by Hannah Brockhaus Rome Newsroom, Nov 3, 2022 / 07:03 am Natalia Tsarkova, official portrait artist to the popes for more than 20 years, likes to work from real life. “I am so meticulous about details. I have to see and touch and feel everything,” she said. But for her …

by Andrea Gagliarducci Rome Newsroom, Sep 23, 2022 / 05:29 am In a new letter, Benedict XVI praised the story of a woman who lived “the inner drama of being a Christian” and dedicated her life to the spiritual encounter with Christ in eucharistic adoration and other practices. The pope …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Sep 8, 2022 / 10:12 am With the Royal Family gathering in Balmoral Castle Thursday amid concerns for Queen Elizabeth II’s health, Catholic bishops in England and Wales have offered their prayers for her and her family. Queen Elizabeth, who turned 96 in April, is England’s longest-serving …

On July 14, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized. Known as the “Lily of the Mohawks,” Kateri lived a life of holiness and virtue, despite obstacles and opposition within her tribe. Kateri was born in Auriesville, New York, in …

by CNA Staff Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 11, 2022 / 20:18 pm A bogus Twitter account using the name of Georg Bätzing, the head of the German Bishops’ Conference, tweeted a false report Monday that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had died. The account, using the handle @BischofBatzing, was later removed. …

by Joe Bukuras Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 6, 2022 / 15:56 pm In response to a federal court decision affirming the constitutionality of Oklahoma’s death penalty protocol, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City on Monday called on state lawmakers to end the death penalty. “No matter the decision of the …

The Catholic Church remembers St. Damien of Molokai on May 10. The Belgian priest sacrificed his life and health to become a spiritual father to the victims of leprosy quarantined on a Hawaiian island. Joseph de Veuser, who later took the name Damien in religious life, was born into a …

by Hannah Brockhaus Vatican City, Apr 16, 2022 / 01:00 am 1. Benedict XVI was born on Holy Saturday Benedict XVI was born on Holy Saturday, April 16, 1927, in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria. According to CNA’s count, this year is his fourth Holy Saturday birthday; the last time his …

The saints have been of life-long interest to Pope Benedict XVI. As a young priest participating in the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), then Father Joseph Ratzinger was greatly influenced by a main theme: the “Universal Call to Holiness.” The Council fathers wrote that “all the faithful of Christ,” in every …

by CNA Staff Vatican City, Feb 14, 2022 / 05:40 am Archbishop Georg Gänswein has shared the inside story of how Pope emeritus Benedict XVI responded to a report criticizing his handling of four abuse cases when he led Germany’s Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. In an exclusive interview with …