From the magazine Damian Thompson

Does China have Vatican City in its sights?

Damian Thompson Damian Thompson
 JOHN BROADLEY
EXPLORE THE ISSUE 22 March 2025
issue 22 March 2025

Last Sunday the Vatican released the first photograph of Pope Francis since his ordeal began. He was wearing a stole around his neck, indicating that he had concelebrated mass in the chapel of the Gemelli hospital. Admittedly, all he had to do was raise his hand and whisper a few words of consecration, but it would have been impossible to take such a photo a week earlier, when Vatican-watchers were checking their phones hourly to discover whether the See of Peter had become vacant.

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