INTERNACIONAL
Pope Francis-era deal with Chinese Communist Party again under scrutiny as Pope Leo takes the reins
Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass as pontiff
Pope Leo XIV, history’s first North American pope, said Friday that his election was both a cross and a blessing as he celebrated his first Mass in Sistine Chapel. (Associated Press)
A 2018 deal between the Vatican and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) secured by Cardinal Pietro Parolin is once again under scrutiny as questions remain over how newly appointed Pope Leo XIV will take on the CCP.
The Parolin-brokered deal was and remains a controversial agreement between the leaders of the Catholic Church and the CCP, which has long oppressed Catholics across China.
While the agreement was championed by the late Pope Francis and his secretary of state, Parolin — the Vatican’s top diplomat — as a step toward «normalizing» Catholicism in the communist nation, experts argue it has brought dangerous consequences for the faithful.
WORLD LEADERS CONGRATULATE POPE LEO XIV, FIRST AMERICAN PONTIFF
Cardinal Pietro Parolin. (Stefano Carofei /IPA/Sipa/IMAGN)
«It erodes papal authority to appoint bishops, the leadership of the Catholic Church in China,» Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom at Hudson Institute, told Fox News Digital.
«A principal responsibility of a bishop is to train and ordain priests,» she explained. «Therefore, the CCP has been given control in determining the chain of authority in the hierarchical church.»
Under this agreement, all Catholic clergy are required to register with the CCP’s Patriotic Association — which was created in 1957 and was long rejected by the Catholic Church as illegitimate because it required that all clergy reject foreign influence, including that of the pope.
Parolin in 2019 said the aim of this agreement was «to advance religious freedom in the sense of finding normalization for the Catholic community.»
Details of the deal remain unclear because it has been kept secret, explained Shea.
While the agreement reportedly looked to end the decades-long negative ties between the Vatican and the CCP by allowing China to have more influence over bishop appointments, experts have argued for years it gave too much authority to the oppressive government.
But there is an even greater problem when it comes to the Vatican seeming to have capitulated to the CCP.
FIRST AMERICAN ELECTED PONTIFF, GET TO KNOW POPE LEO XIV
Pope Francis greets the people of China as he concludes Mass in the Hun Theatre in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Sept. 3, 2023. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Following the agreement, the Vatican additionally agreed to drop its support for the underground Catholic network, which has existed in China for decades and has supported millions of Catholics in the country.
According to Shea, the CCP essentially «tricked» the Vatican because it simultaneously, in what she believes was an unbeknownst move to Parolin, banned children from being allowed in the Catholic Church — this ban included important sacraments of the church like baptisms, holy communion and confirmations.
The ban effectively blocks the continuation of the Catholic Church in China.
«The underground, even during the harshest period under Mao, carried out this education and evangelization,» Shea said. «Without being able to perpetuate itself, the Catholic Church in China could die out in a couple generations.»
«It’s a campaign to create an atheist society,» she added.
The Vatican did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions over whether Pope Leo will adhere to the agreement with the CCP or look to forge a new one.
A man looks on in a Catholic church in Zhuozhou, China’s northern Hebei province, on April 22. (Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images)
TAIWAN EYES VATICAN-CHINA TIES AFTER POPE FRANCIS’ DEATH
But in his first homily on Friday since being made leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo highlighted the church’s fight against rising atheism.
«There are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism,» he said. «These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied.»
The pope said, for this reason, «missionary outreach is desperately needed.»
Pope Leo warned that a «lack of faith» has led to not only a «loss of meaning in life» for many, but also «the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.»
Pope Francis appoints U.S.-born cardinal, prelate prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Robert Francis Prevost during the Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of new Cardinal at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sept. 30, 2023. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE FOX NEWS APP
While congratulatory messages were issued by leaders of Catholic and non-Catholic nations alike, China did not issue a similar message upon the pope’s appointment on Thursday.
In a Friday press conference, when asked about the Church’s new leader, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, «We hope that under the leadership of the new pope, the Vatican will continue to have dialogue with China in a constructive spirit, have in-depth communication on international issues of mutual interest, jointly advance the continuous improvement of the China-Vatican relations and make contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.»
