INTERNACIONAL
Pope Leo calls out ‘delusion of omnipotence’ fueling Iran war in vigil for peace at St. Peter’s Basilica
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Pope Leo in a Saturday vigil for peace, called out the «delusion of omnipotence» he claimed is fueling war.
«In prayer, our limited human possibilities are joined to the infinite possibilities of God. Thoughts, words and deeds then break the demonic cycle of evil and are placed at the service of the Kingdom of God,» he said in a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica.
He continued, «A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.»
In posts on X and during the prayer vigil, the pontiff also warned that war «divides» while hope and faith unite humanity.
TRUMP’S LAST-MINUTE DELAY: WHY HE WAS NEVER GOING TO OBLITERATE IRAN IN THE FIRST PLACE
Pope Leo XIV leads a vigil for peace inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Saturday. (Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo)
«Enough of the idolatry of self and money. Enough of the display of power. Enough of war,» he wrote. «True strength is shown in serving life.»
The archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those in the pews.
Leo’s words came on the same day the Vice President JD Vance and a U.S. delegation began face-to-face talks with Iran amid an uneasy ceasefire.
MIKE PENCE WARNS JD VANCE TO AVOID OBAMA-STYLE IRAN DEAL AS NUCLEAR TALKS SET TO BEGIN IN PAKISTAN
They were some of the first American pontiff’s strongest words yet after he called President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran on Tuesday «truly unacceptable.»
«Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,» the pope said earlier this week. «There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.»
Pope Leo XIV speaks to the media on the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, as he leaves the papal residence to head back to the Vatican, April 7, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
Trump had written on Truth Social «A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!»
Hours later, the president announced a two-week ceasefire subject to Iran agreeing to «the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,» the president wrote in another post.
As the high-stakes talks began on Saturday is Islamabad, Trump told reporters outside of the White House: «We win regardless of what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t.»
Islamabad host peace talks between Iran and the U.S. on Saturday. (Farooq Naeem / AFP via Getty Images)
For more than a month, the pope limited his remarks to muted appeals for peace, but in his Easter blessing last Sunday, he urged «those with weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Leo also invoked what he said were the final words that Pope Francis issued to the world from the same balcony one year ago, during which the late pontiff warned of a «globalization of indifference.»
«What a great thirst for death, for killing we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world,» Leo said, quoting Francis.
Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
pope leo xiv, peacekeeping, war with iran, iran, world, donald trump, vatican
INTERNACIONAL
Cómo una renuncia inesperada abrió la puerta a la mayor fractura del papado en la Edad Media
En la turbulencia de la Edad Media, el papa emergió como la máxima autoridad, encabezando la Iglesia católica y ejerciendo un control absoluto sobre el orden espiritual y político de Europa occidental.
Considerado sucesor de San Pedro y líder indiscutible de la cristiandad, el papa ocupaba un rol central en una sociedad marcada por la influencia religiosa en la ley, la educación, la monarquía y las estructuras del día a día.
Según HistoryExtra, ese poder supremo coexistía con una realidad estructural: no existía un mecanismo claro para destituir a un papa, lo que convertía la sede de Pedro en un cargo especialmente expuesto ante el ojo público y las disputas internas. El pontífice reclamaba una autoridad divina que, al menos en teoría, superaba a todos los reyes y príncipes terrenos.
En los siglos finales de la Edad Media, esa supremacía fue puesta a prueba por disputas y escándalos que afectaron la integridad del sistema eclesiástico y las bases de la unidad religiosa europea.
El régimen papal asentaba su legitimidad en un principio categórico: “Solo puede haber un papa”, indicó la historiadora Hannah Skoda en el pódcast History Behind the Headlines. Así, la existencia de papas rivales, lejos de ser una excepción, significaba la fragmentación de la cristiandad en facciones enemigas.
Incluso la propia naturaleza inamovible del cargo sumaba una vulnerabilidad esencial para todo el sistema. Según Skoda, “no es posible renunciar siendo papa”, y cualquier intento de impugnar esa posición provocaba crisis capaces de desestabilizar a toda la Iglesia.
