Courtney Mares

Courtney Mares

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.

Articles by Courtney Mares

Pope Francis discusses revising priestly celibacy in new interview

Mar 10, 2023 / 05:45 am

Married priests are common in the Eastern Catholic Church, the pope noted, while the discipline of priestly celibacy is a “temporary prescription” in the Western Church.

Pope Francis meets with two Nigerian girls who were kidnapped by Boko Haram

Mar 8, 2023 / 11:45 am

The women, who both saw members of their families murdered by Boko Haram, met with the pope at the end of his general audience March 8.

Pope Francis: There is no option to be passive Catholics when it comes to evangelization

Mar 8, 2023 / 05:00 am

“Every baptized person … whatever his position in the Church or level of education in the faith, is an active subject of evangelization,” the pope said.

Rupnik concelebrated Mass in a basilica in Rome despite restrictions

Mar 7, 2023 / 11:12 am

Father Marko Rupnik concelebrated Mass at a basilica in Rome on Sunday despite restrictions prohibiting “any public ministerial and sacramental activity.”

Pope Francis adds Hollerich and four other cardinals to his council of advisers

Mar 7, 2023 / 06:45 am

The Vatican announced March 7 the nine members of the pope’s Council of Cardinals tasked with assisting the pope “in the governance of the universal Church.”

Pope Francis, Biden commend ‘peacemaker’ Bishop O’Connell as memorial services begin

Mar 2, 2023 / 13:27 pm

The messages came at the start of memorial services for the late Los Angeles auxiliary bishop, who was murdered in his Hacienda Heights home Feb. 18.

Pope Francis: The devil uses ‘three widespread and dangerous temptations’ to divide us

Feb 26, 2023 / 06:15 am

The pope also offered advice for how to overcome temptations using the Word of God.

Nigeria’s newest cardinal: Presidential election will ‘either make or break Nigeria’

Feb 23, 2023 / 13:30 pm

With Nigeria’s escalating violence, a lot is at stake in the presidential election this week in Africa’s most populous country, according Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke.

Catholic priest from Ukraine gives Pope Francis cross made out of war rubble

Feb 23, 2023 / 04:45 am

The Catholic priest and his team have worked tirelessly to provide food, shelter, protection, and health and psychological support to 3 million people in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Catholics to livestream Stations of the Cross from bomb shelter on Friday

Feb 22, 2023 / 09:35 am

The online prayer event on the first Friday of Lent at 8 p.m. Kyiv time will tell the personal stories of victims of war as they relate to Christ’s passion.

Pope Francis asks Pontifical Academy for Life to study ethics of emerging technologies

Feb 20, 2023 / 10:00 am

The rapid acceleration of new technologies can produce significant consequences for human life and the environment Pope Francis said Feb. 20.

Pope Francis encourages filmmakers to ‘reawaken wonder’

Feb 20, 2023 / 06:10 am

A good movie has the power to inspire wonder and to evangelize by reflecting the beauty of God’s creation, Pope Francis told filmmakers at the Vatican.

UPDATE: Murder investigation underway in shooting death of LA Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell

Feb 19, 2023 / 13:47 pm

Bishop David G. O’Connell, known affectionately as “Bishop Dave,” was shot in the torso on Feb. 18. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pope Francis: God asks us to love beyond ‘the logic of self-interest’

Feb 19, 2023 / 06:30 am

The pope reflected on what it means to “love your enemies” in his Sunday Angelus address.

LA Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell shot and killed

Feb 18, 2023 / 23:08 pm

Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell, 69, was a native of Ireland who had worked with the poor in the South Los Angeles area for 45 years.

Pope Francis: Bring the Gospel into the world without becoming worldly

Feb 15, 2023 / 06:10 am

“For the Church, falling into worldliness is the worst thing that can happen,” the pope said.

Beatification date announced for married couple with seven children martyred by Nazis

Feb 15, 2023 / 04:00 am

The entire Ulma family, including one unborn child, will be beatified in Markowa, Poland.

Nigeria’s newest cardinal shares secret behind the highest Mass attendance in the world

Feb 14, 2023 / 13:00 pm

Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke said Nigerian society as a whole has “a traditional worldview” that recognizes the presence of God in life and society.

Pope Francis asks Virgin Mary to intercede for Nicaragua after bishop sentenced to 26 years in prison

Feb 12, 2023 / 08:20 am

“The news from Nicaragua has grieved me a great deal,” the pope said.

Pope Francis urges support for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria

Feb 12, 2023 / 06:10 am

Pope Francis prayed Sunday for the people of Turkey and Syria who are suffering after devastating earthquakes killed more than 28,000 people.