Catholic leader blasts Israeli conduct at journalist funeral
JERUSALEM -- The top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land on May 16 condemned the police beating of mourners carrying the casket of Al Jazeera journalist...
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Vatican minister visits Ukraine as pope toes delicate line
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, is heading to Kyiv this week as the Holy See seeks to balance its concern...
Read MorePope's recipe to heal his painful knee? A shot of tequila
ROME (AP) -- Doctors have prescribed a wheelchair, cane and physical therapy to help heal Pope Francis' bad knee. He has other ideas. According to...
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Declining birthrates impoverish future, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The steady decline of birthrates across Europe and the West are signs of a new form of poverty that deprives humanity of a future,...
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Religious brothers can be superiors of orders with priests, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Granting an exception to canon law, Pope Francis said the Vatican office that deals with religious orders can permit men's communities...
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Do not be afraid to vent to God, have faith in his justice, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis praised the way people have faced the trials and losses in their lives with a firmness of faith in God's promises and...
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George Weigel on what the Vatican can learn from JPII's diplomacy with Russia
John Paul II began his pontificate with the words "Be not afraid" -- a phrase that the Polish pope's biographer believes can be applied to Vatican...
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For sexual abuse victims in Santa Fe archdiocese, $122 million settlement a 'next step'
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe has agreed on a $121.5 million bankruptcy settlement to provide compensation for hundreds of sexual abuse victims, the archdiocese...
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John Paul II's mom chose life after her doctor advised an abortion
Over one hundred years ago on May 18, Emilia Wojtyla gave birth to her second son, Karol, after a difficult and life-threatening pregnancy. The child would...
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Pope Francis: St. Charles de Foucauld's spirituality helped me through a crisis
Pope Francis said on Wednesday that learning about St. Charles de Foucauld's spirituality helped him during a period of crisis as a theology student. "I...
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Pope urges mission societies to have faith, courage, creativity
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The "basic dynamism" of the Catholic Church is its missionary outreach, an effort that should and must flow naturally from a desire...
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Indifference, individualism, fuel throwaway culture, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christians must be ready to respond with love and charity to those in need, especially the victims of today's throwaway culture,...
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Learn from new saints, pope tells French young people
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The lives of France's newest saints can inspire young people to persevere and hope amid difficulties and trying times, Pope Francis...
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Israel police to investigate conduct at journalist funeral
JERUSALEM (AP) _ Israeli police decided on Saturday to investigate the conduct of their officers who attacked the funeral of a slain Al Jazeera journalist,...
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UPDATE: Saints' lives prove God's love for all, pope says at canonization Mass
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The lives of the saints prove that holiness is not an unreachable goal accomplished by a select few but comes from acknowledging...
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Spanish bill would allow girls 16 and 17 to get an abortion without parental consent
Spain's coalition government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez intends to propose a bill that would legalize abortion without parental consent for...
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Vatican astrophysicists offer new way to study gravity after the Big Bang
VATICAN CITY (RNS) -- Two Catholic priests, both astrophysicists from the Vatican Observatory, have suggested a radically new mathematical approach to...
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Pope to grandparents, elderly: We must lead revolution of tenderness
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis said he is convinced God is calling his peers -- older Catholics -- to become "artisans of the revolution of tenderness." Through...
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What's the future of Catholic-Russian Orthodox relations?
Vatican City (CNA) -- With the interview granted to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on May 3, Pope Francis seemed to burn the bridges of ecumenical...
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Vatican confirms pope will visit Indigenous in Canada in late July
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will meet members of Canada's Indigenous communities in late July, visiting the cities of Edmonton, Quebec and Iqaluit...
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Vatican audit of Buenos Aires finds irregularities, no crimes
MEXICO CITY (CNS) -- An audit ordered by the Vatican into the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires has revealed irregularities in the sales of church assets, with...
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Pope tells grandparents to leave grandkids their legacy of wisdom
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis told older people to use retirement as a time to serve others and to sow the seeds of their wisdom. When people retire,...
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Wives of soldiers in Mariupol ask pope to help save their husbands
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The young wife of the commander of the Ukrainian battalion still holed up in a steel plant in Mariupol had what she described as...