A finales del siglo XIII, la elección de Celestino V sorprendió a Europa. Anciano y ermitaño, de vida de retiro y oración, su perfil distaba mucho del habitual en los grupos de poder eclesiástico. “Realmente se preocupaba por los pobres”, indica Skoda, pero carecía del temperamento necesario para manejar los conflictos y la diplomacia inherentes al papado.
La administración de la Iglesia, inmersa en pleitos legales, recaudación de impuestos y relaciones con los gobernantes, requería virtudes espirituales y habilidades administrativas en las que Celestino reconocía sus propias limitaciones.
Abrumado ante esas exigencias y consciente de su falta de aptitud política, abdicó pocos meses después de su elección, decisión que conmocionó a la cristiandad medieval y cuestionó el fundamento de la permanencia vitalicia en el cargo. “Si se puede renunciar, ¿qué impide que también pueda ser forzado a renunciar?”, advirtió Skoda sobre esta situación que abrió un precedente inédito.
La renuncia de Celestino V terminó convirtiéndose en una herramienta política utilizada por Felipe IV de Francia para cuestionar la legitimidad del nuevo pontífice. El monarca sostuvo que el anterior papa no había muerto en el cargo, instalando dudas sobre la validez de la sucesión. Convertido en una figura incómoda y silenciosa, el exlíder religioso recordaba que la estabilidad del sistema papal podía tambalearse en cualquier momento, según señaló HistoryExtra.
La confrontación entre Bonifacio VIII y Felipe IV de Francia alcanzó su clímax en 1303, cuando agentes de la corona gala capturaron al papa en el episodio conocido como el ultraje de Anagni. Aunque fue liberado enseguida, el daño a la imagen papal fue profundo.
Luego de la muerte de Bonifacio, la Curia eligió a un sucesor que complació a la monarquía francesa y, en 1309, el papado se trasladó a Avignon.
El traslado a Avignon inauguró una etapa crítica para el papado. La decisión respondió tanto a la inestabilidad política de Roma, asediada por conflictos y violencia, como a la conveniencia francesa, que prefería tener al papa cerca.
Skoda relata en HistoryExtra: “El rey de Francia no quería al papa en Roma”. Con la sede pontificia más próxima, creció la percepción de que el papa respondía a intereses franceses, debilitando la idea de liderazgo para toda la cristiandad.
Esta pérdida de autonomía alimentó críticas y sospechas sobre el auténtico centro de poder de la Iglesia. En 1377, el papado regresó a Roma, pero lejos de restaurar el orden, la situación generó el mayor escándalo institucional de la época: la existencia de papados rivales.
Fallecido Gregorio XI, la elección de Urbano VI resultó inmediatamente controvertida. Varios cardenales rechazaron el resultado y declararon inválida la elección, nombrando a otro candidato. Skoda lo resume así en HistoryExtra: “Intentan deponerlo y elegir a otro papa”.
Urbano VI se negó a dimitir, por lo que, mientras él seguía en Roma, sus adversarios eligieron a un segundo papa instalado en Avignon. Así, Europa quedó dividida y la lucha por la legitimidad papal implicó a los reinos de la época, especialmente a Inglaterra y Francia, cuyas alianzas opuestas se intensificaron durante la Guerra de los Cien Años.
En 1409, el Concilio de Pisa intentó resolver la crisis de la Iglesia destituyendo a los dos pontífices enfrentados y nombrando a uno nuevo para reunificar el poder religioso. Sin embargo, la estrategia terminó agravando el conflicto. “No logran deponer a los dos papas existentes”, explicó Skoda, quien añadió: “Pero sí eligen a uno nuevo; así que entonces hay tres papas simultáneos”. La cristiandad quedó así atrapada en una situación inédita: tres líderes disputando la legitimidad del papado y profundizando la fractura eclesiástica.
El desenlace solo llegó tras el Concilio de Constanza (1414–1418). Tras negociaciones y renuncias forzadas, las facciones rivales se disolvieron y, en 1417, fue elegido un único dirigente para la Iglesia: Martín V.
