This new appeal, made August 28 in St Peter's Square, comes the day after the Italian Ministry of the Interior released statistics showing a 65% decrease in the number of illegal migrants entering the country compared to 2023 (40,138, down from 113,469 last year).

While the pope made no direct reference to these figures or the restrictive immigration policy pursued by Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he strongly condemned "those who work systematically and with every means possible to repel migrants." "This, when done with awareness and responsibility, is a grave sin," said Francis, quoting a verse from the Book of Exodus (22:20): "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him."

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But in the United States, she's winning praise from pro-life Americans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, founder of Advancing American Freedom.

"When radical pro-abortion Biden administration officials demanded that the words ‘abortion' and ‘reproductive rights' be included in the G7's official statement, you stood strong for life. By doing so, you stood not just for pro-life Italians, but for every pro-life citizen of the G7 countries," Pence wrote in a letter to Meloni.

Pence's June 19 letter, shared exclusively with The Daily Signal, expresses his "gratitude and admiration for your uncompromising stand for life."

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"Attention, from here on high levels of faggotry" read one sign on a motorcycle. A man dressed as Pope Francis held a sign stating "There is too much faggotry in this parade".

"Today Rome is a river of faggotry, not only in its seminaries" read another of the many Francis-faggot-themed posters.

The signs were mocking the Pope's recent use of the term "faggotness" during meetings, which led to his apology last month.

"I can't believe he said that word" said one participant. "I think he knows what it means" he added. "It's not the case he did not know."

The Pope had also reaffirmed the Vatican's ban on gay men entering seminaries and being ordained as priests.

Elly Schlein, leader of Italy's main opposition party, joined the parade and danced on a float. Schlein is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, contrasting sharply with the stance of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Meloni's Brothers of Italy party opposes marriage equality, adoption by gay parents and surrogate pregnancies. Her government has also restricted recognition of parental rights to biological parents in same-sex families.

The Rome LGBTQ+ Pride parade featured various satirical signs, including one targeting Gen. Roberto Vannacci, a new parliament member for the right-wing League party. Vannacci was dismissed from his military position after writing a book deemed offensive to women, gays and Blacks.

"If according to Vannacci the LGBTQIA+ is a minority … he has never met the seminarians of Pope Francis" one sign read.

Just days before Rome's Pride parade, US Jesuit Fr James Martin, who founded the Catholic LGBTQ "Outreach" ministry, met Pope Francis. Martin posted on social media that "the Holy Father said he has known many good, holy and celibate seminarians and priests with homosexual tendencies".

"Once again, he confirmed my ministry with LGBTQ people and showed his openness and love for the LGBTQ community" Martin wrote on June 12.

Sources

AP News

National Catholic Reporter

Francis went to the door to greet him rather than wait for formal introductions.

They spent 40 minutes speaking privately in their first face-to-face meeting since the war began.

They discussed "the humanitarian and political situation in Ukraine caused by the ongoing war," the Vatican said.

Francis assured Zelensky of "his constant prayers, evidenced by his many public appeals and continuous invocation to the Lord for peace since," the Vatican added.

"Both agreed on the need for continued humanitarian efforts to support the population.

"The Pope particularly stressed the urgent need for 'gestures of humanity' toward the most fragile people, the innocent victims of the conflict."

Grateful for support

Zelensky thanked Francis for his support and requested more.

"I'm grateful for his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians," he said.

"In addition, I asked to condemn crimes in Ukraine. Because there can be no equality between the victim and the aggressor."

Zelenssy later tweeted:

"I'm grateful for his [the Pope's] personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians.

"I spoke about tens of thousands of deported children. We must make every effort to return them home.

"I also talked about our Peace Formula as the only effective algorithm for achieving a just peace. I proposed joining its implementation."

Papal focus

Francis explained that as the Vatican has no "political, commercial or military aims," it operates on the world stage "through the exercise of a positive neutrality.

"This affords the Holy See a certain standing in the international community that allows it to better assist in the resolution of conflicts and other matters," Francis said.

Ongoing attacks

Missile attacks in Ukraine are frequent.

The Kyiv region and the city's outskirts suffered from these on Saturday night and an industrial zone was hit.

The attacks follow strikes earlier in the day that hit the cities of Nikopol, Khmelnytskyi and Mykolaiv.

Air sirens blared in the capital, Kyiv, and the port city of Odessa.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian officials in Luhansk, a breakaway Ukrainian region backed and occupied by the Kremlin, reported explosions they blamed on Ukrainian forces.

Forces rallied

Zelensky described his trip as "an important visit for the approaching victory of Ukraine."

He is rallying his European allies for a planned counteroffensive and is looking for sustained military support from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

In their "fruitful" meeting, Zelensky said, the leaders discussed Ukraine's bids to join NATO and the European Union, punitive sanctions against Russia, potential peace plans and postwar reconstruction.

Italy's support

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised the country full support to Ukraine.

She said Italy would continue to supply weapons and back Ukraine for as long as necessary. Italy is the 6th largest military arms exporter in the world.

"We are betting on Ukraine's victory," Meloni said.

Zelensky also met Italy's head of state Sergio Mattarella before meeting Francis.

Mattarella stressed peace in Ukraine "must be a true peace and not a surrender."

A source claims Mattarella confirmed Italy's readiness to provide "military, financial, humanitarian and reconstruction aid" to Kyiv.

Sources

• Twitter
• USCCB
• Twitter
• The Jerusalem Post
• The Washington Post