Pope Francis Latest News

These are the latest news about Pope Francis, the Vatican, and the Catholic Church, provided by the Vatican staff of Catholic News Agency, a service of EWTN News.

The Latest

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his Wednesday general audience on April 17, 2024, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: The temperate person is balanced by both principle and empathy

Apr 17, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

“In a world where many people boast about saying what they think, the temperate person instead prefers to think about... Read more

Cardinal William Goh of Singapore celebrates Mass at the city-state's Indoor Stadium on July 4, 2015.

Cardinal Goh of Singapore hopes Pope Francis’ visit will ‘spur a renewal’ in the country

Apr 17, 2024

By Kristina Millare

Cardinal William Goh expressed his hope that the Holy Father’s visit to the city-nation from Sept. 11–13 “will bring renewed... Read more

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seen on the set of the TV show “Porta a Porta” at Rai Studios, on April 4, 2024, in Rome, Italy.

Italy’s prime minister backs stricter ban on surrogacy: How Europe differs from U.S. on issue

Apr 16, 2024

By Tyler Arnold

Speaking at a conference in Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called surrogacy “inhuman” and referred to it as “uterus renting.” Read more

Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Church, an Indian-Mughal style Catholic church in Medan, Indonesia.

Pope Francis’ Indonesia visit to ‘strengthen message of tolerance, unity, and world peace’

Apr 15, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The Indonesian government has confirmed the country will be the first destination in the 87-year-old pontiff’s apostolic journey to the... Read more

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican after the recitation of the Regina Caeli prayer on April 14, 2024.

Pope Francis: Sharing our encounter with Christ makes our encounters ‘even more beautiful’

Apr 14, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

Pope Francis expressed his concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s missile attack Saturday against Israel. Read more

St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

Vatican sends letter to French embassy over tribunal decision in nun’s dismissal case

Apr 13, 2024

By Daniel Payne

Holy See Press Office director Matteo Bruni confirmed to reporters the Vatican’s transmission of a diplomatic message to the French... Read more

Pope Francis speaks at the Vatican's Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024.

Pope Francis expresses sorrow as Sydney knife attack shocks Australia

Apr 13, 2024

By AC Wimmer

“Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the violent attack in Sydney, and he sends the assurance of his... Read more

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square gathered for his weekly general audience on April 3, 2024.

Pope Francis’ approval rating remains high in the U.S. but has slipped since 2021

Apr 12, 2024

By Jonah McKeown

In addition, the Pew report suggests that a majority of Catholics in the U.S. want the Church to change its... Read more

Pope Francis meets with a group of 200 children studying catechism and in a relaxed manner answered some of their questions on April 11, 2024, at St. John Mary Vianney Parish in Borghesiana, Italy.

Pope Francis makes surprise visit to 200 children for catechism in Rome suburb

Apr 12, 2024

By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú

Pope Francis made a special “getaway” from the Vatican on Thursday to meet with a group of 200 children at... Read more

Pope Francis blesses an unborn baby during the Papal Foundation's annual pilgrimage in Rome on Friday, April 12, 2024.

Papal Foundation announces nearly $15 million in global grants, humanitarian aid

Apr 12, 2024

By Daniel Payne

The U.S.-based Papal Foundation announced on Friday the distribution of nearly $15 million in grants, scholarships, and charitable aid. Read more

Archbishop Georg Gänswein and Pope Francis on St. Peter’s Square, May 21, 2014.

From papal secretary to nuncio? Report of a diplomatic role for Gänswein unconfirmed

Apr 12, 2024

By AC Wimmer

While speculation is again running rife on social media about Archbishop Georg Gänswein’s next role, neither he nor the Vatican... Read more

Pope Francis presides over Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square on March 31, 2024.

Pope Francis reinstates papal title ‘Patriarch of the West’ in Pontifical Yearbook

Apr 12, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

This honorific designation has reappeared among the list of “historical titles” used to designate the theological and temporal reality of... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims at the Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square on March 22, 2023.

Pope Francis to travel to Indonesia, Singapore, East Timor, and Papua New Guinea

Apr 12, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis will travel to the Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore, the Vatican... Read more

Pope Francis addresses members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences on April 11, 2024, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis decries how ‘the unborn with disabilities are aborted’ in throwaway culture

Apr 11, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope warned “the throwaway culture” turns into “a culture of death” when people “presume to be able to establish... Read more

Vatican Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher (center) meets with Vietnamc’s Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (unseen) and other officials at the Foreign Ministry in Hanoi on April 9, 2024.

Vatican official meets Vietnam’s prime minister during historic diplomatic trip

Apr 11, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican secretary for relations with states, spoke with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh about a... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his general audience on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

Pope Francis: ‘A Christian without courage’ is ‘a useless Christian’

Apr 10, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

“A Christian without courage, who does not turn his own strength to good, who does not bother anyone, is a... Read more

Born via surrogacy in the United States in 1991, Olivia Maurel is now a leading campaigner for the abolition of “womb renting,” a practice which Pope Francis has called “deplorable.”

Woman born of surrogacy shares why she supports Pope Francis’ call for a global ban

Apr 7, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Born via surrogacy in the United States in 1991, Olivia Maurel is now a leading campaigner for the abolition of... Read more

The Divine Mercy image is displayed at St. Peter's Square before Pope Francis Regina Caeli prayer on April 7, 2024.

Pope Francis on Divine Mercy Sunday: The ‘fullness of life’ is ‘realized in Jesus’ 

Apr 7, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

“Every living encounter with Jesus enables us to have more life,” Pope Francis said in his reflection.  Read more

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis.

Diocese of Rome shake-up: Pope Francis transfers vicar to Vatican post

Apr 6, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The reassignment of Cardinal Angelo De Donatis is part of a major reform of the Diocese of Rome by Pope... Read more

A person walks past an area of a damaged building that is cordoned off following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake on April 3, 2024, in Hualien, Taiwan.

Pope Francis ‘deeply saddened,’ expresses closeness with victims of Taiwan earthquake

Apr 4, 2024

By Matthew Santucci

The Holy Father “assures everyone affected by this disaster of his heartfelt solidarity and spiritual closeness,” a Vatican telegram said. Read more