Italian Air Force jets had to escort an American Airlines plane to Rome because of a security concern, which ultimately proved to be “non-credible.” The flight was on its way from New York to New Delhi,

A shop worker arranges figurines of Pope Francis for a photograph in a souvenir shop in Rome, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/)

Another woman is taking over a top management job in the Vatican : Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian nun, was named Saturday as president of the Vatican City State, making her essentially the governor of the 44-hectare (108-acre) territory in Rome that is home to the Catholic Church.

Crowds are gathering in Vatican City and Rome to pray for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff has shown slight signs of improvement since he was diagnosed with pneumonia last week,

Pope Francis has shown a "further, slight improvement" in his medical condition, the Vatican said on Wednesday, in a sign of progress as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.

Pope Francis was a frequent visitor to Rome long before he became pope. Now his favorite shops and artisans are pulling for him as he battles double pneumonia.

Reports of Pope Francis' critical health condition have put global media outlets including CNN, CBS and NBC, in high gear to descend upon Rome.

Pope Francis has been in hospital for 11 days, with recent blood tests show early, mild kidney failure after he experienced a respiratory crisis.