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

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square gathered for his weekly general audience on April 3, 2024.

Pope Francis’ approval rating remains high in the U.S. but has slipped since 2021

Apr 12, 2024

By Jonah McKeown

In addition, the Pew report suggests that a majority of Catholics in the U.S. want the Church to change its... Read more

Pope Francis meets with a group of 200 children studying catechism and in a relaxed manner answered some of their questions on April 11, 2024, at St. John Mary Vianney Parish in Borghesiana, Italy.

Pope Francis makes surprise visit to 200 children for catechism in Rome suburb

Apr 12, 2024

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

Pope Francis made a special “getaway” from the Vatican on Thursday to meet with a group of 200 children at... Read more

Pope Francis blesses an unborn baby during the Papal Foundation's annual pilgrimage in Rome on Friday, April 12, 2024.

Papal Foundation announces nearly $15 million in global grants, humanitarian aid

Apr 12, 2024

By Daniel Payne

The U.S.-based Papal Foundation announced on Friday the distribution of nearly $15 million in grants, scholarships, and charitable aid. Read more

Archbishop Georg Gänswein and Pope Francis on St. Peter’s Square, May 21, 2014.

From papal secretary to nuncio? Report of a diplomatic role for Gänswein unconfirmed

Apr 12, 2024

By AC Wimmer

While speculation is again running rife on social media about Archbishop Georg Gänswein’s next role, neither he nor the Vatican... Read more

Pope Francis presides over Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square on March 31, 2024.

Pope Francis reinstates papal title ‘Patriarch of the West’ in Pontifical Yearbook

Apr 12, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

This honorific designation has reappeared among the list of “historical titles” used to designate the theological and temporal reality of... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims at the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square on March 22, 2023.

Pope Francis to travel to Indonesia, Singapore, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea

Apr 12, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis will travel to the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore, the Vatican... Read more

Pope Francis addresses members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on April 11, 2024, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis decries how ‘the unborn with disabilities are aborted’ in throwaway culture

Apr 11, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope warned “the throwaway culture” turns into “a culture of death” when people “presume to be able to establish... Read more

Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher (center) meets with Vietnamc’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (unseen) and other officials at the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi on April 9, 2024.

Vatican official meets Vietnam’s prime minister during historic diplomatic trip

Apr 11, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican secretary for relations with states, spoke with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh about a... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

Pope Francis: ‘A Christian without courage’ is ‘a useless Christian’

Apr 10, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

“A Christian without courage, who does not turn his own strength to good, who does not bother anyone, is a... Read more

Born via surrogacy in the United States in 1991, Olivia Maurel is now a leading campaigner for the abolition of “womb renting,” a practice which Pope Francis has called “deplorable.”

Woman born of surrogacy shares why she supports Pope Francis’ call for a global ban

Apr 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Born via surrogacy in the United States in 1991, Olivia Maurel is now a leading campaigner for the abolition of... Read more

The Divine Mercy image is displayed at St. Peter's Square before Pope Francis Regina Caeli prayer on April 7, 2024.

Pope Francis on Divine Mercy Sunday: The ‘fullness of life’ is ‘realized in Jesus’ 

Apr 7, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

“Every living encounter with Jesus enables us to have more life,” Pope Francis said in his reflection.  Read more

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis.

Diocese of Rome shake-up: Pope Francis transfers vicar to Vatican post

Apr 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The reassignment of Cardinal Angelo De Donatis is part of a major reform of the Diocese of Rome by Pope... Read more

A person walks past an area of a damaged building that is cordoned off following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake on April 3, 2024, in Hualien, Taiwan.

Pope Francis ‘deeply saddened,’ expresses closeness with victims of Taiwan earthquake

Apr 4, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The Holy Father “assures everyone affected by this disaster of his heartfelt solidarity and spiritual closeness,” a Vatican telegram said. Read more

Pope Francis blesses a baby at his Wednesday general audience on March 20, 2024, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Benedict XVI defended me in face of accusations ‘that I promoted gay marriage’

Apr 3, 2024

By Walter Sánchez Silva

Francis related that he had “a very beautiful visit with him when some cardinals came to see him, surprised by... Read more

Pope Francis holds a rosary and New Testament that belonged to a slain 23-year-old Ukrainian soldier as he appeals for peace during his general audience on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.

Pope Francis makes peace appeal while holding rosary of slain Ukrainian soldier

Apr 3, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Speaking in St. Peter’s Square on April 3, the pope revealed that the rosary belonged to a boy named Oleksandre,... Read more

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square gathered for his weekly general audience on April 3, 2024.

Pope Francis on Gaza conflict: ‘Without justice, there is no peace’

Apr 3, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The pope buttressed his plea with a catechesis focused on the virtue of justice, noting that it is the building... Read more

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Michigan governor signs bill legalizing paid surrogacy

Apr 2, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

The law reverses a 36-year-old prohibition on paid surrogacy in Michigan. Read more

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, pictured here in 2014, took up his new post as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in September 2023.

Vatican to publish document on ‘moral questions’ regarding human dignity, gender, surrogacy

Apr 2, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The Holy See Press Office announced Tuesday that the new document, titled Dignitas Infinita (“Infinite Dignity”) (On Human Dignity), will... Read more

Pope Francis greets a woman religious at a Mass on the World Day of Consecrated Life, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, on Feb. 2, 2024, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.

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

Apr 2, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of April is that the dignity and worth of women be recognized throughout... Read more

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger celebrates the special "pro eligendo summo pontifice" (to elect Supreme Pontiff) Mass at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City on April 18, 2005.

Pope Francis: I was ‘used’ against Ratzinger in 2005 conclave, but he was ‘my candidate’

Apr 1, 2024

By Jonathan Liedl

“The idea was to block the election of [Ratzinger],” Pope Francis explained. Read more