Courtney Mares

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.

Pope Francis at the end of the Angelus address Jan. 26, 2020. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis: 'The beatitudes always bring joy'

The beatitudes should be a defining feature of a Christian’s identity because they reveal the way that Jesus lived his...

St. John Paul II in 1978. Credit: Vatican Media.

Pope Francis to Publish a Book with Reflections on St. John Paul II

Pope Francis has co-authored a book of reflections on the life of St. John Paul II to be published in...

Pope Francis acknowledges Fr. Gonzalo Aemilius, his new personal secretary, during a homily at a Mass in Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri, Vatican City, March 17, 2013. Credit: Vatican Media.

Pope's New Personal Secretary Ran a Ministry For Street Children

The Vatican announced Sunday that Pope Francis has a new personal secretary, Fr. Gonzalo Aemilius, a priest from Uruguay known...

Pope Francis prays at Auschwitz July 29, 2016. Credit: Vatican Media.

'Never again': Pope Francis Calls For Prayer on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Pope Francis has asked for people to spend a moment in prayer and recollection on Monday for International Holocaust Remembrance...

Pope Francis at the general audience Jan. 31, 2018. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis Prays for Coronavirus Victims in China

Pope Francis prayed Sunday for people infected by the coronavirus, which has killed 56 people in China.

Pope Francis celebrates Mass on the first Sunday of the Word of God Jan. 26, 2020. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis: Keep a Bible Close to You for Daily Inspiration

Pope Francis preached Sunday about the life-changing power of God’s word in Scripture, encouraging everyone to keep a Bible close...

Pope Francis kisses a child at the general audience on Oct. 10, 2018. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis: Every Human Has An Irrepressible Dignity

Pope Francis emphasized the importance of each person’s dignity Friday in his message for World Communications Day.

Pope Francis talks at the Vatican Jan. 24, 2020, with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Credit: EWTN-CNA Photo/Daniel Ibáñez/Vatican Pool

VP Pence and Pope Francis discuss US Pro-life Movement During Vatican Meeting

As the March for Life got underway in Washington, DC, Pope Francis and Vice President Mike Pence met in the...

St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Bohumil Petrik/CNA.

Suspension Revoked For Vatican’s Financial Watchdog Authority

The new head of the Vatican Financial Intelligence Authority (AIF) announced Thursday that the Vatican’s internal financial watchdog’s suspension from...

Pope Francis prays during his visit to Auschwitz July 29, 2016. Credit: Vatican Media.

Pope Francis Denounces ‘barbaric resurgence’ of Anti-Semitism

Pope Francis Monday condemned the “barbaric resurgence” of cases of anti-Semitism in the world, and urged the need to respect...

Pope Francis baptizes a child in the Sistine Chapel on Jan. 12, 2020. Credit: Vatican Media.

Pope Francis: It Is Beautiful When Babies Cry at Mass

Pope Francis baptized 32 babies in the Sistine Chapel Sunday, telling parents not to worry if their children cry at...

Pope Francis meets with the diplomatic corps Jan. 8, 2018. Credit: Vatican Media.

Pope Francis to Diplomats: Polarization Hurts the Poor

In his annual address to diplomats Thursday, Pope Francis stressed that solidarity is needed in 2020 to overcome polarization for...

Pope Francis blesses a woman at a general audience in Paul VI Hall Dec. 5, 2018. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis: God Acts in the Midst of Our Trials and Failures

Love for God is always fruitful, Pope Francis said Wednesday, stressing that Christ can bring good out of any circumstance...

Iranian Nuncio Appeals for Negotiation, Not Revenge

As tensions escalate between Iran and the United States following the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the pope’s diplomat in Tehran...

Pope Francis celebrates Mass on Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica Jan. 6, 2020. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis: When We Do Not Worship God, We Worship Ourselves

On the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Francis said worship of Christ reveals the true meaning of...

Pope Francis gives his Angelus address Jan. 1, 2020. Credit: Pablo Esparza/CNA.

Pope Francis Apologizes for Losing Patience with Woman Who Grabbed Him

Pope Francis apologized Wednesday for losing his patience with a woman who grabbed his arm in St. Peter’s Square on...

Pope Francis celebrates Mass for Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Jan. 1, 2020. Credit: Pablo Esparza/CNA.

Pope Francis: Honor the Dignity of Women for a Better World in 2020

Pope Francis began the new year with a call for the dignity of women to be honored -- not exploited...

Pope Francis greets families of Vatican City employees Dec. 21, 2017. Credit: Vatican Media.

Pope Francis asks families to put down their phones on Holy Family feast

On the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth Sunday, Pope Francis encouraged families to get off their cell phones...

Pope Francis gives the Urbi et Orbi blessing from the center loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica Dec. 25, 2019. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA.

Pope Francis on Christmas: Christ's light is greater than the darkness of world's conflicts

On Christmas, Pope Francis prayed for Christ to bring light to the instability in Iraq, Lebanon, Venezuela, Yemen, Ukraine, Burkina...

Pope Francis and UN Secretary General António Guterres in the Vatican Apostolic Palace Dec. 20, 2019. Credit: credit: EWTN-CNA/Evandro Inetti/Vatican Pool

Pope Francis and UN Secretary General record video urging religious freedom, climate protection

Pope Francis and the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres recorded a video message together at the Vatican Friday in...