Children serenade pope on 81st birthday

Prime Minister Mario Draghi stressed the independence of the Italian parliament after the Vatican asked for changes to an anti-discrimination bill that would provide added protection from hate crimes to LGBT+ people.

The 84-year-old will undergo a procedure for inflammation of the large colon.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu is one of ten individuals facing charges such as extortion, abuse of office and fraud. The indictment relates to a €350 million investment in a London real estate venture.

Pope Francis, seemingly in a good overall condition, has made his first public appearance since having intestinal surgery last week. The church leader stressed the importance of accessible and free healthcare for all.

Speaking at the end of the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis says he hopes the Tokyo Olympics will be a sign of hope and "universal brotherhood" during the coronavirus pandemic raging around the world.

Pope Francis returns to work full-time following a colon operation, urging the international community to help a struggling Lebanon on the anniversary of the explosion that killed over 200 people.

Pope Francis expresses his "concern" over the situation in Afghanistan and calls for "dialogue" to resolve the conflict. The Taliban are on the brink of total victory in Afghanistan, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of the capital and the government conceding it was preparing for a "transfer of power".

Pope Francis urged people to get vaccinated for the good of all. New Zealand's latest outbreak grew to 10 cases linked to the delta variant. All the latest on COVID here.

Pope Francis cited Angela Merkel's greatness before echoing her feelings about the situation in Afghanistan. However, it was Vladimir Putin, not the German chancellor, that the pope was parroting.

Pope Francis met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose right-wing, anti-immigrant policies clash with Francis' call for countries to welcome refugees. Francis discussed refugees and anti-Semitism in Budapest.

"Here, in this place, the name of God was dishonored," Pope Francis said at a Holocaust memorial in Bratislava. During World War II, Slovakia was governed by a Nazi puppet regime, headed by Catholic priest Jozef Tiso.