Según HistoryExtra, “solo el Concilio de Constanza puso fin a la crisis”, restaurando, al menos formalmente, la unidad de la Iglesia y cerrando uno de los periodos más intensos de inestabilidad y escándalo en la Edad Media.
Aviñón,Palacio de los Papas,Celestino V,Bonifacio VIII,Papas,historia,medieval,acuarela,Francia,religión
INTERNACIONAL
RFK Jr announces ‘largest autism fraud bust in American history’ with $46.6M Medicaid scheme indictment
Jonathan Fahey discusses DOJ’s $90 million Minnesota fraud ring bust
Jonathan Fahey, former DHS deputy assistant secretary, discusses the Department of Justice’s $90 million Medicaid fraud bust in Minnesota. Fahey explains that the widespread fraud is likely just the tip of the iceberg, with more revelations expected from cooperating defendants. He questions why Democrats previously ignored these programs for political reasons.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the indictment of two Minnesota defendants charged in what officials called the «largest autism fraud bust in American history.»
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted 55-year-old Shamso Ahmed Hassan and 25-year-old Hanaan Mursal Yusuf, slapping them with numerous counts of fraud and related charges for their alleged $46.6 million scheme to defraud Minnesota Medicaid’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Program.
The indictment was part of a wider enforcement action taken by the DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division that swept up 15 alleged fraudsters in indictments for schemes that targeted over $90 million in taxpayer funds.
«Today’s arrests represent the largest autism fraud bust in American history. This was not a paperwork error. It was not a technical violation. This was organized theft that exploited the most vulnerable children in America, deceived families, stole taxpayer dollars meant to help children with autism access legitimate care and support,» Kennedy Jr. said in a Friday news conference.
‘EPICENTER OF FRAUD’: MINNESOTA’S EMPTY STOMACHS, FAKE AUTISM THERAPY AND A SCANDAL THAT COULD TOP $2 BILLION
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks to the media about alleged Medicaid fraud, and charges that were brought up against 15 individuals at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 21, 2026. (Christopher Juhn/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hassan was a shareholder in two autism centers, Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center, but she did not disclose her ownership to the Minnesota Department of Human Services as required by law, prosecutors said. Yusuf worked at the Smart Therapy Center and helped operate the center, including by submitting the businesses’ claims for Medicaid reimbursement, according to the indictment.
MINNESOTA FRAUD SUSPECT WHO JUMPED FROM BUILDING IS ARRESTED, FBI SAYS
The pair allegedly paid kickbacks to families to incentivize them to send their children to Smart Therapy Center and Star Autism Center so they could bill for autism-related services in their children’s names. They then billed Medicaid for services that were not rendered or were not reimbursable by Medicaid, according to the indictment.
Of the $46.6 million they filed for reimbursement, $21.6 million was paid out, per the indictment. The DOJ is seeking restitution for that money.
Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin McDonald addresses the media to announce actions combating fraud in Minnesota at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota on May 21, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Department of Justice is bringing charges against 15 people for fraud that targeted seven Medicaid programs and over $90 million in taxpayer dollars. (David Berding/Getty Images)
The pair «diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars of the fraud proceeds» to «their families’ personal use and benefit, including through real property purchases and transferring funds overseas, including to Kenya,» according to the indictment.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The defendants were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of money laundering. Yusuf was charged with five counts of healthcare fraud, while Hassan was charged with two.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. addresses the media to announce actions combating fraud in Minnesota at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota on May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (David Berding/Getty Images)
«Every fraudulent autism diagnosis steals time, care, and resources from the children for whom this program was designed and who desperately need this care. Families with autistic children already face enormous challenges navigating therapies, specialists, and support systems. Fraud makes those barriers even steeper,» Kennedy Jr. said in the announcement.
health care executive, robert f kennedy jr, childrens health, minnesota fraud exposed, autism
INTERNACIONAL
China deployed over 100 vessels near Taiwan in the wake of Trump-Xi summit, Taiwan security official claims
Taiwan warns US about China’s regional ambitions as Trump weighs arms deal
Fox Business correspondent Lydia Hu reports live on Taiwan’s top diplomat, Alexander Yui, sharing a warning about China as President Donald Trump weighs a proposed $14 billion arms package for the island. Yui stresses that Taiwan acts as a front-line defense, preventing China’s wider ambitions. Taiwan’s semiconductor production, 90% of the world’s advanced chips, makes US support critical.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
China has deployed over 100 vessels in the waters surrounding Taiwan in the week following President Donald Trump’s Beijing summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the secretary general of Taiwan’s National Security Council said Saturday.
