Vatican News

Pope Francis invokes the Virgin Mary as Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy at a prayer vigil for peace in St. Peter's Basilica, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.

Pope Francis consecrates war-torn world to Virgin Mary in Eucharistic prayer vigil

Oct 27, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Invoking the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Peace and Mother of Mercy, Pope Francis implored her in St. Peter’s... Read more

Wyatt Olivas, a university student from the United States, at a press conference on the Synod of Synodality in Rome being held in October 2023.

Pope Francis signs ‘sick note’ for youngest participant of the Synod on Synodality

Oct 27, 2023

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

Wyatt Olivas, 19, approached Pope Francis to ask if the pontiff would sign a letter requesting a few days of... Read more

Delegates at the Synod on Synodality will vote on the assembly's synthesis report on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.

Synod on Synodality: Anticipation and tensions brew ahead of synthesis report release 

Oct 27, 2023

By Jonathan Liedl

The summary text will serve as a bridge between this month’s assembly and a second synodal gathering scheduled for October... Read more

Father Marko Rupnik, SJ.

Vatican: Pope Francis has lifted the statute of limitations on Rupnik case

Oct 27, 2023

By Courtney Mares

The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis has decided to lift the statute of limitations in the case of Father... Read more

Synod members, led by Cardinal Gabetti, process into Saint Peter’s Basilica to pray the Rosary for Peace.

PHOTOS: Members of the Synod on Synodality pray the rosary for peace at St. Peter’s

Oct 27, 2023

By Matthew Santucci

Their prayer intentions focused on those killed, wounded, and displaced by war, and included reflections on the past month’s work... Read more

Bishop Robert Barron speaks to EWTN's Colm Flynn about evangelizing the culture today. October 2023.

Bishop Barron: Church should engage culture with more ‘energy, panache, and confidence’

Oct 26, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Bishop Robert Barron said he regrets the Catholic Church’s “hand-wringing” in recent decades over how to share the Christian message... Read more

Catherine Clifford, a professor at St. Paul University in Ottawa, and Archbishop Stanisław Gadecki of Poland at the Synod on Synodality's Oct. 26, 2023, press briefing.

Polish bishop at Synod: Practice can vary but doctrine has to be the ‘same for everyone’

Oct 26, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki said Thursday one difficulty of synodality lies in distinguishing pastoral practice — which can be adapted —... Read more

Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, S.J., with the official image of the 10th World Meeting of Families in Rome.

Father Marco Rupnik, accused of abuse and returned to ministry: A timeline

Oct 26, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Despite having been dismissed from the Jesuit order after being accused of sexual abuse, Father Marko Rupnik has returned to... Read more

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has served as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops since April 12, 2023.

Cardinal at Synod on Synodality: ‘Clericalizing women’ will not solve problems

Oct 26, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost noted that the Catholic Church is not a mirror image of society and “needs to be... Read more

Pope Francis leads the Synod on Synodality delegates in prayer on Oct. 25, 2023.

Pope Francis speaks at Synod on Synodality: ‘Clericalism’ defiles the Church

Oct 26, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis denounced clericalism and called it a “scandal” to see young priests buying lace vestments at tailor shops in... Read more

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes.

Mexican cardinal comments on treatment of controversial issues at Synod on Synodality

Oct 25, 2023

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, the primatial archbishop of Mexico, downplayed the issues that have generated some controversy during the Synod... Read more

Sister María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, whose religious name was María Antonia of St. Joseph.

Pope Francis recognizes miracle that paves way for first female Argentinian saint

Oct 25, 2023

By Daniel Payne

Blessed María Antonia of Saint Joseph, known as “Mama Antula,” was the founder of the House for Spiritual Exercises in... Read more

Delegates to the Synod on Synodality meet in the final days of the synod, Oct. 25, 2023.

Synod on Synodality addresses the Church in letter to the people of God

Oct 25, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

“This is not about ideology but about an experience rooted in the apostolic tradition,” says the letter inviting the faithful... Read more

Pope Francis at the general audience at St. Peter's Square on Oct. 25, 2023.

Pope Francis: To evangelize, ‘faith must be inculturated’

Oct 25, 2023

By Matthew Santucci

At his weekly general audience, Pope Francis recounted the story of Sts. Cyril and Methodius as one of encounter with... Read more

Pope Francis arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Jan. 31, 2023. The streets of the pope’s five-mile drive from the N’Dolo Airport to the presidential residence were lined with thousands of locals who cheered and waved flags.

Vatican statistics: Africa had biggest increase in Catholics, while numbers fell in Europe

Oct 24, 2023

By Jonah McKeown

Catholics in the world numbered 1,375,852,000 people at the end of 2021, with an overall increase of 16.2 million compared... Read more

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Pope Francis accepts resignation of bishop from troubled Polish diocese

Oct 24, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of 59-year-old Polish Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak of the Diocese of Sosnowiec over poor management of... Read more

Australian theologian Father Ormond Rush addresses the General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 23, 2023, in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

Theologian points to Vatican II’s ‘dynamic’ tradition in Synod on Synodality speech

Oct 23, 2023

By Hannah Brockhaus

Tradition “was a major point of discussion at the Second Vatican Council,” Father Ormond Rush said Monday. Read more

Delegates meet at round tables during the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 10, 2023.

UPDATE: Synod on Synodality this week: Anticipating a ‘Letter to the People of God’

Oct 23, 2023

By Andrea Gagliarducci

The letter, expected to arrive Oct. 28, will serve as a compass, signaling the direction of a continuing synodal journey. Read more

Myanmar’s Cardinal Charles Maung Bo celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023.

Cardinal Bo: Synod on Synodality is ‘a long march of hope for all humanity’

Oct 23, 2023

By Courtney Mares

Myanmar’s Cardinal Charles Maung Bo described the Synod of Synodality as “a long march of hope for all humanity” during... Read more

A priest surveys the damage caused by ISIS at a Catholic Church in Karamles, Iraq.

Pope Francis criticizes West for trying to export ‘its own type of democracy’

Oct 23, 2023

By Daniel Payne

“Saddam Hussein was certainly not a little angel, on the contrary,” Francis said, “but Iraq was a fairly stable country.” Read more