Vatican News

Lawyer Laura Sgro, left, sits with Gloria Branciani, center, and Marjiam Kovač, during a press conference in Rome on Feb. 21, 2024. Branciani and Kovač allege that they were subjected to spiritual, psychological and sexual abuse by famous mosaic artist Father Marko Rupnik.

Two of Father Rupnik’s alleged victims speak publicly for the first time

Feb 21, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The two former religious sisters detailed the tactics the former Jesuit allegedly used to manipulate them. Read more

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square during his Sunday Angelus on Feb. 18, 2024.

Pope Francis: Lent is a time to ‘encounter wild beasts and angels’

Feb 18, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

On the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis focused his Angelus address on the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Read more

Pope Francis at the Synod on Synodality’s closing Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 29, 2023.

Pope Francis launches study groups to analyze Synod on Synodality’s key issues

Feb 17, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Francis has launched synodal study groups to analyze key issues ahead of October’s Synod... Read more

Cardinal Joseph Zen is bishop emeritus of Hong Kong.

Cardinal Zen publishes new critique of Synod on Synodality

Feb 16, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The bishop emeritus of Hong Kong warns that the synod’s vision of the Church “can change everything, the doctrine of... Read more

Israeli Ambassador to the Holy See Raphael Schutz meets with Pope Francis on Feb. 2, 2024.

Israeli embassy criticizes Cardinal Parolin’s remarks on civilian death toll in Gaza

Feb 15, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The Embassy of Israel to the Holy See this week issued a sharp rebuke of Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s recent remarks... Read more

Pope Francis greets an elderly couple at his general audience on Jan. 11, 2023.

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly highlights ‘loneliness,’ ‘throwaway culture’

Feb 15, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The theme for the fourth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be celebrated on July 28, has... Read more

Icon of the 21 Martyrs of Libya.

Vatican hosts veneration of relics of 21 Coptic martyrs of Libya on first feast day

Feb 15, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The relics of 21 Coptic martyrs killed by ISIS in Libya will be venerated in St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Argentina President Javier Milei in a private audience on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican.

Analysis: Milei, Pope Francis embody contrasting economic viewpoints

Feb 14, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

While both Javier Milei and Pope Francis hail from Argentina — both were born in Buenos Aires — they hold ... Read more

Pope Francis presides over Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome on Feb. 14, 2024.

Pope Francis on Ash Wednesday: ‘Let us return to God with all our heart’

Feb 14, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The Lord is inviting us to “remove the masks we so often wear” and to see ourselves as we truly... Read more

Pope Francis delivers an address during his Wednesday general audience on Feb. 14, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Sloth is a ‘very dangerous temptation’ akin to apathy

Feb 14, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

During his Feb. 14 Wednesday general audience, Pope Francis reflected on the human dimension of the vice of acedia, more... Read more

Pope Francis meets with members of the Pontifical Academy for Life on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Technological development must promote the human being

Feb 13, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The pope’s comments come as members of the Pontifical Academy for Life are meeting in Rome from Feb. 12–14 for... Read more

Nobel prize for medicine laureate Katalin Kariko speaks during the annual Nobel Symposium hosted by the Swedish Embassy at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14, 2023.

Pope names biochemist who contributed to COVID vaccine to Pontifical Academy for Life

Feb 12, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

Katalin Karikó helped develop the mRNA technology used to create the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Read more

Pope Francis greets Argentina President Javier Milei in St. Peter’s Basilica on Feb. 11, 2024, at the canonization of Mama Antula, the first female saint from Argentina.

What did Milei and Pope Francis say to each other at the canonization of Mama Antula?

Feb 12, 2024

By Walter Sánchez Silva

Pope Francis and the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, spoke briefly at the Vatican on Sunday, Feb. 11, ahead of... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Argentina President Javier Milei in a private audience on Feb. 12, 2024, at the Vatican.

Meeting between Pope Francis and Argentine president signals possible turn in relationship

Feb 12, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

Pope Francis met with Argentine President Javier Milei in a highly anticipated private audience on Monday morning. Read more

Pope Francis delivers his Angelus address on Feb. 11, 2024.

Pope Francis on Our Lady of Lourdes feast: The Church is close to all who are sick or frail

Feb 11, 2024

By Courtney Mares

In his Angelus address, the pope asked people to reflect on what they have done to help the sick and... Read more

Pope Francis at the canonization of María Antonia of St. Joseph — known affectionately in the pope’s home country as “Mama Antula” -- on Feb. 11, 2024.

Pope Francis canonizes Argentina’s first female saint

Feb 11, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis praised the Argentine saint as “a model of apostolic fervor and boldness” for traveling “thousands of miles on... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Argentine pilgrims on Feb. 9, 2024, ahead of the historic canonization of the county’s first female saint on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024.

Pope Francis: Argentina’s first female saint shows us ‘the path of holiness’

Feb 9, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

Pope Francis met with Argentine pilgrims on Friday morning ahead of the historic canonization of the county’s first female saint... Read more

Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Buenos Aires archbishop highlights courage of Mama Antula, the ‘mother’ of Argentina

On Sunday, Feb. 11, Pope Francis will raise to the altars the woman who will become Argentina’s first female saint,... Read more

Talitha Kum members hold a sculpture of St. Josephine Bakhita in St. Peter's Square on Feb. 6, 2022.

Pope Francis: ‘It is never too late to take action’ against human trafficking

Feb 8, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope established the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking 10 years ago to coincide with the... Read more

Pope Francis addressed members of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Thursday morning, Feb. 8, 2024, to discuss the importance of liturgical reform as a core feature of the broader “renewal of the Church.”

Pope Francis: ‘Without liturgical reform there is no reform of the Church’ 

Feb 8, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The pope recalled Vatican II’s objective of renewing the Church’s “fundamental dimensions” such as “spiritual, pastoral, ecumenical, and missionary” work.  Read more