Pope Francis has sparked anger after saying Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and negotiate to end the war with Russia. In an interview with Swiss broadcaster Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS) published on Saturday, Francis was asked ...

Pope Leo XIV arrived on his first foreign trip to Turkey and later Lebanon, a visit that fulfills the late Pope Francis’ plans to mark an important Christian anniversary and bring a message of peace to the region at a crucial time for efforts to end the war in Ukraine and ease Mideast tensions.

Pope Leo XIV wrapped up his visit to Turkey on Sunday before heading to Lebanon, where he hoped to bring a message of hope to its long-suffering people and bolster a crucial Christian community in the Middle East.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's letter asked that Pope Leo formalize Pope Francis' informal arrangement in which Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi had served as a personal papal envoy for humanitarian issues.