INTERNACIONAL
El papa León XIV pidió la liberación de todos los periodistas encarcelados por buscar la verdad
El papa León XIV pidió este lunes la liberación de los periodistas encarcelados en el mundo, durante su primer encuentro con la prensa internacional en el Vaticano.
“Permítanme reiterar la solidaridad de la Iglesia con los periodistas encarcelados por haber buscado y contado la verdad, y pedir su liberación”, reclamó el segundo pontífice de las Américas tras Francisco.
León XIV mantuvo este lunes su primera audiencia con la prensa acreditada en el Vaticano, un encuentro programado en el aula Pablo VI.
Fue el primer contacto formal del nuevo pontífice con los medios de comunicación desde su elección el 8 de mayo. Aprovechó la ocasión para requeror a los medios de comunicación que elijan “con conciencia y valentía el camino de una comunicación de paz”, y consideró: “Desarmemos las palabras y ayudaremos a desarmar la Tierra”.
El papa estadounidense señaló además que “vivimos tiempos difíciles de navegar y de contar, que suponen un desafío para todos nosotros y del que no debemos escapar”. Y pidió que “nunca nos rindamos ante la mediocridad”.
León recibió una ovación de pie al entrar en el auditorio del Vaticano para su primer encuentro con representantes del público.
El pontífice, afirmó en tono de broma que, los aplausos iniciales “no significan mucho”, pero que agradecería que estuvieran “aún despiertos” para aplaudir al final.
En su discurso posterior, León XIV instó a los periodistas a contribuir a poner fin a la polarizante “guerra de palabras”, compuesta de ataques partidistas e ideológicos, y a no dar cabida al fanatismo y al odio.
Añadió que la inteligencia artificial debe utilizarse con “responsabilidad y discernimiento”.
El misionero agustino de 69 años, elegido en un cónclave de 24 horas la semana pasada, instó a los periodistas a usar palabras por la paz, rechazar la guerra y dar voz a quienes no la tienen.
Expresó su solidaridad con los periodistas de todo el mundo que han sido encarcelados por intentar buscar y divulgar la verdad. Entre aplausos de la multitud, pidió su liberación.
“La Iglesia reconoce en estos testigos —pienso en quienes informan sobre la guerra incluso a costa de sus vidas— la valentía de quienes defienden la dignidad, la justicia y el derecho de las personas a estar informadas, porque solo las personas informadas pueden tomar decisiones libres”, afirmó.
El sufrimiento de estos periodistas encarcelados interpela la conciencia de las naciones y de la comunidad internacional, y nos insta a todos a salvaguardar el preciado don de la libertad de expresión y de prensa.
El acto se celebró un día después de que el nuevo papa, nacido como Robert Francis Prevost, lanzara su primer gran mensaje internacional desde el balcón de la plaza de San Pedro.
Ante una multitud de fieles, León XIV exclamó: “¡Nunca más la guerra!”, aludiendo a los actuales enfrentamientos en Ucrania y Gaza. En el marco del 80º aniversario del final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, advirtió sobre el riesgo de un nuevo conflicto global y pidió evitar lo que calificó como un “dramático escenario” para la humanidad.
Prevost, de 69 años, es el primer papa con raíces estadounidenses y peruanas, y el segundo pontífice originario del continente americano, tras Francisco.
Agustino de formación, desarrolló buena parte de su vida pastoral como misionero en zonas rurales del Perú, experiencia que definió su perfil y su sensibilidad social.
“Estoy aquí para poder agradecer al papa por todo lo que ha hecho por el Perú, por los pueblos olvidados, por los pueblos originarios del Perú”, declaró a la AFP Alejandrina Espinosa, una mujer quechua que participó en la oración dominical llevando una bandera Wiphala.
El sábado, en su primera reunión con el Colegio Cardenalicio, León XIV explicó el motivo detrás de su nombre papal: un homenaje a León XIII (1878–1903), autor de la encíclica Rerum Novarum, y figura clave en el desarrollo de la doctrina social de la Iglesia.
“Hoy la Iglesia ofrece a todos su patrimonio de doctrina social para responder a otra revolución industrial y a los desarrollos de la inteligencia artificial”, dijo el nuevo pontífice.
A su juicio, estos avances “comportan nuevos desafíos en la defensa de la dignidad humana, de la justicia y el trabajo”.
La elección de León XIV llega en un momento de fragmentación dentro de la Iglesia católica, con temas urgentes como la crisis de vocaciones, los casos de abusos sexuales, y la discusión sobre el rol de las mujeres en estructuras de decisión.
