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

Yemen war: A look at a 'serious humanitarian crisis'

Feb 19, 2020 / 11:19 am

Nearly 24 million people in Yemen are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, according to a Center of Strategic and International Studies report.

Pope Francis: The meek are not pushovers

Feb 19, 2020 / 04:00 am

Pope Francis said Wednesday that a meek Christian is not weak, but defends his faith and controls his temper.

Pope Francis approves Caritas Internationalis’ new statutes

Feb 18, 2020 / 13:26 pm

The Vatican announced Feb. 17 that Pope Francis had approved changes to Caritas Internationalis’ governing statutes and internal rules.

Pope Francis' Amazon exhortation calls for holiness, not married priests

Feb 12, 2020 / 04:00 am

Pope Francis published his response to the Vatican’s 2019 Amazon synod in an apostolic exhortation Wednesday. Despite widespread speculation following the synod, the pope does not call for married priests, but seeks to expand “horizons beyond conflicts.”

Pope Francis will travel to Malta in May

Feb 10, 2020 / 03:30 am

The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis will visit the islands of Malta and Gozo on May 31.

Pope Francis appeals for displaced women and children in Syria

Feb 9, 2020 / 06:15 am

Pope Francis appealed Sunday for the protection of women and children fleeing violence in northwestern Syria as more than half a million people have been displaced in two months.

Pope Francis to financial leaders: Ending poverty is our duty 

Feb 5, 2020 / 15:12 pm

Pope Francis called on global financial leaders and economists to end economic inequality Wednesday, saying that modern resources make ending global poverty possible - and a responsibility.

Vatican donates face masks to China amid coronavirus outbreak

Feb 4, 2020 / 09:44 am

The Vatican has donated hundreds of thousands of face masks to China to help limit the spread of coronavirus, which has killed 361 people since the start of the new year.

Homeless gather in Roman basilica to pray for those who died on the streets

Feb 3, 2020 / 06:00 am

Hundreds of homeless people and volunteers prayed together in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere Sunday to honor those who have died on Rome’s streets.

Filmmakers point to Knock Shrine as a place of hope for Ireland

Feb 2, 2020 / 14:11 pm

As Ireland grapples with high rates of depression and suicide, Irish filmmakers point to the Knock Shrine as a place of hope and healing.

Pope Francis: Grandparents provide crucial link to faith in secularized societies

Jan 31, 2020 / 10:30 am

Grandparents can play a pivotal role in ensuring that the faith is passed on to their grandchildren in secularized societies, Pope Francis said Friday.

Pope Francis: Civilized society recognizes the value of human life

Jan 30, 2020 / 06:00 am

Warning of the modern tendency to judge human life on the basis of utility rather than dignity, Pope Francis Thursday urged the need to protect the lives of the smallest and most vulnerable.

While #GirlDad trends, US sex-selective abortion is on the rise

Jan 29, 2020 / 12:01 pm

In the wake of basketball star and father-of-four-daughters Kobe Bryant’s death, #GirlDad has gone viral on social media, as fathers share the unique joy of raising daughters. However, in many parts of the world, fewer girls are born than boys today because of sex-selective abortion.

Pope Francis: 'The beatitudes always bring joy'

Jan 29, 2020 / 04:45 am

The beatitudes should be a defining feature of a Christian’s identity because they reveal the way that Jesus lived his life, Pope Francis said Wednesday.

Pope Francis to publish a book with reflections on St. John Paul II

Jan 28, 2020 / 08:00 am

Pope Francis has co-authored a book of reflections on the life of St. John Paul II to be published in Italian.

Pope's new personal secretary ran a ministry for street children

Jan 27, 2020 / 10:51 am

The Vatican announced Sunday that Pope Francis has a new personal secretary, Fr. Gonzalo Aemilius, a priest from Uruguay known for his ministry with children on the streets.

'Never again': Pope Francis calls for prayer on Holocaust Remembrance Day

Jan 27, 2020 / 04:30 am

Pope Francis has asked for people to spend a moment in prayer and recollection on Monday for International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Pope Francis prays for coronavirus victims in China

Jan 26, 2020 / 06:30 am

Pope Francis prayed Sunday for people infected by the coronavirus, which has killed 56 people in China.

Pope Francis: Keep a Bible close to you for daily inspiration

Jan 26, 2020 / 04:30 am

Pope Francis preached Sunday about the life-changing power of God’s word in Scripture, encouraging everyone to keep a Bible close for daily inspiration.

Pope Francis prays at St. Paul’s tomb with Orthodox and Anglican Christians

Jan 25, 2020 / 11:15 am

Pope Francis prayed at the tomb of St. Paul with Orthodox and Anglican leaders Saturday to conclude the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.