Vatican News

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

Pope Francis: Intentionally hurting migrants ‘is a grave sin’

Aug 28, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope spoke at length about the poor conditions of migrants who attempt to cross a sea or desert to... Read more

Pope Francis receives Edmundo Uribe on Aug. 26, 2024. The audience took place in the run-up to the International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in Quito, Ecuador, from Sept. 8–15, 2024.

Pope Francis receives Ecuador’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Edmundo Uribe

Aug 27, 2024

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

Pope Francis received at the Vatican Ecuador’s new ambassador to the Holy See, Edmundo Uribe Pérez. Read more

Vatican and China flags.

China officially recognizes formerly ‘underground’ bishop, Vatican says

Aug 27, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The bishop had reportedly once been placed under house arrest after refusing to join the church officially backed by the... Read more

Pope Francis visits the Basilica of St. Augustine in Rome on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024.

Pope Francis makes surprise visit to St. Monica’s tomb in Rome

Aug 27, 2024

By Courtney Mares

During his Tuesday visit to the basilica near Piazza Navona in Rome’s historic center, the pope prayed in the side... Read more

Pope Francis speaks with journalist Fabio Marchese Ragona.

Author explains how St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have opposed the devil

Aug 26, 2024

By Ary Waldir Ramos Díaz

Author of “Exorcists against Satan” discusses how St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have confronted the... Read more

Pope Francis greets the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on Aug. 25, 2024.

Pope Francis on Ukraine’s Russian Orthodox Church ban: ‘Churches are not to be touched!’

Aug 26, 2024

By Daniel Payne

A new Ukrainian law, which passed the country’s Parliament on Aug. 20, bans the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukrainian territory. Read more

Pope Francis meets on Aug. 26, 2024, at the Vatican with relatives of the victims of the deadly 2020 Beirut explosion.

Pope Francis meets with families of 2020 Beirut blast victims

Aug 26, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Four years since the deadly blast that killed more than 220 people and injured some 6,500, investigations into the cause... Read more

“To the beloved people of Nicaragua: I encourage you to renew your hope in Jesus. Remember that the Holy Spirit always guides history toward higher designs,” Pope Francis said at the end of this Angelus address on Aug. 25, 2024.

Pope Francis prays for people of Nicaragua: ‘Renew your hope in Jesus’

Aug 25, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope entrusted Nicaragua to the protection and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Read more

Pope Francis addressed the International Catholic Legislators Network as it holds its 15th annual meeting in Italy from Aug. 22-25. The theme of the gathering is “The World at War: Permanent Crises and Conflicts — What Does It Mean for Us?”

Pope Francis: War has an ‘abyss of evil’ at its center

Aug 24, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis asked Catholic politicians and legislators to be witnesses of hope to a “war-weary world,” especially the next generation. Read more

Pope Francis meets with Beniamino Zuncheddu at the Vatican on Aug. 23, 2024. Zuncheddu, who was wrongly imprisoned for 33 years after being falsely accused of the triple homicide of three shepherds in 1991, had his conviction overturned and was released from prison.

Pope Francis meets wrongly-imprisoned Italian man freed after 33 years behind bars

Aug 23, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Beniamino Zuncheddu, now in his 60s, was released from prison in January after his murder conviction was overturned. Read more

The third National Eucharistic Congress in Madagascar is underway Aug. 23-26. Pope Francis sent a message, saying that "each person should be a missionary of God’s love to others."

Pope to Madagascar Eucharistic Congress pilgrims: Be missionaries of God’s love to others

Aug 23, 2024

By Kristina Millare

In a message for pilgrims at the third National Eucharistic Congress in Madagascar, Pope Francis says each person should be... Read more

The Vatican has accepted the decree of an archbishop approving the spiritual activities of the Catholic Shrine of Chandavila in the town of La Codosera in Badajoz, Spain, where Our Lady of Sorrows is alleged to have appeared to two young girls at the end of World War II.

Vatican approves devotion to 1945 apparition of Our Lady of Sorrows in Spain 

Aug 23, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

An Aug. 22 letter from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith called Our Lady of Sorrows of Chandavila... Read more

Vienna skyline with St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, Austria.

EU watchdog reports alarming rise in Christian persecution, calls for protections

Aug 22, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe has reported an increase in anti-Christian hate crimes by... Read more

Pope Francis made his remarks on synodality during an annual meeting for moderators of international associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements, and new communities, organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life on June 13, 2024.

Synod on Synodality: Bishops launch regional workshops ahead of October meeting in Rome

Aug 22, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Around the world, bishops together with the Catholic faithful of their dioceses are gearing up for the second session of... Read more

Pope Francis continued a series of lessons on the Holy Spirit during his weekly meeting with the public in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Aug. 21, 2024.

Pope Francis: Living the fruits of the Holy Spirit helps us spread holiness

Aug 21, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

During his general audience in the Vatican, Pope Francis spoke about the Holy Spirit, focusing on the fruits of being... Read more

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land,  discussed prospects for peace in the war in Gaza Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in a conversation with Bernhard Scholz, president of the Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples Foundation.

Pope Francis and Cardinal Pizzaballa open lay Catholic meeting against backdrop of war

Aug 20, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis urged the meeting’s participants not to be discouraged by war and the challenges of today but to search... Read more

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce company, was accompanied by his fiancée, Lauren Sanchez, at a meeting at the Vatican on Aug. 15, 2024, the Daily Mail reported.

 Pope Francis receives Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

Aug 19, 2024

By Walter Sánchez Silva

According to the Daily Mail, the meeting took place on Thursday, Aug. 15, the day the Catholic Church celebrates the... Read more

Pope Francis addresses the faithful during second vespers on the feast of Our Lady of the Snows at the Basilica of St. Mary Major on Aug. 5, 2024.

Pope Francis pens preface to US death row chaplain’s book on death penalty

Aug 19, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope personally penned the introduction to “A Christian on Death Row: My Commitment to Those Condemned” by Dale Recinella. Read more

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims at the Vatican during his Sunday Angelus on Aug.18, 2024.

Pope Francis reflects with wonder on ‘the miracle of the Eucharist’

Aug 18, 2024

By Courtney Mares

“All of us need the Eucharist,” Pope Francis said in his Angelus address on Aug. 18. Read more

On the Vatican website, the Holy See’s communications department used a picture of a Rupnik mosaic of the dormition of Mary at the top of an article for the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 15, 2024.

Rupnik art appears on Vatican website again — and in Pope Francis’ apartment

Aug 16, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Also, last week, a video was published by an Argentine public TV channel that shows a Rupnik image hanging in... Read more