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.

Rosary beads and tributes are placed on the sculpture of St. John Paul II on March 13, 2025, at the main entrance of Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being cared for. Today marks the 28th day since Pope Francis was hospitalized in Rome on Feb. 14 and also 12 years since Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis. / Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Pope Francis Marks 12th Anniversary of Pontificate and Nearly 1 Month in the Hospital

On the occasion of the 12th anniversary of his election to the papacy, Pope Francis received hundreds of drawings, messages,...

Vatican Conference Examines Artificial Intelligence Implications for Democracy, Justice

The two-day workshop, titled “Artificial Intelligence, Justice, and Democracy,” was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Faithful gather to pray during a Holy Hour at St. John Paul II Chapel at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being treated for several medical conditions. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Daily Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Being Held in Hospital, Where Pope Francis is Receiving Treatment

Daily Holy Hours are bring held in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is being treated as well as at...

A statue of St. John Paul II is seen in front of the entrance to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 22, 2025, where Pope Francis continues to receive treatment for respiratory issues. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Pope Francis Shows "slight improvement" on Day 11 in Hospital: Vatican

The 88-year-old pontiff is still receiving oxygen therapy through his nose, though at a slightly reduced flow and concentration, according...

Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, where Bernini's gorgeous bronze monument to the Chair of Peter acts as a massive
bronze reliquary for the historic wooden chair. / Credit: Vatican Media

Why Church has Celebrated the Chair of St. Peter Feast for 1,600 Years

Every year on Feb. 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, a tradition that...

Pope Francis meets with members of a pilgrimage sponsored by the Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference on Feb. 3, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: Carlo Acutis Shows Young People "the fullness of life" in Christ

Speaking to Catholic pilgrims from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland on Feb. 3, the pope shared a special message...

Emergency response units search the wreckage on Jan. 30, 2025, of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after it crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport the night before. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among the 67 people on both aircraft. / Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Pope Francis Expresses "spiritual closeness" after Deadly Washington, DC Plane Crash

The pope sent a personal message to President Donald Trump on Jan. 30 as search efforts continued in and around...

Pope Francis meets with Church communications officials at the Vatican on Jan. 27, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Says He’s More Concerned About Human Intelligence than AI

Speaking to Church communications professionals the pope emphasized the need for a human-centered approach to communication.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin meets with Cuba President Miguel Díaz-Canel on June 20, 2023, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Cuba Prisoner Release "a sign of great hope": Vatican Secretary of State

Cardinal Pietro Parolin also commented on Biden’s commutation of death sentences for 37 death row inmates, expressing hope there will...

null / Credit: Andy - Rock News/Shutterstock

A Look at Vatican City’s New Artificial Intelligence Law

The decree titled “Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence” was enacted by the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State and came into...

A new tour of the Vatican Gardens at the pope’s summer palace in Castel Gandolfo is opening in spring 2025 for jubilee pilgrims who wish to escape the crowds in Rome for a day and immerse themselves in the natural beauty of God’s creation. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

New Jubilee Tour of Vatican Gardens at Castel Gandolfo Highlights Beauty of Creation: Photos

A new tour for Jubilee 2025 of the Vatican Gardens at the pope’s summer palace in Castel Gandolfo aims to...

Umbrellas dotted St. Peter’s Square on the rainy Sunday afternoon as Jubilee pilgrims braved the weather to hear Pope Francis give his Angelus message on Jan. 5, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: Bring Hope with a "yes to life" in Jubilee Year

“Let us not be afraid to throw open bright windows of closeness to those who are suffering, of forgiveness, of...

Pope Francis prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Pope Francis "deeply saddened" by New Orleans Attack, Offers Prayers

The pope sent a condolence message to New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Jan. 2 offering prayers for the souls...

Pope Francis walks through the Holy Door at Rome’s Rebibbia Prison Complex on the feast of St. Stephen, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Inside the Prison as Pope Francis Opens the Jubilee Holy Door: Special Report

The intimate Mass led by Pope Francis marked a historic moment — the first opening of a jubilee Holy Door...

Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer and delivers an address from a window in the Apostolic Palace on Dec. 26, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

On Feast of St. Stephen, Pope Francis Prays for Persecuted Christians

In his Angelus address on Dec. 26, Pope Francis reflected on Stephen’s last words as he was being stoned to...

A marble sculpture of St. Cajetan holding the infant Jesus identifies the spot where the saint’s vision occurred in the crypt of the Chapel of the Nativity, the side chapel to the right of the main altar of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

The Little-known Story of a Saint’s Christmas Vision of the Infant Jesus in Rome

The experience of the newborn Jesus occurred within the storied walls of the Marian basilica’s Chapel of the Nativity, where...

Christmas lights line a street in Rome, Italy, Dec. 17, 2024. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Christmas in Rome As First Jubilee Pilgrims Arrive in Eternal City: PHOTOS

Pope Francis will open five jubilee Holy Doors in the Christmas season between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6.

A sister kneels before the tabernacle after inviting a group of women donating Christmas gifts to pray in the Missionaries of Charity house in Rome. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Living Advent with Hope and Charity: Lessons from Mother Teresa’s Sisters

For the Missionaries of Charity, whose charism is to serve “the poorest of the poor,” Advent isn’t just for a...

The Holy House of Our Lady in the Shrine of Loreto. / Credit: Tatiana Dyuvbanova/Shutterstock

How Could the Holy House of Mary in Nazareth Have Ended up in Loreto, Italy?

Catholic pilgrims have flocked to the Holy House of Loreto since the 14th century to stand inside the walls where...

Dr. Todd Ovokaitys speaks at the World Changers Ethical & Innovation Summit at the Pontifical Lateran University in Vatican City, Nov. 26, 2024 / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Scientists and CEOs Share Big Ideas at Vatican Ethical Innovation Summit

This week's World Changers Ethical & Innovation Summit at the Vatican's Pontifical Lateran University showcased groundbreaking ideas for innovation in...