WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic lawyer Joe Donnelly of Indiana is the new U.S. ambassador to... Read more
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis officially has declared St. Irenaeus of Lyon a doctor... Read more
A law firm’s report on how abuse cases were handled in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising incriminated retired Pope Benedict XVI, with lawyers accusing him of misconduct in four cases during his tenure as Munich archbishop. Read more
God is not frightened by people's sins, mistakes or failures, Pope Francis said. What God is afraid of is "the closure of our hearts -- this, yes, this makes him suffer -- he is frightened by our lack of faith in his love," the pope said Jan. 19 during his weekly general audience. Read more
Pope Francis is sending thousands of dollars in relief aid to the Philippines after a devastating typhoon struck the Southeast Asian archipelago in December. In a statement released Jan. 18, the Vatican said that in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Rai, the pope sent “an initial contribution of 100,000 euros ($113,868) for the relief of the population, through the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.” Read more
When the goal of Christian unity seems far off, “let us remind ourselves that we are making this journey not as those who already possess God but as those who continue to seek him,” Pope Francis told members of an ecumenical pilgrimage from Finland. Read more
Pope Francis approved “Pilgrims of Hope” as the motto for the Holy Year 2025. The motto aims to give a concise sense of the full meaning of the jubilee journey, Archbishop Rino Fisichella told Vatican News Jan. 13. The words “pilgrims” and “hope” also represent key themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate, said the archbishop, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization, which is in charge of the Holy Year planning efforts. Read more
Those who are stubbornly skeptical of science and those who eagerly embrace science as infallible both have a dangerous misunderstanding of the nature of science, a U.S. Jesuit astronomer said. Read more
Pope Francis’ music library contains nearly 2,000 CDs and 19 vinyl records, according to the Vatican cardinal who is curating the collection. While it is mostly made up of classical music, it also includes: an old album of Édith Piaf’s greatest hits; Argentine tango tunes, especially by Astor Piazzolla; and a 25-disc collection of Elvis Presley’s Gospel songs, said Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture. Read more
VATICAN CITY | St. Joseph's work as a humble carpenter serves as an example of the dignity of hard work that today is often denied to those in need, Pope Francis said. Read more
ROME | Pope Francis took an evening ride in a white Fiat 500 to visit a record store he used to go to when in Rome as a cardinal.Letizia Giostra, the store owner, told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the surprise visit Jan. 11 was "an immense thrill.""The Holy Father is passio… Read more
The Vatican has updated its rules to stem the spread of COVID-19 and will require all its employees to be vaccinated against the virus or prove they have recently recovered from the disease. Read more
Context is everything. But sometimes Pope Francis assumes people know him and the context of his words. When they don’t, hackles are raised. One case in point has garnered huge publicity, again: Pope Francis’ view on couples having pampered pets instead of children. Read more
Pope Francis issued condolences to families of those killed in an Jan. 9 apartment building blaze in the Bronx that killed 17 people, including eight children. Initially, city officials said the death toll was 19 people and nine children, but they revised this figure the afternoon of Jan. 10. Read more