“Creo que va a ser un buen papa y que tiene muchas cosas por delante que analizar, como la inteligencia artificial y la guerra en Ucrania”, opinó la abogada costarricense Paola Colombo, de 42 años.
La agenda del nuevo pontífice continúa esta semana con la recepción al cuerpo diplomático acreditado ante la Santa Sede, programada para el viernes.
Además, el próximo 18 de mayo tendrá lugar la misa de inauguración oficial del pontificado, donde León XIV recibirá los símbolos del poder papal, incluido el palio y el anillo del pescador, que en el pasado se utilizaba para sellar documentos oficiales del Vaticano.
A diferencia de su predecesor, cuyo estilo directo generó incomodidad en ciertos círculos políticos, León XIV es visto como un líder más sereno y diplomático.
Analistas vaticanos señalan que podría tener mayor margen para avanzar en temas sensibles sin generar resistencias inmediatas. Su doble identidad cultural y pastoral, combinada con experiencia en América Latina y en el gobierno de Francisco, lo posiciona como un puente potencial entre tradición y reforma en el seno de la Iglesia.
A medida que se acerca su misa solemne del 18 de mayo, los fieles y observadores internacionales prestan atención a los primeros pasos de León XIV, quien parece decidido a asumir con serenidad los retos del siglo XXI y a proyectar una Iglesia comprometida con la justicia, la paz y la dignidad humana en tiempos de incertidumbre global.
(Con información de AFP)
Europe,Religion / Belief,VATICAN
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Senate Republicans and Democrats advanced the first set of spending bills through the upper chamber, despite signals from Democrats that they may block the government funding process.
In the days and weeks leading up to the vote, Senate Democrats warned that Republicans’ passage of highly partisan bills, like President Donald Trump’s $9 billion clawback package, had eaten away at the trust that girds the appropriations process.
DEMS SEEK RETALIATION OVER GOP CUTS AS THUNE CALLS FOR ‘COOPERATION’ ON FUNDING VOTE
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., heads to the Senate Chamber to vote on a bill on Jan. 22, 2025, in Washington. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Still, after meeting behind closed-doors Tuesday afternoon, Democrats ultimately provided enough votes to advance the bill, which would fund military construction and the VA. The vote allows for lawmakers to make amendments and debate the bill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the meeting that Democrats were still gunning for a bipartisan spending deal, effectively opening the door for his conference to back the spending bill package for now.
«We’re working together to get one,» Schumer said. «But the bottom line is, Republicans are making it much harder. Rescissions, impoundment, pocket rescissions directly undoes this.»
The bill advanced on a 90 to 8 vote, with Schumer and the majority of Senate Democrats joining every Republican to open debate on the bill.
Democrats were largely frustrated with the passage of Trump’s rescissions package last week, which slashed funding from foreign aid and public broadcasting, arguing that doing so dissolved trust between the parties when it came to crafting spending bills.
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS FACE BRUISING BATTLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Reuters)
They argued that reaching an agreement on a funding bill, only to see their priorities later stripped out through rescissions, shattered confidence in their Republican colleagues to stick to their word.
«There’s no doubt,» Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a high-ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told Fox News Digital. «I mean, someone does one thing one day and undoes it the next day, that obviously creates issues with trust.»
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., opted to call his counterparts’ bluff, and put the bill on the floor. Failure to advance the the legislation could have signaled a rocky road ahead for funding the government and beating the Sept. 30 deadline to avert a partial government shutdown.
«Democrats have indicated that they’re so upset over a rescissions bill last week, which, by the way, cut one tenth of 1% of all federal spending, that somehow they could use that to shut down the appropriations process and therefore shut down the government,» Thune said.
«We think that would be a big mistake, and hopefully they will think better of it and work with us, and we’re trying to give them what they’ve been asking for, [which] is a bipartisan appropriations process,» he continued.
Prior to the vote, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged passage of the bill through the procedural hurdle, and noted that when she and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the panel, took the helm of the committee, they «committed to working together» on spending bills.
She noted that when Democrats controlled the chamber, lawmakers didn’t get the same opportunity to consider spending bills, but acknowledged that it was still a «challenging legislative environment.»
«This is a fundamental responsibility of Congress, and I want to express my gratitude to Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Thune, for giving us the opportunity to bring the first of the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills to the Senate floor,» she said.
