Vatican News

Pope Francis during the weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square on Oct. 9, 2024.

Pope: ‘Prohibitions of the Spirit’ ensure Church unity is not driven by personal viewpoints

Oct 9, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Continuing his catechesis on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Church, the pope emphasized that unity cannot be... Read more

Cardinal John Henry Newman.

Celebration of Cardinal Newman’s feast day breaks from tradition

Oct 9, 2024

By CNA Staff

Differing from the traditional practice, the feast day of Cardinal John Henry Newman is not celebrated on the day of... Read more

Rome Bishop Baldassare Reina presides at the closing of the diocesan phase of the investigation into the life and virtues of Chiara Corbella Petrillo in Rome on Friday, June 21, 2024.

Who is the Rome Diocese’s new vicar general, future Cardinal Baldassare Reina?

Oct 9, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

As he listed the names of the new cardinals, the pope named “His Excellency Monsignor Baldassare Reina, who will be... Read more

Cardinals-elect Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi, SVD; Archbishop Jaime Spengler, OFM; and Archbishop Ignace Bessi Dogbohe discuss the contributions of the Church outside Europe during a Synod on Synodality press briefing on Oct. 8, 2024.

New cardinals say Europe is becoming the Catholic Church’s new ‘peripheries’

Oct 8, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

“When the Holy Father is talking about peripheries, I think the peripheries are moving. ... Maybe the peripheries are moving... Read more

Bishop Yao Shun of Jining  and Bishop Yang Yongqiang of Zhouchun (right) of the People’s Republic of China at the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in October 2023.

Catholic bishops from mainland China and Taiwan in dialogue at Synod on Synodality

Oct 8, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Bishop Norbert Pu is the Catholic Church’s first bishop born in Taiwan and is a delegate in the nearly monthlong... Read more

Delegates attend a session of the 16th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at the Paul VI Hall on Oct. 5, 2024, in Vatican City.

Women deacons off the table? Synod delegate claims ‘some women sense a call to priesthood’

Oct 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

“I think we have to look at the question very much from … the Spirit. ‘Is the Spirit calling women?’”... Read more

Pope Francis holds his rosary beads during a rosary prayer for peace at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on Oct. 6, 2024.

Pope Francis prays rosary for peace on eve of first anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack

Oct 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, the pope implored Our Lady, Queen of... Read more

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for his Angelus reflection on Oct. 6, 2024.

Pope Francis urges married couples to ‘be open to life’

Oct 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

In his Sunday Angelus address, the Holy Father asked couples to reflect on whether their married life is fully open... Read more

Pope Francis creates new cardinals at a consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 5, 2019.

Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, including archbishops of Tehran and Toronto

Oct 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has created 142 cardinals from 70 countries at nine consistories. Read more

The Maronite Catholic eparch of Batroun, Bishop Mounir Khairallah, attends a Synod on Synodality press conference on Oct. 5, 2024, at the Vatican.

Lebanese bishop makes impassioned plea for peace at synod briefing

Oct 5, 2024

By CNA Staff

Bishop Mounir Khairallah of Batroun shared his personal experience of violence and forgiveness, recounting how his parents were murdered when... Read more

Pope Francis views a historic relic of the chair of St. Peter on Oct. 2, 2024.

What’s behind the viral photo of Pope Francis venerating a chair?

Oct 4, 2024

By Madalaine Elhabbal

CNA explains what was behind the viral photo of Pope Francis sitting before an ancient wooden chair during the first... Read more

Closing the first week of meetings, Synod on Synodality participants from different continents put a spotlight on the plight of the world’s poor and vulnerable at a press briefing held in the Vatican on Oct. 4, 2024, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. 

Synod participants put spotlight on world’s poor and vulnerable on feast of St. Francis

Oct 4, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Closing the first week of meetings, Synod on Synodality participants from different continents put a spotlight on the plight of... Read more

Archbishop of Barcelona and the president of the Episcopal Conference of Spain, Cardinal Juan José Omella y Omella, arrives at St. Peter’s Basilica for a penitential service for the Synod of Bishops presided by Pope Francis on Oct. 1, 2024, in Vatican City.

Analysis: This week at the Synod on Synodality — revolution or much ado about nothing?

Oct 3, 2024

By Andrea Gagliarducci

The tone of the opening days of the synod’s final general assembly makes it apparent that, for the moment, there... Read more

On the first working day of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican on Oct. 2, 2024, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, shut down speculation regarding further theological study into the possibility of women being ordained as deacons.

Synod rules out women deacons; meetings called to be ‘laboratories of synodal life’

Oct 3, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The Synod on Synodality commenced its second day on Thursday in which 356 participants convened at the Vatican. Read more

Pope Francis addresses participants of the first meeting of the full assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 2, 2024.

At Synod on Synodality, pope says Church needs new ways for bishops to be ‘synodal’

Oct 2, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

“Never can a bishop, or any other Christian, think of himself ‘without others,’” Pope Francis said Wednesday at the first... Read more

Pope Francis makes the sign of the cross as he opens the second assembly of the Synod on Synodality with a Mass on Oct. 2, 2024, in St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis opens Synod on Synodality assembly with warning against personal ‘agendas’

Oct 2, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The second session of the 16th Ordinary Synod of Bishops, running from Oct. 2–27, marks a critical phase in the... Read more

Pope Francis greets the crowd at the end of a Mass for the opening of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in St Peter's Square.

Pope Francis calls for global day of prayer, fasting amid escalating conflict in Holy Land

Oct 2, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope’s surprise announcement comes the morning after Iran launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel. Read more

On the eve of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis said on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, that the Catholic Church must first acknowledge its sins and ask for forgiveness before it can be credible in carrying out the mission Jesus Christ entrusted to his Church.

Pope Francis: We must acknowledge our sins, ask forgiveness to become missionary Church

Oct 1, 2024

By Kristina Millare

During the penitential celebration on the eve of the Synod on Synodality, confessions and testimonies were shared by bishops, religious,... Read more

Pope Francis presides at the penitential celebration ahead of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at St. Peter’s Basilica, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.

This is Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October

Oct 1, 2024

By Francesca Pollio Fenton

“We Christians are all responsible for the Church’s mission. Every priest. Everyone,” the pope said in a video released Sept.... Read more

Bishops process into St. Peter's Basilica for the closing Mass of the first assembly of the Synod on Synodality on Oct. 29, 2023.

Decoding the Synod on Synodality: CNA’s essential terminology guide

Oct 1, 2024

By Courtney Mares, Matthew Bunson

As the Catholic Church kicks off the second session of the Synod on Synodality this week, it’s helpful to understand... Read more