The comments follow a high-profile spat with US President Donald Trump, who called the Pope weak on crime.
Category: World
Satellite images reveal scale of Israeli demolitions as Lebanese villages destroyed
BBC Verify analysis found more than 1,400 buildings had been destroyed since 2 March.
Lyse Doucet: Under fragile ceasefire, Iranians wonder if US deal can be done
The BBC’s chief international correspondent reports from Iran as diplomatic efforts to avoid a return to war intensify.
Frank Gardner: What is China’s role in the Iran war?
BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner explains how the world’s second-largest economy fits into the Gulf conflict.
Trump threatens to fire Fed chair Powell if he doesn’t leave in May
Donald Trump’s threat marks the latest escalation in his ongoing spat with Jerome Powell.
250 missing after migrant boat sinks in Indian Ocean
The trawler “reportedly sank due to heavy winds, rough seas and overcrowding”, the United Nations said.
Another woman accuses Swalwell of rape, saying he drugged her in 2018
Lonna Drewes accused Swalwell of drugging her drink before assaulting her in a hotel room.
US blockade of Iran ports irresponsible and dangerous, China says
China, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, says the US naval blockade undermines an “already fragile ceasefire”.
Hamas rejects Gaza disarmament plan, Palestinian official says
The official tells the BBC that the armed group will not move forward with talks until Israel fully complies with its commitments.
BBC joins paramedics on duty in Lebanon after Israeli strikes
BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega joins paramedics on duty in Nabatieh – a city that was once vibrant, but is now abandoned.