Pope Francis Latest News

These are the latest news about Pope Francis, the Vatican, and the Catholic Church, provided by the Vatican staff of Catholic News Agency, a service of EWTN News.

The Latest

Archbishop of Barcelona and the president of the Episcopal Conference of Spain, Cardinal Juan José Omella y Omella, arrives at St. Peter’s Basilica for a penitential service for the Synod of Bishops presided by Pope Francis on Oct. 1, 2024, in Vatican City.

Analysis: This week at the Synod on Synodality — revolution or much ado about nothing?

Oct 3, 2024

By Andrea Gagliarducci

The tone of the opening days of the synod’s final general assembly makes it apparent that, for the moment, there... Read more

Pope Francis addresses participants of the first meeting of the full assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 2, 2024.

At Synod on Synodality, pope says Church needs new ways for bishops to be ‘synodal’

Oct 2, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

“Never can a bishop, or any other Christian, think of himself ‘without others,’” Pope Francis said Wednesday at the first... Read more

Pope Francis greets the crowd at the end of a Mass for the opening of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in St Peter's Square.

Pope Francis calls for global day of prayer, fasting amid escalating conflict in Holy Land

Oct 2, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope’s surprise announcement comes the morning after Iran launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel. Read more

Pope Francis presides at the penitential celebration ahead of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at St. Peter’s Basilica, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.

This is Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October

Oct 1, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

“We Christians are all responsible for the Church’s mission. Every priest. Everyone,” the pope said in a video released Sept.... Read more

Pope Francis addresses members of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who are meeting in an extraordinary plenary assembly Aug. 29–30, 2024, to discuss the future of the Pontifical Urban University, which educates priests and religious from the Catholic Church’s mission territories.

Pope Francis appoints priest who serves disadvantaged youth to Vatican evangelization office

Oct 1, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Father Samuele Sangalli has a license in philosophy and also studied educational sciences, which he has put to use as... Read more

Delegates vote to approve a synthesis report at the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 28, 2023.

Pope Francis steers delicate course on women, the Church, and the Synod on Synodality 2024

Oct 1, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

On Oct. 2, Pope Francis will open the second session of the Synod on Synodality, the last part of the... Read more

Pope Francis speaks aboard the papal plane on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024.

Pope Francis responds to critics of comments he made in Belgium about women

Sep 29, 2024

By CNA Staff

“A woman is more important than a man, but it is terrible when a woman wants to be a man:... Read more

Pope Francis prays during Mass at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024

In Belgium, Pope Francis gives strong warning over scandal of abuse, cover-up

Sep 29, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Holy Father urged the Belgian bishops to bring the evil of abuse to light and not to cover up... Read more

Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.

Archdiocese of Denver reacts to expulsion of 10 members of the Sodality of Christian Life

Sep 28, 2024

By ACI Prensa

The Peruvian Episcopal Conference announced that on Sept. 25 Pope Francis ordered the Sodality of Christian Life to expel 10... Read more

Pope Francis meets with academics at KU Leuven, a Belgian Catholic research university, on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.

Pope Francis urges professors to ‘seek the truth’ in visit to 600-year-old Belgian university

Sep 27, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope addressed academics at KU Leuven, a Belgian Catholic research university, on Friday afternoon to mark the 600th anniversary... Read more

Pope Francis arrives at Laeken Castle in Belgium on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, where he is greeted by the Belgian royal family, Queen Mathilde and King Philippe.

PHOTOS: Pope Francis meets king and queen of Belgium at Laeken Castle

Sep 27, 2024

By Courtney Mares

King Philippe ascended the Belgian throne in 2013 and holds the title “Rex Catholicissimus,” or “(Most) Catholic Majesty.”  Read more

Pope Francis sits next to Queen Mathilde and listens as King Philippe (far right) speaks during a meeting between the pope and dignitaries in the Grand Gallery of Belgium’s Laeken Castle on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.

In Belgium, Pope Francis says ‘Church should be ashamed’ of clerical abuse

Sep 27, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Speaking before approximately 300 dignitaries, the pope remarked that child abuse is “a scourge that the Church is tackling resolutely... Read more

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin attends a plenary session during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on June 16, 2024.

Vatican secretary of state warns of Europe’s low birth rates, ‘demographic winter’

Sep 26, 2024

By Jonah McKeown

Cardinal Pietro Parolin in an interview with Vatican Media said Europe “greatly needs” to rediscover its Christian roots and face... Read more

Pope Francis arrives at Luxembourg Airport on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, the first stop in a four-day tour of Luxembourg and Belgium, two historically Christian countries in Europe, both of which are experiencing steep declines in religious adherence amid the spread of secularization.

In a secularized Luxembourg, Pope Francis tells Catholics to evangelize Europe

Sep 26, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Before flying to the neighboring country of Belgium on the afternoon of Sept. 26, the 87-year-old pope spent one day... Read more

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Pew survey in U.S. and Latin America gauges views on Church teachings, popularity of Pope Francis 

The Pew Research Center has released the results of a survey of how Catholics in the U.S. and six Latin... Read more

Pope Francis meets with young adults participating in the annual Economy of Francesco gathering on Sept 25, 2024, as the movement for economic change — inspired by the pope and St. Francis of Assisi — launches a permanent foundation.

Pope Francis to young economists: ‘Love is the first and greatest factor of change’

Sep 25, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis on Wednesday met with participants of the annual Economy of Francesco gathering as the movement launched a permanent... Read more

Iranian miners look on at the scene of a blast at a coal mine in Tabas in Iran’s Khorasan province on Sept. 22, 2024. The blast caused by a gas leak at the coal mine in eastern Iran has killed at least 50 people, state media said Sept. 22, in one of Iran’s deadliest work accidents in years.

Pope Francis offers prayers for victims of Iran coal mine explosion

Sep 25, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis said Wednesday he is praying for the dozens of victims of a deadly coal mine explosion in Tabas,... Read more

Pope Francis during the 500th general audience of his pontificate, held in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 25, 2024, spoke about pornography and how to avoid the temptation to sin.

Pope Francis condemns pornography as ‘a language of the devil’

Sep 25, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis spoke about pornography and how to avoid the devil’s temptation to sin via the internet during his 500th... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Aung San Suu Kyi, winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, in the Diplomatic Corps Hall at the Vatican on Nov. 28, 2017.

Pope Francis offered asylum to Myanmar’s imprisoned leader Aung San Suu Kyi

Sep 24, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis has offered the Vatican as a place of refuge for Myanmar’s imprisoned prime minister, Aung San Suu Kyi. Read more

Pope Francis waves from a window of the Apostolic Palace at the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square for his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.

Pope Francis: ‘True power is taking care of the weakest’

Sep 22, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

In his Angelus message at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis said: “True power is taking care of the weakest;... Read more