INTERNACIONAL
EN VIVO | Tras el cierre del espacio aéreo en Irán, EEUU pidió al personal de la base aérea en Qatar que extreme las precauciones
La embajada de Estados Unidos en Doha indicó que ha recomendado a su personal limitar los viajes no esenciales a la base aérea de Al-Udeid ante la creciente tensión regional
Irán amenazó este miércoles con lanzar ataques contra bases militares de Estados Unidos y sus aliados en Medio Oriente si Washington interviene en apoyo a las masivas protestas que sacuden al país. El ministro de Defensa iraní, Aziz Nafizardeh, advirtió que cualquier instalación regional que colabore con una ofensiva será considerada un “objetivo legítimo” y prometió una respuesta “dolorosa”. La escalada bélica se materializó con los primeros reportes diplomáticos sobre la evacuación preventiva de personal estadounidense de la base aérea Al Udeid en Qatar, luego de que el presidente Donald Trump afirmara que “la ayuda está en camino” para los manifestantes y mantuviera abierta la opción de una acción militar.
La tensión externa coincide con un endurecimiento de la represión interna. El jefe del Poder Judicial, Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejei, anunció la puesta en marcha de juicios “rápidos” contra los detenidos, justificando la celeridad procesal para delitos de moharebeh o “guerra contra Dios”. Esta política judicial ha encendido las alarmas globales ante la posible ejecución inminente de Erfan Soltani, de 26 años. Mientras el régimen reconoció por primera vez una cifra global de 2.000 muertos durante los disturbios, organismos independientes como HRANA elevan el conteo a 2.571 fallecidos verificados y denuncian que más de 10.000 personas permanecen bajo custodia en medio de un apagón digital que ya supera las 132 horas consecutivas.
A continuación, la cobertura minuto a minuto:
Iraníes en el extranjero esperan noticias de sus seres queridos en medio de un apagón de comunicaciones
Un apagón de comunicaciones a nivel nacional impuesto por el gobierno ha dejado a los iraníes fuera del país luchando por comunicarse con familiares y amigos
Seguir en
(AP foto/Vahid Salemi)
Un continuo apagón de comunicaciones dentro de Irán ha dejado a los iraníes fuera del país luchando por comunicarse con familiares y amigos, mientras que el número de muertos por la represión de las protestas antigubernamentales ha ascendido a más de 2.600, según la Agencia de Noticias de Activistas de Derechos Humanos, con sede en Estados Unidos.
La embajada de Estados Unidos en Qatar insta a la prudencia en los viajes a la base aérea de Al-Udeid
La embajada de Estados Unidos en Qatar indicó que ha recomendado a su personal extremar las precauciones y limitar los viajes no esenciales a la base aérea de Al-Udeid ante la creciente tensión regional.
“Dadas las tensiones regionales, la Embajada de Estados Unidos en Doha ha recomendado a su personal extremar la precaución y limitar los viajes no esenciales a la base aérea de Al Udeid. Recomendamos a los ciudadanos estadounidenses en Qatar que hagan lo mismo”, detalló la misión diplomática.
Irán pidió a Trump evitar nuevas acciones militares mientras Estados Unidos evalúa la respuesta a la brutal represión de las protestas
El canciller iraní, Abbas Araghchi, advirtió que Teherán responderá con firmeza ante cualquier operación similar a los ataques del año pasado, cuando fueron bombardeadas infraestructuras nucleares
El régimen de Irán pidió este miércoles al presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, evitar una nueva escalada militar y restablecer el camino diplomático tras las advertencias del líder republicano ante la brutal represión de la Guardia Revolucionaria contra las masivas protestas que sacuden al país persa.
Advertencia a ciudadanos de EEUU en Israel
La embajada de EEUU en Jerusalén reiteró a sus ciudadanos que “dadas las tensiones regionales”, instó a “a su personal y a todos los ciudadanos estadounidenses en Israel para que adopten buenas prácticas de seguridad y preparación personal”.
El ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Irán afirma que no habrá ahorcamiento ni hoy ni mañana
El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Irán, Abbas Araghchi, declaró el miércoles que no habrá ahorcamiento ni hoy ni mañana, a pesar de las promesas previas de Teherán de acelerar los juicios de los manifestantes.
En una entrevista con la cadena estadounidense Fox News, Araghchi insistió en que tras 10 días de manifestaciones pacíficas por las dificultades económicas de Irán, tres días de violencia orquestada por Israel, se había restablecido la calma.
“Les aseguro que no hay ningún plan para ahorcar”, declaró Araghchi.
Ejecución de manifestante iraní fue pospuesta
La ejecución de un hombre iraní arrestado durante una ola de protestas, que según advirtieron ONG y Washington podría ocurrir el miércoles, no se ha implementado y ha sido pospuesta, según declaró un grupo de derechos humanos, advirtiendo que su vida aún corre peligro.
La ejecución de Erfan Soltani, de 26 años, estaba programada para el miércoles, pero fue pospuesta, según informó el grupo de derechos humanos Hengaw, con sede en Noruega, citando a familiares, y añadió que existen “serias y persistentes preocupaciones” sobre su derecho a la vida.
El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, quien había advertido sobre acciones militares contra Teherán por su represión de las protestas, afirmó previamente que le habían informado de buena fuente que “no hay planes de ejecuciones”, sin proporcionar más detalles.
El régimen de Irán cerró su espacio aéreo en medio de la tensión con Estados Unidos
Irán cierra su espacio aéreo a todos los vuelos, excepto a los internacionales con origen o destino en Irán con autorización, según informó el miércoles el sitio web de seguimiento de vuelos Flightradar24.
La alerta tiene una validez de poco más de dos horas, según Flightradar24.
Según la notificación publicada por esta página, el cierre del espacio aéreo va desde las 22:15 GMT del miércoles (01:45 del jueves en hora de Irán) hasta las 00:30 GMT (04:00 en Teherán).
El G7 y la Unión Europea advirtieron a Irán que sufrirá más sanciones “si continúa su represión de las protestas”
Los jefes de la diplomacia del G7 y la Unión Europea reclamaron a las autoridades iraníes moderación ante la ola de protestas, mientras organizaciones denuncian el uso sistemático de la violencia y detenciones arbitrarias
Los ministros de Exteriores del G7 han advertido sobre la posibilidad de imponer nuevas sanciones a Irán si el régimen continúa con la represión de las protestas que se desarrollan desde finales de diciembre de 2025. Según organizaciones de Derechos Humanos, las manifestaciones han dejado hasta ahora más de 3.400 muertos y “miles” de heridos, aunque otras fuentes sitúan el número de fallecidos entre 2.000 y 12.000.
Alemania emite una advertencia sobre el espacio aéreo en Oriente Medio
Alemania ha emitido una nueva directiva que advierte a las aerolíneas del país que no entren en el espacio aéreo iraní, según informó Flightradar24 el miércoles, mientras las aerolíneas europeas ajustan sus operaciones ante la escalada de tensiones en Oriente Medio.
La medida se produjo poco después de que Lufthansa anunciara que evitaría el espacio aéreo iraní e iraquí hasta nuevo aviso.
La aerolínea añadió que operaría únicamente vuelos diurnos a Tel Aviv y Amán del miércoles al lunes de la próxima semana, advirtiendo que algunos servicios podrían ser cancelados como consecuencia.
El petróleo sigue al alza: el barril de Brent superó los USD 66 ante las inquietudes sobre las protestas en Irán
El valor alcanzado representa el nivel más alto desde el 23 de noviembre
El precio del barril de crudo Brent para entrega en marzo experimentó un incremento del 1,61 %, superando los 66 dólares y cerrando la jornada en el Mercado de Futuros de Londres en 66,52 dólares, impulsado por los renovados temores a interrupciones en el suministro provenientes de Irán. La cotización, considerada referencia en Europa, avanzó 1,06 dólares respecto al cierre anterior, cuando se situó en 65,46 dólares en el Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). El valor alcanzado representa el nivel más alto desde el 23 de noviembre.
demonstration,essential,horizontal,unrest
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Senate Republicans successfully spiked a bipartisan attempt to curb President Donald Trump’s war powers authority after a pair of key GOP lawmakers reversed their positions.
