By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 26, 2025 / 05:03 am More than 400,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday as the world said goodbye to the first Latin American pope who led the Catholic Church for the past 12 years. Under the bright Roman …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Apr 21, 2025 / 08:20 am The Vatican announced Monday that the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis has been postponed following the death of Pope Francis. “Following the death of Supreme Pontiff Francis, notice is hereby given that the Eucharistic celebration and Rite of Canonization of …

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 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 Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Mar 19, 2025 / 04:00 am The proclamation of the Year of St. Joseph by Pope Francis in December 2020 coincided with the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the universal Church by Blessed Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1870. “Jesus Christ Our …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Feb 22, 2025 / 11:00 am Every year on Feb. 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, a tradition that dates back more than 1,600 years. The feast honors not just a physical chair but what it represents: the authority …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 28, 2025 / 11:30 am Kimbal Musk, entrepreneur and younger brother of Elon Musk, met with Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri over the weekend to propose a drone-based musical light show for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, according to Italian media. Donning his signature cowboy hat, …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 2, 2025 / 09:40 am Pope Francis offered his condolences after 15 people were killed in New Orleans when a U.S. Army veteran drove a pickup truck with an Islamic State flag into a crowd celebrating the New Year. The pope sent a condolence message …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Nov 25, 2024 / 12:45 pm Pope Francis recognized a miracle attributed to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s intercession on Monday, paving the way for his canonization as a saint during the Catholic Church’s Jubilee of Youth next summer. Frassati, who died at the age of 24 …

By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Nov 20, 2024 / 05:58 am Pope Francis announced Wednesday that Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, will be canonized during two major jubilee celebrations dedicated to young people. The surprise …