«Our ISR/intel shows that the PRC has deployed over 100 vessels around the 1st Island Chain over the past few days, so soon after the Beijing summit,» Secretary General Joseph Wu wrote on X.
«In this part of the world, China is the one & only PROBLEM wrecking the Status Quo & threatening regional peace & stability,» Wu concluded.
Wu posted a graphic appearing to show a high volume of Chinese vessel deployments in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and near Taiwan and The Philippines.
CHINA LAUNCHES LARGEST MILITARY DRILLS OFF TAIWAN IN 8 MONTHS WITH LIVE-FIRE EXERCISES CAUGHT ON CAMERA
A Taiwanese graphic showing alleged Chinese ship deployments near Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific region. (Taiwan National Security Council)
Wu alerted the world to the ship deployments a little more than a week after Trump left Beijing and just days after Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao told U.S. lawmakers that the U.S. was temporarily pausing weapons shipments to Taiwan.
«Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury,» Cao testified during a Tuesday hearing of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao testifies during the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing titled «The Posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2027 and the Future Years Defense Program,» in the Dirksen building on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
U.S. lawmakers approved a $14 billion weapons package to be sold to Taiwan in January, though Trump has yet to sign off on it.
AS CHINA TENSIONS LOOM, US TEMPORARILY PAUSES TAIWAN WEAPONS SALES DUE TO IRAN WAR, ACTING NAVY SECRETARY SAYS
Taiwanese officials say they were not alerted to any potential pauses, according to The Associated Press.
Cao’s pause announcement followed the Trump-Xi summit during which Chinese officials made clear that the Taiwan question is China’s biggest issue in diplomatic relations with the United States.
The USS Chung-Hoon observed a Chinese navy ship sharply crossing its path in the Taiwan Strait on June 3, 2023, forcing the American destroyer to slow to avoid a collision during a freedom of navigation transit alongside Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal. (Andre T. Richard/U.S. Navy)
«President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations,» Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in a statement after the Trump-Xi bilateral meeting.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,» Ning concluded.
Fox News Digital contacted the White House, a representative for the Taiwanese government and the Chinese Foreign Ministry for additional comment.
taiwan, us navy, congress, china, xi jinping
El Vaticano, a la espera de que se confirme el viaje de León XIV a la Argentina, la deuda heredada de Francisco
Caputo emite cada vez más pesos para comprar más dólares: ¿le está haciendo caso a Cavallo?
La dramática definición del descenso en la Liga de España: el Mallorca de Demichelis gana y espera por el milagro
Cómo una renuncia inesperada abrió la puerta a la mayor fractura del papado en la Edad Media
La mordaz crítica de Julián Weich a Adrián Suar que esperó 40 años en salir: «¡Un hijo de Júpiter!»
Damián Arabia: “Hay más gente que llega a fin de mes desde que asumió el presidente Milei”
Milei lanza «operativo» urgente para que el salto de inflación mayorista no explote en góndolas
El FMI aprobó la revisión del acuerdo con la Argentina y destraba el desembolso de USD 1.000 millones
VIDEO | Un especialista demostró que la cuenta de X que desató la interna libertaria pertenecía a Martín Menem
El “Gordo Dan” habló sobre la interna libertaria, apuntó contra Martín Menem y aseguró: “Le mintieron al Presidente”
ECONOMIA2 días agoMilei lanza «operativo» urgente para que el salto de inflación mayorista no explote en góndolas
- ECONOMIA2 días ago
El FMI aprobó la revisión del acuerdo con la Argentina y destraba el desembolso de USD 1.000 millones
- POLITICA3 días ago
VIDEO | Un especialista demostró que la cuenta de X que desató la interna libertaria pertenecía a Martín Menem