Republicans turned to a rarely used Senate procedure previously used by Senate Democrats in a similar situation to nullify the Venezuela war powers resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. The successful effort came after five Senate Republicans joined all Senate Democrats to advance the resolution last week.
Their move drew heavy criticism and anger from Trump, who demanded that they «should never be elected to office again.»
SENATE GOP MOVES TO BLOCK DEMS’ WAR POWERS PUSH, PRESERVE TRUMP’S AUTHORITY IN RARE MOVE
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The resolution was tanked on a 51 to 50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance coming in to break a tie in favor of Trump.
Turning to the arcane procedural move served as a victory for both the president and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., after last week’s rare defeat on the floor.
Thune, like several other Republicans, contended that the resolution was not germane to the issues at hand in Venezuela.
«We don’t have troops in Venezuela. There is no kinetic action, there are no operations,» Thune said. «There are no boots on the ground. And I think the question is whether or not there ought to be expedited consideration or privilege accorded to something that’s brought to the floor that doesn’t reflect what’s what is current reality in Venezuela.»
«And so I think it’s very fair for Republicans to question why we ought to be having this discussion right now, particularly at a time when we’re trying to do appropriations bills,» he continued.
TRUMP RIPS INTO GOP DEFECTORS AS ‘REAL LOSERS’ AS SENATE READIES FOR FINAL VOTE
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., believed that he had enough support on both sides of the aisle to pass his war powers resolution, despite an intense pressure campaign from the White House and Republicans to kill the effort. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Thune, Senate Republican leadership, Trump and several administration officials launched a pressure campaign on the five original defectors who helped Senate Democrats advance the bill. While not every lawmaker flipped, Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Todd Young, R-Ind., proved the decisive votes to help kill the resolution.
Hawley’s primary concern was whether the administration would place troops in Venezuela, but after several meetings and conversations with Trump administration officials, he was convinced that no further military action would take place.
«To me, this is all about going forward,» Hawley said of his reversal. «If the president decides we need to put troops on the ground in Venezuela, then Congress will need to weigh in.»
Young kept tight-lipped about his plan until the vote opened, and explained before walking onto the Senate floor that the deliverables and guarantees he had received from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the administration were enough for him.
Among those were promises that if Trump did want to use force against Venezuela, he would first request authorization from Congress, and that Rubio would appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a public hearing in the coming weeks to give an update on the situation in the region.
«Those who understand how Congress works, the good and the bad and the ugly, understand that votes like this, in the end, are communications exercises,» Young said. «They’re important communications exercises, but unless you can secure sufficient votes, not only to pass the United States Senate, but to get out of the House, with which is highly questionable, right, and then to override what was an inevitable presidential veto, which is impossible. No one can tell me how we get there.»
«I had to accept that this was all a communications exercise,» he continued. «I think we use this moment to shine a bright light on Congress’ shortcomings as it relates to war powers in recent history.»
Still, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., joined Senate Democrats to try and save the effort.
Most Senate Republicans who were briefed on the matter last week argued that the strikes in Venezuela were justified and that the military was used to assist in a law enforcement operation to capture Maduro.
KAINE TELLS CONGRESS TO ‘GET ITS A– OFF THE COUCH,’ RECLAIM WAR POWERS
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that because there was no current military action in Venezuela, Kaine’s resolution was moot. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Rubio, in a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, affirmed, «There are currently no U.S. Armed Forces in Venezuela.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Should there be any new military operations that introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities, they will be undertaken consistent with the Constitution of the United States, and we will transmit written notifications consistent with section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148),» Rubio wrote.
Kaine, who was confident that he would have the votes, panned that move ahead of the vote.
