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Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva after the general audience on Nov. 6, 2013.

Man with disfigured face whose embrace with Pope Francis touched the world dies

Jan 12, 2024

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

The pontiff embraced Vinicio Riva while greeting pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square after a general audience in 2013, the year... Read more

Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.

Argentine nuns now living in Vatican monastery that was Pope Benedict’s last residence

Vatican City has new tenants: seven nuns from Argentina who, at the request of Pope Francis, will live in Mater... Read more

Pope Francis greets Archbishop Charles Scicluna.

Vatican official says Church should allow married priests

Jan 8, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Archbishop Charles Scicluna said that the Church should learn from the Eastern Churches, which allow married men the option to... Read more

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Rediscovered book by Cardinal Fernández features graphic erotic passages on ‘spirituality and sensuality’

Jan 8, 2024

By Jonathan Liedl

The 1998 book’s provocative, sexually-charged themes are likely to add further scrutiny to the already embattled prefect of the Vatican’s... Read more

Pope Francis prays the Angelus on Jan. 7, 2024, and offers pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square a reflection on baptism.

Pope Francis: If you don’t know the date of your baptism, look it up

Jan 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Speaking from the window of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the pope said Jan. 7 that the anniversary of one’s baptism... Read more

Pope Francis baptizes babies in the Sistine Chapel on Jan. 7, 2024.

PHOTOS: Pope Francis baptizes 16 babies in the Sistine Chapel

Jan 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

On the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the pope baptized 16 babies and presided over Mass beneath Michelangelo’s... Read more

Pope Francis delivers his homily during the Mass for the solemnity of the Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, 2024.

Pope Francis: The Epiphany invites us to adore the Lord and help the poor

Jan 6, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

In his homily Saturday, Pope Francis urged the faithful to “find God in flesh and bone, in the faces of... Read more

Pope Francis meets with a delegation from the Society of Catholic Publicists of Germany on the 75th anniversary of its foundation Jan. 4, 2024, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Catholic news media can’t be ‘neutral’ in the message they convey

Jan 5, 2024

By Andrés Henríquez

The pontiff made his remarks at a Jan. 4 audience with a delegation from the Society of Catholic Publicists of... Read more

Cardinal Angelo Becciu.

Cardinal Becciu speaks of ‘drawing up a balance sheet’ of one’s life before God in homily

Jan 5, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was convicted on several counts of embezzlement of Vatican funds on Dec. 16, presided over a... Read more

St. Peter's Dome.

Vatican responds to widespread backlash on same-sex blessing directive

Jan 4, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández maintained that the Vatican’s recent declaration on same-sex blessings was “clear and definitive about marriage and... Read more

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Ivory Coast (CECCI).

Resistance to same-sex blessings grows in Africa, but bishops are divided globally

Jan 3, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

More than two weeks after the Vatican issued a declaration on blessings of same-sex couples, bishops remain divided over the... Read more

Father Ramon Guidetti has been excommunicated by his local bishop for saying in a homily that Pope Francis “is not the pope” and calling him “a usurper.”

Italian priest excommunicated for calling Pope Francis a ‘usurper’

Jan 3, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The Diocese of Livorno in Tuscany issued a decree on Jan. 1 notifying Catholics that Father Ramon Guidetti “publicly committed... Read more

CNA

Vatican: 20 Catholic missionaries killed in 2023

Jan 2, 2024

By Joe Bukuras

Twenty Catholic missionaries were murdered in 2023, according to a new Dec. 30 report issued by the Vatican’s Fides News... Read more

Firefighters inspect collapsed wooden houses in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2, 2024, a day after a major 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Pope sends message of condolence to victims of deadly earthquake in Japan

Jan 2, 2024

By Daniel Payne

The reported 7.6-magnitude quake struck Ishikawa Prefecture in the western part of the country, killing more than 50. Read more

Pope Francis at the first Mass of the new year, urged the faithful to entrust 2024 to the Mother of God on Jan. 1, 2024.

Pope Francis: Entrust 2024 to the Mother of God 

Jan 1, 2024

By Jonathan Liedl

The pope made his appeal during Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 1 for the solemnity of Mary, Mother... Read more

Pope Francis smiles at pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 1, 2024, for his first Angelus of the new year.

Pope Francis reflects on Mary’s motherhood, prays for Nicaragua during New Year’s Angelus

Jan 1, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

Just days after Christmas, Nicaragua’s Sandinista regime abducted four priests, whose whereabouts are still unknown. Read more

Pope Francis invoke the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy at a prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, Friday, Oct. 27.

Pope Francis asks Mary’s intercession in World Day of Peace video

Jan 1, 2024

By Jonathan Liedl

Pope Francis implores the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for an end to human conflicts in a new video released... Read more

Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023.

What countries did Pope Francis visit in 2023 and what did he say?

Dec 30, 2023

By Peter Pinedo

Despite advanced age and health challenges, the pope visited six countries on three continents in 2023. Read more

A prayer meeting organized by the Taizé community.

Pope Francis urges young adults at Taizé event to ‘dare to build a different world’

Dec 29, 2023

By Joe Bukuras

The European Meeting is an annual ecumenical Christian event that hosts several thousand young adults from across the world to... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on May 13, 2023, their first meeting since the start of the full-scale war with Russia.

Pope Francis speaks with Zelenskyy about peace efforts in Ukraine

Dec 29, 2023

By Tyler Arnold

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pontiff expressed “his wishes of peace — just peace for all of us” during... Read more