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Pope Francis speaks at the general audience in Vatican City's Paul VI Hall on Feb. 22, 2023. | Vatican Media

Pope Sends Message of Condolence to Victims of Deadly Earthquake in Japan

Jan 2, 2024

The reported 7.6-magnitude quake struck Ishikawa Prefecture in the western part of the country, killing more than 50.

Pope Francis at the first Mass of the new year, urged the faithful to entrust 2024 to the Mother of God. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: Entrust 2024 to the Mother of God 

Jan 1, 2024

The pope made his appeal during Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 1 for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Pope Francis smiles at pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square on Jan. 1, 2023, for his first Angelus of the new year. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Reflects on Mary’s Motherhood, Prays for Nicaragua During New Year’s Angelus

Jan 1, 2024

Just days after Christmas, Nicaragua’s Sandinista regime abducted four priests, whose whereabouts are still unknown.

Pope Francis invoke the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy at a prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, Friday, Oct. 27. | Credit: Courtney Mares

Pope Francis Asks Mary’s Intercession in World Day of Peace Video

Jan 1, 2024

Pope Francis implores the Blessed Virgin Mary to intercede for an end to human conflicts in a new video released on Jan. 1 for the World Day of Peace.

Pope Francis waves during his Sunday Angelus on Dec. 31, 2023. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Says Benedict XVI "blesses us and accompanies us" from Heaven

Dec 31, 2023

In his final Angelus address of 2023, Pope Francis paid tribute to Pope Benedict XVI on the one-year anniversary of his predecessor’s death. 

Pope Francis presides at the annual celebration of “first vespers,” or evening prayer, for the vigil of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on Dec. 31, 2023. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis: Faith Allows Christians to Live Transition into the New Year "differently"

Dec 31, 2023

Pope Francis rang in the new year and gave thanks for 2023 at a special New Year’s Eve Vatican liturgy.

Pope Benedict XVI on April 21, 2007, in Vigevano, Italy. | Credit: miqu77/Shutterstock

4 Kernels of Wisdom from Pope Benedict XVI’s Last Message to the World

Dec 31, 2023

On the first anniversary of the former pope's death, we look at his final work, “What Is Christianity? The Last Writings,” published by Ignatius Press.

Pope Francis waves at the crowd of 1.5 million people who attended the closing Mass of World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal on Aug. 6, 2023. | Vatican Media.

What countries did Pope Francis visit in 2023 and what did he say?

Dec 30, 2023

Despite advanced age and health challenges, the pope visited six countries on three continents in 2023.

“Christ Carrying the Cross” by Titian (1490–1576). | Credit: Titian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Vatican announces art contest for Stations of the Cross to be displayed in St. Peter’s Basilica

Dec 30, 2023

The Vatican has announced an art competition in which your paintings can be displayed inside of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Benedict XVI on May 11, 2010. | Credit: Mazur/www.thepapalvisit.org.uk

EWTN to Air Conference on Pope Benedict XVI One Year After His Death

Dec 29, 2023

A conference titled “Remembering Benedict XVI: Life, Teaching, Legacy” will be held in Rome on Dec. 30–31 and will air on EWTN on Dec. 31.

A prayer meeting organized by the Taizé community. | Credit: Christian Pulfrich, CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED, Wikimedia

Pope Francis Urges Young Adults at Taizé Event to "dare to build a different world"

Dec 29, 2023

The European Meeting is an annual ecumenical Christian event that hosts several thousand young adults from across the world to gather and pray in a host city.

Pope Francis meets with Cardinal Raymond Burke on Dec. 29, 2023, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Meets With U.S.-born Cardinal amid Salary, Apartment Controversy

Dec 29, 2023

In a press release, the Holy See Press Office briefly mentioned that the pope had met with Cardinal Raymond Burke in an audience Friday morning.

Pope Francis meets with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican on May 13, 2023, their first meeting since the start of the full-scale war with Russia. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Speaks With Ukraine President about Peace Efforts

Dec 29, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pontiff expressed “his wishes of peace — just peace for all of us” during the Dec. 28 phone call. 

Pope Benedict XVI. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican to Publish Private Homilies of Pope Benedict XVI

Dec 27, 2023

The Vatican Publishing House said this month that it intends to release a book of about 130 homilies given by the late pope.

Papal almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski. | lvivadm via Wikimedia (CC BY 3.0).

Pope Francis Sends Papal Almoner to Holy Land for Christmas as a Sign of Solidarity

Dec 22, 2023

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, who serves as the papal almoner, will spend Christmas in Jerusalem, where he will join the local Christian community in praying for peace.

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, and Bishop Robert Barron. | Credit: Alan Koppschall/EWTN; ACI Africa; Courtesy of DeChant-Hughes Public Relations

More Bishops Voice Criticism, Support for Vatican Document on Blessing Same-sex Couples

Dec 21, 2023

Some bishops, including Cardinal Gerhard Müller and several bishops in Africa, have firmly denounced the Vatican’s document.

Credit: lunamarina/Shutterstock

Bishops Around the World Are Divided Over Vatican’s Same-sex Blessing Declaration  

Dec 20, 2023

Some bishops are welcoming the news, some are approaching it with caution, while others are outright refusing to implement it.

A blessing service at St. Augustin Catholic church in Würzburg, Germany, for couples, including those of the same-sex, May 10, 2021. | Credit: CNA Deutsch

TIMELINE: What Has the Catholic Church Said about Same-sex "blessings"?

Dec 20, 2023

Here’s a timeline of how the controversy over same-sex blessings has unfolded.

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims during his Angelus address on Dec. 17, 2023. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Condemns Reported Israeli Sniper Attack on Gaza Catholic Church

Dec 17, 2023

The Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem reported that two women were shot by the IDF on Dec. 16.

Pope Francis at his general audience on Nov. 22, 2023. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Pope Francis Turns 87: One of the Oldest Popes in Church History

Dec 17, 2023

As the 266th successor of St. Peter to the papacy, Francis will be the oldest bishop of Rome since Pope Leo XIII, the oldest pope in history.