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

The kids and Pope Francis released biodegradable balloons into the sky together on July 18, 2024. The Vatican said the message, “You, dear boy, dear girl, are precious in God’s eyes,” was stamped on the balloons “with the hope that the message will reach as many people as possible.”

PHOTOS: Pope Francis hangs out with Vatican summer camp kids

Jul 18, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The day camp for children of Vatican employees is in its fourth year. It is taking place June 17-July 26... Read more

Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, speaks at a May 2, 2023, press conference.

Pope Francis adds two vice directors to Vatican communication dicastery

Jul 18, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Dicastery for Communication has been led since 2018 by Paolo Ruffini, the first layman to be named prefect of... Read more

Pope Francis meets with the Council of Cardinals on Feb. 5, 2024, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis authors preface to book on ‘Women and Ministries in the Synodal Church’

Jul 15, 2024

By Walter Sánchez Silva

Pope Francis has written the preface to the book “Women and Ministries in the Synodal Church,” authored by three theologians... Read more

Pope Francis waves to crowds before his noon Angelus address during a hot day in Rome on July 14, 2024.

‘Excess enslaves you,’ Pope Francis warns Christians

Jul 14, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis addressed the problems of materialism in his Angelus reflection in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday. Read more

Pope Francis travels between the conference center and Unità d’Italia Square in Trieste, Italy, with a golf cart during his pastoral visit to the northern Italian city on July 7, 2024. In Trieste, the pope addressed around 1,200 participants in a Catholic conference on democracy for the annual Social Week of Catholics.

Gun found in abandoned suitcase before papal visit to Trieste, Italy

Jul 12, 2024

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

According to Italian press, less than 24 hours after the pope’s arrival, the police discovered a Czech-made semiautomatic pistol inside... Read more

Rose petals fall in St. Mary Major Basilica Aug. 5, 2017 to commemorate the "miracle of the snow."

Pope Francis to attend ‘Miracle of the Snow’ commemoration in Rome

Jul 12, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Each year white rose petals fall from the ceiling of the papal Marian basilica in commemoration of a miraculous snowfall... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk at the Vatican on Aug. 5, 2022.

Pope Francis meets Russian Orthodox Church’s ‘foreign minister’ at the Vatican

Jul 12, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope met Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthony at the Vatican, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church... Read more

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Pope Francis tells AI leaders: No machine should ever choose to take human life

Jul 10, 2024

By Courtney Mares

In a message to an AI ethics conference in Hiroshima, Japan, the pope underlined that artificial intelligence has implications for... Read more

The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage passes southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 21, 2024.

Pope Francis praises National Eucharistic Revival in the U.S.

Jul 9, 2024

By Peter Pinedo

In a letter published Tuesday, Pope Francis said he wished to extend a special blessing to all those attending the... Read more

Pope Francis among the delegates of the Synod on Synodality, held in October of 2023.

These are the members of the Synod on Synodality study groups

Jul 9, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Instrumentum Laboris, the guiding document for the October 2024 assembly, makes reference to these study groups throughout. Read more

Pope Francis gives a blessing to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square during his general audience on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.

Pope Francis spotted visiting Rome optometrist

Jul 9, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope went to the eyewear store to change out the lenses of his glasses after having difficulty reading his... Read more

Pope Francis speaks at the 50th annual Social Week of Catholics in Trieste, Italy, on the morning of July 7, 2024. At his arrival in the northern Italian city, he was greeted by Archbishop Luigi Renna, president of the organizing committee (right), and Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian bishops' conference (left).

Pope Francis: In politics, Catholics cannot live a ‘private faith’

Jul 7, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis defended democracy and criticized political polarization while urging Catholics to share their faith in the public square during... Read more

Documents from the Pontificate of Pius XII released by the Vatican Apostolic Archive.

Pope Francis appoints new prefect of Vatican archives

Jul 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The Vatican Apostolic Archive contains 53 miles of shelving preserving documentation preserving important documents for the Church dating to the... Read more

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Pontifical Academy for Life releases ‘lexicon’ for end-of-life discussions

Jul 5, 2024

By Daniel Payne

The Vatican Publishing House released the brief booklet on July 2. Read more

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims at his General Audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Vatican releases schedule for Pope Francis’ two-week trip to Asia and Oceania

Jul 5, 2024

By Courtney Mares

At the age of 87, the Holy Father is set to take on his most ambitious international trip yet to... Read more

Pope Francis leads the Synod on Synodality delegates in prayer on Oct. 25, 2023.

Vatican to publish Instrumentum Laboris for October’s Synod on Synodality meeting

Jul 3, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Instrumentum Laboris, or “working tool” for the upcoming 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, will be... Read more

Statue of St. Peter in front of St. Peter's Basilica.

Why are there no papal audiences during July?

The Vatican usually suspends such audiences on only two occasions: during the month of July and the week when the... Read more

Pope Francis prays during his general audience on Wednesday, May 29,  2024, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

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

Jul 2, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

“The anointing of the sick is not a sacrament only for those who are at the point of death. No.... Read more

St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

No tattoos or piercings: new rules for Vatican employees

With the publication of new regulations, Pope Francis has made it clear that employees of the Fabric of St. Peter... Read more

Pope Francis announced he will celebrate a Mass of canonization for 14 people, including the 11 “Martyrs of Damascus,” on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, the Vatican announced after the College of Cardinals voted to approve the canonizations of 15 people in a consistory on the morning of July 1, 2024.

Pope Francis to canonize ‘Martyrs of Damascus,’ three others on Oct. 20

Jul 1, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope declared the date of the canonization after the College of Cardinals voted to approve the canonizations of 15... Read more