‘ALL THE OPTIONS’: GOP EYES CUTTING AUGUST RECESS TO MOVE DOZENS OF TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY DEMS
Sen. John Fetterman during the sixth installment of The Senate Project moderated by FOX NEWS anchor Shannon Bream at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate on June 2, 2025, in Boston. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
But, passage of the first bill, and the ensuing amendment process leading to a final vote, does not guarantee that the appropriations process will go smoothly before the deadline hits in the next couple of months.
Congress has not passed spending bills through a process called regular order since the late 1990s and has typically relied on short government funding extensions, known as continuing resolutions, and year-end, colossal spending packages, known as omnibuses, to keep the lights on in Washington.
Disagreements over funding levels between the Senate and House, coupled with lingering questions about whether Schumer will continue to play ball with Republicans, could tee up another showdown around the September deadline.
Schumer said that he would have a confab with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and the top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations committees, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Murray, «to discuss the appropriations process in both the House and the Senate in the weeks ahead.»
«With so much hard work ahead, the government funding deadline only less than 25 legislative days away, Republicans should be focused on working with us to deliver for American families,» he said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sen. John Fetterman, who earlier this year voted with Republicans and a handful of his Democratic colleagues to thwart a partial government shutdown, had a stern message for Senate Democrats that may want to obstruct the government funding process.
«I will never, ever vote to shut our government down,» the Pennsylvania Democrat told Fox News Digital. «That’s a core responsibility. And now we may not like a lot of these changes to things, and I don’t, but I’m saying that’s the way that democracy works.»
«And now shutting the government down, how could you do that and plunge our country into chaos,» he continued.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Syrian jihadists reportedly executed a 35-year-old Syrian American – a member of the religious minority Druze community – last week as government-backed forces viciously attacked members of the Druze community in the country.
The State Department confirmed on Tuesday to Fox News Digital that an American, who has been identified as Hosam Saraya from Oklahoma, was killed in Syria. A State Department spokesperson said, «Time and time again, Secretary Rubio has emphasized the importance of prioritizing the safety and security of U.S. citizens. We can confirm the death of a U.S. citizen in the Sweida region of Syria last week. We offer condolences to the family on their loss and are providing consular assistance to them.»
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla, wrote on X, «Hosam was an Oklahoman and member of the Druze community who was tragically executed alongside other members of his family in Syria. We are praying for his family, friends, and the entire community as they grieve this senseless loss.»
WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE
Hosam Saraya was visiting family in Syria when he was killed by suspected jihadists due to his being a member of the Druze community. (Instagram/Hosam Saraya)
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, wrote on X that an «American citizen from Oklahoma» was «brutally executed alongside his family members in Syria,» adding, «I’m working with partners in the region to learn more, and we’re in touch with @GovStitt on this devastating situation. Our prayers are with the family at this time.»
President Ahmed Al-Sharaa had reportedly taken the side of the jihadi-influenced Bedouin tribes who executed Druze residents in southern Syria, declaring they carried out «heroic actions.»
Al-Sharaa, who used a nom de guerre «Abu Mohammed al-Golani,» was on the FBI’s Most Wanted List from 2013 through 2024 for his role in terrorism. Critics accuse al-Sharaa of seeking to violently repress the struggling ethnic and religious minority populations in Syria – Christians, Druze, and Kruds.
Last week Israel launched military strikes against the jihadi forces on their way to the southern city of Sweida, where there is a large Druze population, to stop the massacre. Israel also attacked the Syrian Defense headquarters in Damascus to halt the bloodshed in Sweida.
Syrian security forces walk together along a street after clashes between government troops and local Druze fighters in Sweida, July 16, 2025. (Reuters/Karam al-Masri)
An Israel Defense Force spokesman told Fox News Digital during a Zoom call that it «learned its lesson» from the Hamas invasion of the Jewish state in 2023 and has two goals in southern Syria: border security and the rescue of Syrian Druze.
The bulk of the world’s Druze community lives in Syria. There are also sizable Druze populations in Israel and Lebanon.
WHO ARE THE DRUZE? RELIGIOUS GROUP AIDS SYRIAN MEMBERS UNDER ISLAMIST ATTACK, ISRAELI MEMBERS OFFER SUPPORT
Arizona GOP Congressman Abe Hamadeh, who is of Druze background, told Fox News Digital, «The barbaric violence against the Druze community in Syria must end immediately. Under the bold leadership of President Donald J. Trump, Secretary Rubio, and Ambassador Barrack, the United States took bold steps to ease sanctions and extend goodwill to the Syrian government and its people in the hope of seeing real reforms.»