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Faith, fortitude, martyrdom, miracles: Pope will recognize 10 new saints
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After a long pandemic pause, Pope Francis is scheduled to celebrate a Mass May 15 for the canonization of 10 men and women: five...
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Hong Kong police detain, release 90-year-old cardinal
HONG KONG (CNS) -- Hong Kong's national security police released Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, retired archbishop of Hong Kong, May 11 after detaining him...
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Hong Kong police detain cardinal, 90, for his support for protesters
HONG KONG (CNS) -- Hong Kong's national security police have detained Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, retired archbishop of Hong Kong, along with former opposition...
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Ukraine war: Catholic charity to fund restoration of looted seminary
A Catholic charity announced this week that it would fund the restoration of a Ukrainian seminary looted by Russian forces. Aid to the Church in Need...
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Titus Brandsma: A new patron saint of journalism?
More than 60 journalists have petitioned Pope Francis to make Titus Brandsma an official patron saint of journalism. An open letter published on May 10...
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Who are the 4 women being canonized this weekend?
Pope Francis will preside over the first canonizations in more than two years this weekend. Ten people will be officially recognized as saints by the...
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Cost of Germany's 'Synodal Way' remains a mystery
The German "Synodal Way" has created worldwide controversy. But how much it is costing the Catholic Church remains a mystery. A spokesman for the Church...
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What's the future of Catholic-Russian Orthodox relations?
With the interview granted to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on May 3, Pope Francis seemed to burn the bridges of ecumenical dialogue with the...
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God does not disown his children, pope tells LGBT Catholics
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis said he wants LGBT Catholics to know that God is a father who "does not disown any of his children." The pope's comment...
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Liturgy must lead to awe, unity, mission, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The study and celebration of the liturgy should lead to a sense of awe before God, a commitment to mission and a growing unity within...
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Cardinal Pell highlights 'somewhat incomplete' account given by Cardinal Becciu at Vatican finance trial
Cardinal George Pell said Friday that the recent testimony of Cardinal Angelo Becciu at the Vatican finance trial "was somewhat incomplete." He drew particular...
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Christian divisions make fertile ground for conflict, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Doing nothing to overcome the divisions among Christians means allowing tensions to fester and even feed conflict, Pope Francis said. "Ignoring...
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Pope tells Swiss Guard that Vatican City State is proud of their presence
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Meeting new recruits to the Swiss Guard, Pope Francis thanked the young men for their diligent and important work serving the successor...
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Cardinal reaffirms pope's willingness to go to Moscow to try to stop war
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' secretary of state reaffirmed the pope's offer to go to Moscow personally to try to convince President Vladimir Putin...
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Pope praises Papal Foundation's generosity, including to Ukraine
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis praised members of the U.S.-based Papal Foundation for helping the Catholic Church build "a culture of solidarity and...
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Pope agrees to treat painful knee with therapeutic injections
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will have therapeutic injections to try to alleviate the pain in his right knee, he told an Italian newspaper. "I have...
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Pope tells Russian patriarch they are not 'clerics of the state'
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Warning that the Russian Orthodox patriarch should not "turn himself into Putin's altar boy," Pope Francis also said he would like...
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At Vatican trial, Cardinal Becciu returns to testify
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Taking the stand for a second time at his Vatican trial, Cardinal Angelo Becciu spent more than two hours reading a statement in...
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'Witnesses of hope': N.Y. delegation visits Ukraine, bordering countries
NEW YORK (CNS) -- New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said he was surprised and inspired by Ukrainians he met when he made a brief visit to Lviv, Ukraine. "I...
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Pope, using wheelchair, meets superiors of women's religious orders
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Meeting with superiors general of women's religious orders, Pope Francis arrived in a wheelchair -- the first time he has used one...
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German bishop suspends sainthood cause for founder of Schonstatt movement
TRIER, Germany (CNS) -- Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier has suspended the proceedings for the sainthood cause of Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of...
