by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Nov 29, 2021 / 04:37 am For the second year in a row, Pope Francis has canceled the Roman tradition of a public gathering at the Spanish Steps on Dec. 8 to venerate a statue of the Immaculate Conception due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Nov 23, 2021 / 06:38 am Pope Francis is praying for the people injured and killed by an SUV that plowed into marchers during a Christmas parade in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, the Vatican press office said Tuesday. A message sent to Archbishop Jerome …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Oct 28, 2021 / 10:30 am One day before U.S. President Joe Biden is due to meet with Pope Francis, the Vatican canceled its scheduled live broadcast of the meeting without explanation. Journalists in the Vatican press corps — who will also not be allowed …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Oct 22, 2021 / 07:00 am 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 grow up to be St. John Paul II. In a new book published …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Oct 20, 2021 / 06:10 am There will be no godfathers named in the Sicilian archdiocese of Catania for the next three years due to a decree issued by the archbishop that came into full effect this month. Archbishop Salvatore Gristina of Catania has said …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Oct 7, 2021 / 06:50 am Pope Francis said on Thursday that he plans to declare St. Irenaeus of Lyon a Doctor of the Church with the title “Doctor unitatis,” meaning “Doctor of Unity.” The pope made the announcement in a speech to the St. …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Oct 6, 2021 / 07:15 am Pope Francis expressed sadness and shame on Wednesday in response to a report estimating that hundreds of thousands of children were abused in the Catholic Church in France over the past 70 years. “This is a moment of shame,” …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Oct 5, 2021 / 08:00 am Three Swiss Guards have quit after refusing to comply with the Vatican’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement and three other guards have been suspended until they are fully vaccinated. The Pontifical Swiss Guard, charged with protecting the pope, has required all …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Sep 30, 2021 / 06:00 am A Catholic diocese in the Australian Outback has announced plans to open the first K-12 Catholic school named for Blessed Carlo Acutis. Blessed Carlo Acutis College will “have at its heart a daily life of prayer and devotion to …

by Courtney Mares Rome, Italy, Sep 15, 2021 / 09:20 am Pope Francis said Wednesday that the Catholic Church is firm in its stance on abortion because “abortion is murder,” and urged priests to be pastoral rather than political when faced with the question of who can receive Communion. Answering …