Vatican City Prayers

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  Pope Francis Says Celebrants Should Remember Life's Fleetingness

  Pope Francis has presided over a solemn prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica on New Year's Eve, using his homily to stress life's fleetingness.

• Pope Says Israelis, Palestinians Must 'Persevere Undaunted in Dialogue'

  Pope Francis on Sunday told the Israeli and Palestinian presidents that they "must respond" to their people's yearning for peace in the Middle East and find "the strength to persevere undaunted in dialogue".

• Israeli, Palestinian Presidents in Unprecedented Vatican Prayers

  Israeli and Palestinian presidents meet in an unprecedented prayer meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, a gesture he hopes will "re-create a desire, a possibility" of relaunching the Middle East's stalled peace process.

• Pope Francis Tackles Rifts With Middle East 'Pilgrimage of Prayer'

  Pope Francis makes his first trip to the Middle East this month accompanied by Jewish and Muslim intellectuals to push for inter-religious dialogue amid stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

• Pope leads world prayers for peace in Syria

  Pope Francis called for reconciliation in Syria on Saturday as he led a mass peace vigil on St Peter's square and millions of Catholics worldwide were joined by other faiths in a day of fasting and prayer.

• Pope sends tweet prayer for Catholics in China

  Pope Francis on Friday tweeted a prayer for Catholics in China on the feast day of the Virgin of Sheshan in Shanghai and celebrated mass before a group of Chinese Catholics in the Vatican.

• Pope presides over first Good Friday observances

  Pope Francis presided over his first Good Friday which will culminate in a torch-lit procession at Rome's Colosseum and prayers for peace in a Middle East "torn apart by injustice and conflicts".

• Goa churches to observe special mass on March 19 for new Pope

  The churches across Goa will observe on March 19 as a day of prayer for the new Pope, when he will inaugurate his ministry in the Vatican.

• New pope slips out of Vatican for morning prayer visit

  Pope Francis, barely 12 hours after his election, quietly left the Vatican early on Thursday to pray for guidance at a Rome basilica as he looks to usher a Catholic Church mired in intrigue and scandal into a new age of simplicity and humility.

• Goa churches hold special prayers after election of new Pope

  Special prayers were held during regular mass in Goa churches on Thursday after Pope Francis was elected to lead the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

• New pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio delivers first blessing, asks world for prayers

  Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, delivered his first blessing to a huge crowd in St Peter's Square on Wednesday night, asking for the prayers of "all men and women of good will" to help him lead the Catholic Church.

• Crowds expected for Pope as Vatican battles intrigue

  Tens of thousands were expected to attend Pope Benedict XVI's last Sunday prayers, as cardinals began arriving in Rome to elect his successor and the Vatican battled reports of high intrigue.

• Historic week looms for Vatican with papal resignation

  Pope Benedict XVI's final Sunday prayers in St Peter's Square will signal the start of a week in the Vatican that will make history with the first voluntary papal resignation in more than 700 years.