Hamadeh, whose mother is from Sweida, added, «Now is the time for the Syrian government to turn their words into real actions, if they want to maintain legitimacy: restore order, protect all of its citizens, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace and long-term stability. The only way is to build a new Syria that is reflective of its ethnic and religious mosaic. The United States wants Syria to succeed, but bloodshed, senseless violence, and division is not the path forward.»
Israeli Druze cross the border near Majdal Shams in a show of support for the Druze community in Hader on the Syrian side on July 16, 2025. (Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The Arizona congressman said, «My staff and I are engaged in interagency efforts to ascertain what is, and is not, happening on the ground in Syria amid the fog of this conflict. We will not rest until all American remains and victims are returned. Justice and accountability must be served. We are praying for the victims and for peace.»
Al-Sharaa’s rule since he toppled the pro-Iran regime of Bashar al-Assad in December has experienced massacres of Alawites, Christian and Druze. Critics argue that Al-Sharaa refuses to rope in the jihadi forces who seek to impose a Taliban-style rule on Syria.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
After Al-Sharaa’s forces executed Syrian Christians in March, Rev. Johnnie Moore, the president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, told Fox News Digital: «This is a warning that the Syrian government is not ready for prime time if it can’t protect a handful of vulnerable Christians who had absolutely nothing to do with this violence except being its victims,»
The death toll involving the clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters, which includes government forces and Israel, topped 1,000, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Washington helped implement a fragile ceasefire. SOHR noted, «Reaching an agreement including ceasefire and sponsored by Washington coincided with threats to keep Syria on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, in case that the agreement’s terms were violated.»
INTERNACIONAL
El vínculo de 15 años entre Donald Trump y Jeffrey Epstein: un torbellino de fiestas, jets privados y mujeres
Vecinos de Palm Beach
Donald Trump habla con Jeffrey Epstein, durante una fiesta en Mar-a-Largo, Florida./ Captura de videoUn encuentro en Mar-a-Lago
La fiscal general Pam Bondi habla durante una conferencia de prensa en la Casa Blanca. Foto: Pete Marovich/The New York TimesSeparación de caminos
Activistas colocaron un cartel que mostraba al presidente Donald Trump y a Jeffrey Epstein cerca de la embajada de Estados Unidos en Londres. Foto AP«Yo no era fan»
El campeón del mundo con Boca Juniors que liquidó a Carlos Palacios: «Román, devolvelo a Colo Colo»
Toviggino le respondió a Bullrich con un descargo irónico y muchas críticas: “Censura disfrazada de institucionalidad”
“La Derecha Fest”: se realiza en Córdoba el evento libertario y hay expectativa por la palabra de Javier Milei
Video | Nicolás Sabo, hijo del kiosquero asesinado en Ramos Mejía, será candidato en la lista de Talerico
El FMI se reunió para debatir el caso argentino y definir el desembolso de u$s2.000 millones: la advertencia por reservas
Senate weathers Dem opposition, advances first government funding bill
Milei, Villarruel y una pelea tóxica en la cima del poder con impacto institucional y final abierto
Los cuadernos de las coimas: convocan a una audiencia clave para iniciar el juicio oral contra Cristina Kirchner y 150 acusados
Juan Carlos Maqueda defendió la condena contra Cristina Kirchner: “Hay una sensación de que se hizo Justicia y que no hay impunidad”
La tensión por el dólar se aplacó y la City tiene veredicto: ¿la paz será duradera o temporal?
El Gobierno anunció el inicio del proceso de privatización de AySA
Alarma por el dólar: la volatilidad se mantiene, pese a las medidas urgentes de Caputo
Día del Cerebro: por qué se celebra hoy y recomendaciones para mantener una mente ágil
El Día del Cerebro se conmemora el 22 de julio de cada año, con el objetivo de concientizar acerca de...
Así quedó la lista completa de Fuerza Patria para las elecciones 2025 en Buenos Aires
Ya se conocen las listas para las elecciones del 7 de septiembre de la provincia de Buenos Aires (PBA). Tal...
Mendoza: Javier Milei está cerca de firmar una alianza con el radical Alfredo Cornejo
MENDOZA.- El acuerdo avanza con fuerza; las tensiones internas, también. Mientras el presidente Javier Milei y el gobernador radical, Alfredo...
POLITICA2 días agoExpulsada del Gobierno, Victoria Villarruel empieza a tomar distancia, pero no tiene proyecto político para este año
- POLITICA2 días ago
La CGT evalúa adelantar a octubre el recambio de sus autoridades y define una movilización contra Milei
- ECONOMIA3 días ago
YPF aplica un nuevo aumento en los combustibles desde la medianoche: a cuánto sube el litro de nafta