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Vatican exonerates Cardinal Woelki in financial investigation
COLOGNE, Germany (CNS) -- The Vatican believes Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki and his vicar general, Msgr. Markus Hofmann, did not violate canon...
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Barrack renovations may open possibility for female Swiss Guards
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- An agreement between the Vatican and a Swiss foundation overseeing renovations to the Swiss Guard barracks may open the possibility...
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Religious orders must handle their assets with care, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Because of unscrupulous people, religious communities need to be prudent and diligent when selling their assets and properties, Pope...
Read MoreElderly must set example of faith for young people, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Elderly Christians are called to be consistent in their faith, otherwise they risk becoming a sign of hypocrisy for future generations,...
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Use of nuclear weapons 'inconceivable,' pope tells Japanese official
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis expressed his opposition to nuclear weapons and the threat they pose to the world during a meeting with Japanese Prime...
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Pope Francis to undergo medical procedure for 'torn ligament' in knee
Pope Francis will undergo a medical procedure on his knee on Tuesday, according to Italian media reports. The 85-year-old pope said in an interview published...
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Pope Francis says he wants to meet Putin in Moscow to discuss Ukraine war
Pope Francis has said that he will not visit Ukraine right now, but he would like to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow if the Russian president is willing. In...
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Pope denounces 'macabre regression of humanity' in Ukraine
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Renewing his appeal for peace, Pope Francis said he grieves for the suffering of the Ukrainian people, especially given reports of...
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Pope very clear victim care centers must be set up, cardinal says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has given his safeguarding commission a "very clear" mandate to encourage and supervise the world's bishops' conferences...
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Spanish bishops ask forgiveness for sexual abuse by Catholic clergy
The bishops of Spain have asked forgiveness for sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, while defending the Catholic Church's right to oppose laws which violate...
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Pope wants annual audit of church's safeguarding measures worldwide
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis asked his safeguarding commission to provide an annual audit of what the church is doing to protect minors and what...
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Pope to Sri Lankan leaders: People need truth about 2019 Easter bombings
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Three years after multiple bombings killed more than 260 people on Easter and lingering questions remain about those behind the attacks,...
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Be voice of God to all, pope tells missionaries of mercy
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Those who are called to be missionaries of mercy are entrusted with the important task of being the face and the voice of God's love...
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At Caritas warehouse in Poland, supplies for Ukraine are scarce
LUBLIN, Poland (CNS) -- In a cavernous warehouse on the edge of Lublin, Piotr Piskorski sees too much empty space, especially near the pallets of baby...
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UPDATE: Kenya's retired President Mwai Kibaki dies at age 90
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNS) -- Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki, who served as president of Kenya from 2002 to 2012, died April 22. He was 90. President Uhuru Kenyatta...
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In message to Russian patriarch, pope prays for end of war in Ukraine
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In an Easter message to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Pope Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit would "transform our...
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Pope Francis names secretaries of doctrinal and disciplinary sections of CDF
Pope Francis on Saturday appointed secretaries of the doctrinal and disciplinary sections of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith...
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Ukrainian churches call for supervised evacuation of Mariupol
LVIV, Ukraine (CNS) -- The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations called on every Russian religious figure, regardless of confessional...
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Vatican clears Polish Cardinal Dziwisz of abuse cover-up allegations
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has wrapped up its own investigation and dismissed allegations that Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz had covered up...
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Poles' response to refugee crisis reflects enduring values, official says
WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- As Russia's war on Ukraine continues and refugees keep seeking safety in Poland, a Polish official said, "I'm getting less and...
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Pope says no trip to Kyiv, meeting with Russian patriarch canceled
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican will never stop its diplomatic efforts to mediate an end to the war against Ukraine, Pope Francis said. However, the...
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Priest's unexplained expulsion from Russia fuels fears for foreign clergy
A Catholic priest was expelled from Russia without explanation, amid fears for the well-being of other clergy ministering in the country. Father Fernando...
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Polish convent finds new joy -- and noise -- welcoming Ukrainian orphans
KONSTANCIN-JEZIORNA, Poland (CNS) -- David, 11, wouldn't mind staying in Poland a while longer, maybe traveling around to see more of the country. But...
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