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

What you need to know about the Synod on Synodality

Sep 13, 2023 / 12:54 pm

The Church’s synodal process will culminate in two global assemblies at the Vatican. The first will take place Oct. 4–28 and the second in October 2024.

Cardinal Zuppi heading to Beijing to discuss peace efforts in Ukraine

Sep 12, 2023 / 12:45 pm

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed on Tuesday that the cardinal will be in the Chinese capital as the pope’s peace envoy from Sept. 13–15.

Ukrainian Catholic leader offers Divine Liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica

Sep 11, 2023 / 09:30 am

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said Sept. 10 that he wanted to express gratitude to the pope and Catholics everywhere for not abandoning Ukraine.

Catholics in Vietnam ask Pope Francis to visit their country next

Sep 7, 2023 / 10:00 am

Vietnam is home to millions of Catholics, yet no pope has ever visited the southeast Asian country.

What Pope Francis had to say about the Synod on Synodality in the in-flight press conference

Sep 4, 2023 / 09:07 am

“In the synod, there is no place for ideology,” Pope Francis told journalists on the flight from Mongolia to Rome.

Pope Francis gives a glimpse into Vatican-China deal on appointment of Chinese bishops

Sep 4, 2023 / 09:00 am

The pope said that there is a joint commission between the Chinese government and the Holy See on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China.

Pope Francis at Mongolia charity: ‘Only love can overcome selfishness’

Sep 3, 2023 / 20:40 pm

Pope Francis blessed a new charity called the “House of Mercy” on his last day in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Catholics from mainland China and across Asia in Mongolia for Mass with Pope Francis

Sep 3, 2023 / 03:30 am

While papal Masses on the pope’s other trips can draw hundreds of thousands of people, the Mass in Ulaanbaatar only had an estimated 2,000 in attendance.

Pope Francis quotes Buddha at interreligious event in Mongolia

Sep 2, 2023 / 22:46 pm

Pope Francis said Sunday that interreligious dialogue is “not antithetical to proclamation” but helps religious traditions to understand one another.

Pope Francis: ‘Mongolia is a symbol of religious freedom’

Sep 1, 2023 / 21:50 pm

Pope Francis called Mongolia a “symbol of religious freedom” in his first speech in the Asian country sandwiched between China and Russia.

PHOTOS: Pope Francis’ first day in Mongolia

Sep 1, 2023 / 11:48 am

Pope Francis received an enthusiastic welcome to Mongolia on Friday morning after a nearly 10-hour flight on the papal plane.

Pope Francis becomes first pope in history to set foot in Mongolia

Aug 31, 2023 / 20:40 pm

The pope told journalists aboard the papal plane that to visit Mongolia is to encounter “a small people, but a big culture.”

Vatican reassures Ukrainian Catholics that pope did not intend to praise Russian imperialism

Aug 29, 2023 / 10:34 am

Pope Francis made the comment while speaking off the cuff during a live video conference with Russian youth Aug. 25. 

Pope Francis to visit one of the world’s most polluted capitals this week

Aug 28, 2023 / 01:00 am

Pope Francis is likely to make “care for our common home” a key theme of his Mongolian trip this week from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

What Pope Francis’ trip to Mongolia could mean for Vatican relations with Russia and China

Aug 27, 2023 / 08:00 am

The pope’s upcoming trip could have geopolitical implications beyond the country’s small population of Catholics.

Pope Francis: Synod on Synodality ‘truly important’ despite being ‘of little interest to the general public’

Aug 26, 2023 / 09:30 am

The pope spoke about the significance of the synod nearly one month ahead of the first Synod on Synodality assembly taking place Oct. 4–28.

Pope Francis discusses family values, Ukraine war with Hungarian president

Aug 25, 2023 / 10:45 am

In the 45-minute meeting on Aug. 25, the pope and Novák spoke about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and efforts to end the conflict.

Pope Francis: The Eucharist can fill ‘the wounds and voids produced by sin’

Aug 25, 2023 / 05:57 am

The pope said in the eyes of the world it might appear “absurd” to confront societal problems by praying on one’s knees but that it is always effective.

Pope Francis: Like Our Lady of Guadalupe, mothers can be great evangelizers today

Aug 23, 2023 / 04:30 am

In his catechesis on evangelization on Aug. 23, the pope spoke about how the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 helped to spread the Gospel.

Pope Francis condemns assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate

Aug 12, 2023 / 09:30 am

The presidential candidate had been an outspoken critic of the violence caused by drug trafficking.