«If people want to just say, ‘Hey, President Trump, do whatever the hell you want,’ Let them vote that way, but don’t change the rules of the Senate in a way that might disable future Senates that do have a backbone,» Kaine told reporters.
politics,senate,venezuelan political crisis,donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Venezuela’s acting president touts ‘new political moment,’ hints at further release of political prisoners
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Interim Venezuela President Delcy Rodríguez announced Wednesday that her government will continue to release prisoners detained under the rule of former President Nicolás Maduro in an initiative she touted as a «new political moment,» according to The Associated Press (AP).
Her comments came just days after the interim government freed at least four U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela, marking the first known release of American prisoners since Maduro was ousted in a U.S. military operation earlier this month.
During her first press briefing since becoming acting leader, Rodríguez reportedly told journalists in Caracas that the process of releasing detainees «has not yet concluded,» emphasizing that the effort to free those held under Maduro’s rule is ongoing.
Rodriguez then pitched for a «Venezuela that opens itself to a new political moment, that allows for … political and ideological diversity,» the AP reported.
VENEZUELA RELEASES MULTIPLE AMERICAN CITIZENS FROM PRISON FOLLOWING MILITARY OPERATION
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez addresses the media in Caracas, Venezuela, March 10, 2025. (Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)
The outlet added that possibly 800 prisoners, including political leaders, soldiers and lawyers, are still being detained, citing Venezuelan human rights organization Foro Penal.
Rodriguez also claimed that her government had already released 212 detainees, but human rights organizations have estimated lower figures, The AP added.
TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO PROTECT VENEZUELA OIL REVENUE HELD IN US ACCOUNTS
Nicolás Maduro (C) waves a national flag on Jan. 23, 2019, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Edilzon Gamez/Getty Images)
The Maduro ally insisted that the prisoner releases do not signal a break from the past and are not the direct result of U.S. pressure, but rather credited the effort to the ousted president, The AP reported. She said Maduro oversaw the release of 194 detainees in December, noting that he did so because he «was thinking precisely about opening spaces for understanding, for coexistence, for tolerance,» according to the outlet.
While Rodríguez has not provided a detailed framework for determining who will be released, she said decisions will reportedly be guided by an evaluation of «crimes related to the constitutional order,» warning that «messages of hatred, intolerance, acts of violence will not be permitted.»
The actual coordination of these releases will be handled by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
President Donald Trump speaking during an event in Rochester, N.H., on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he recently had a «great conversation» with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was seized and flown to the U.S. to face drug-trafficking charges.
«We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things,» Trump said. «And I think we’re getting along very well with Venezuela.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
venezuelan political crisis,donald trump,nicolas maduro
Confirman que los presuntos testaferros de Toviggino falsificaron un certificado contable para justificar la compra de los autos de lujo
EN VIVO | Tras el cierre del espacio aéreo en Irán, EEUU pidió al personal de la base aérea en Qatar que extreme las precauciones
Empleada doméstica: cuánto cobra por hora y mes en enero 2026
Todo podría cambiar si se diluye el kirchnerismo
Key Republicans flip, kill effort to restrain Trump’s policing power over Venezuela
Boca Juniors igualó 0-0 con Millonarios de Colombia en La Bombonera, por la Copa Miguel Ángel Russo
Murió el cantante colombiano Yeison Jiménez en un accidente de avión: el video del día que predijo la tragedia
La triste despedida de Jorge “Corcho” Rodríguez a Pía, su asistente por 30 años: “Gracias por tu amor”
La AFA giró US$8 millones a cinco empresas en Miami que ya no existen: un argentino disolvió hace seis días una firma clave
“¡Muerte a Estados Unidos!»: el Parlamento de Irán redobla las amenazas contra las tropas de Trump tras la sangrienta represión a las protestas
CHIMENTOS2 días agoLa triste despedida de Jorge “Corcho” Rodríguez a Pía, su asistente por 30 años: “Gracias por tu amor”
- POLITICA2 días ago
La AFA giró US$8 millones a cinco empresas en Miami que ya no existen: un argentino disolvió hace seis días una firma clave
- POLITICA2 días ago
Incendios en Chubut: el fiscal general aseguró que el responsable podría recibir hasta 20 años de prisión
