision not to interv...

A front page of a Belfast News Letter from the summer of 1739

Reported On This Day 280 Years Ago (August 4 1739): Extreme heat in Italy though...

The front page of the Belfast News Letter of May 18 1739 (which is May 29 in the modern calendar)

Reported 280 Years Ago (May 1739): Pope urges Venetians and Poles to join fight ...

Bishop-elect Michael Router

Pope anounces new Auxilliary Bishop of Armagh

Hanover FC.

Club issues apology after anti-Catholic chanting at league title celebrations

A Christian pilgrim holds a candle during Easter Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, traditionally believed to be the burial site of Jesus Christ, in Jerusalem's Old City, May 1, 2016

If churches don’t resolve millennium-old dispute on an Easter date, governments ...

Morning View

Repentant men of past violence are trying to warn the young

The Belfast News Letter of October 3 1738 (which is October 14 in the modern calendar). The paper was founded a year earlier, in September 1737, and is the oldest English language daily newspaper in the world. But this is the oldest surviving edition, so it is therefore the earliest existing copy of the oldest language English daily

Reported in the News Letter this week 280 years ago

Pope Francis signs the arrivals book as he meets with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Dublin Castle as part of his visit to Ireland in August. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The issue is the economy, not which church you don't attend

Arlene Foster, at the GAA Ulster final earlier this year, has been criticised for not going to see the pope

Nationalist criticism of Arlene Foster for not meeting pope is hypocritical, giv...

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