By AC Wimmer CNA Newsroom, Apr 12, 2025 / 11:30 am France’s Catholic Church will welcome more than 10,384 adult catechumens at Easter this year, marking a 45% increase from 2024 figures, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference. The French report reveals the highest numbers ever recorded since the survey …

By Heather Tomlinson London, England, Apr 14, 2025 / 06:00 am This Easter Vigil, the Catholic Church in England is expecting a decade-high surge of new entrants to the faith. There is anecdotal evidence of a particular increase in young men, who say their interest was sparked initially by Catholic apologists …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 14, 2025 / 10:30 am Pope Francis on Monday declared Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí “venerable,” bringing the designer of Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia basilica one step closer to sainthood. The Vatican announced April 14 that Pope Francis has formally recognized Gaudí’s “heroic virtue,” a key …

By AC Wimmer CNA Newsroom, Apr 13, 2025 / 14:50 pm The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy issued a decree updating the Church’s norms governing Mass intentions and stipends, emphasizing both proper spiritual understanding and practical solutions for modern pastoral challenges. Pope Francis approved the document — published so far only in …

By Jonah McKeown CNA Staff, Apr 9, 2025 / 15:37 pm The Diocese of Albany, New York, will undertake a planning initiative in response to a diocesan “financial and maintenance crisis” that the bishop says could result in the closure of “perhaps one-third” of the diocese’s 126 parish churches. Bishop Edward …

By Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Apr 8, 2025 / 10:10 am The Vatican on Tuesday announced Pope Francis’ choice of Bishop Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, as the next archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas, following the resignation of Archbishop Joseph Naumann. Naumann is retiring after turning 75 in June …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 8, 2025 / 09:40 am Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Bruce Lewandowski as the new head of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, the Vatican announced Tuesday. Lewandowski, 57, currently serves as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He will be installed in …

By Kate Quiñones CNA Staff, Apr 7, 2025 / 07:00 am A Catholic scholarship program in the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky, that has spent decades providing tuition support for families who want to send their children to Catholic schools is now setting its sights on future generations. Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) president …

By Tyler Arnold Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 7, 2025 / 17:29 pm The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has made what it is calling the “difficult decision” to not renew cooperative agreements with the federal government amid policy changes from President Donald Trump’s administration to cut funding from refugee …

By AC Wimmer CNA Newsroom, Apr 6, 2025 / 07:32 am Still recovering from bilateral pneumonia that hospitalized him for nearly 40 days, Pope Francis made a surprise appearance in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday for the Jubilee of the Sick, sharing profound reflections on suffering, care, and the transformative power …