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

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.

Cardinals Re and Sandri confirmed as dean and vice dean of College of Cardinals

Feb 7, 2025

By Marco Mancini

Pope Francis has extended the approval he had granted for the election of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re as dean of... Read more

“If the devil divides, the creed unites!” the pope said in his Feb. 6, 2025, remarks to a visiting group of priests and monks of the Oriental Orthodox churches, including Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Malankar, and Syriac.

Pope Francis reiterates desire for ‘full unity’ among Christians

Feb 6, 2025

By Victoria Cardiel

“The proclamation of the common faith requires, first of all, that we love one another,” the Holy Father said in... Read more

Pope Francis meets with Eastern Orthodox priests and monks on Feb. 6, 2025, at his Santa Marta home in the Vatican instead of in the Apostolic Palace as planned.

Pope Francis to take meetings at home while sick with bronchitis, Vatican says

Feb 6, 2025

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope has faced several health challenges in recent years, including knee problems requiring a wheelchair, respiratory infections, and a... Read more

Pope Francis greets members of the Interprovincial Order of the Profession of Midwifery of Catanzaro on Feb. 6, 2025, at his Casa Santa Marta residence at the Vatican.

Pope Francis praises midwives, OB-GYNs who welcome babies with ‘humanity’

Feb 6, 2025

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope’s words were conveyed in a written speech handed out during an audience with an association of midwives and... Read more

Pope Francis addresses pilgrims gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Feb. 5, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Francis urges all Catholics to be ‘missionaries of hope’ through prayer and action

Feb 6, 2025

By Kristina Millare

“I urge all of you, children, young people, adults, and the elderly, to participate actively in the common evangelizing mission... Read more

Panelists discuss religious persecution in the West at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, 2025. From left to right: Rabbi Emile Ackermann, a co-founder of Ayeka; Janet Buckingham, the director of global advocacy at the World Evangelical Alliance; Todd Huizinga, a senior fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute; Alliance Defending Freedom International Legal Counsel Sean Nelson.

International Religious Freedom Summit examines religious persecution in the West

Feb 6, 2025

By Tyler Arnold

“People being arrested because of their faith and living out their faith is coming at odds with an increasingly secular... Read more

Pope Francis meets with elderly and sick people on his final day in Singapore on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, marking the conclusion of his 12-day, four-country apostolic journey to Asia and Oceania — the longest trip of his pontificate to date.

Pope Francis highlights hope for fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

Feb 6, 2025

By Victoria Cardiel

Pope Francis has chosen “Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Lost Hope” as the theme for the fifth World Day... Read more

People light candles at a makeshift vigil near the adult education center Campus Risbergska school in Örebro, Sweden, on Feb. 5, 2025, one day after a shooting there left 11 people dead.

Pope Francis prays for victims, grieving families of tragic school shooting in Sweden

Feb 5, 2025

By Kristina Millare

In a Feb. 5 telegram to Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the Holy Father said he is deeply saddened by... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Feb. 5, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Faith in God is ‘a force that sets love in motion’ in the world

Feb 5, 2025

By Kristina Millare

Pope Francis on Wednesday continued his catechesis on “Jesus Christ Our Hope,” saying love is the force that compels people... Read more

Pope Francis meets with members of a pilgrimage sponsored by the Scandinavian Bishops’ Conference on Feb. 3, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Francis: Carlo Acutis shows young people ‘the fullness of life’ in Christ

Feb 3, 2025

By Courtney Mares

Speaking to Catholic pilgrims from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland on Feb. 3, the pope shared a special message... Read more

Pope Francis speaks at the Children’s Rights Summit on Feb. 3, 2025, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis to write papal document on theme of children

Feb 3, 2025

By Hannah Brockhaus

The summit includes panels on the child’s right to resources, to education, to food and health care, to family, to... Read more

Queen Rania Al Abdullah speaks along with other world leaders at the Children’s Rights Summit on Feb. 3, 2025, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis, international leaders discuss children’s rights at Vatican

Feb 3, 2025

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis and leaders from around the world are meeting at the Vatican this week to discuss the rights of... Read more

Pope Francis delivers his Angelus address from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s Square on Feb. 2, 2025, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

Love and light: Pope Francis reflects on Christ’s presentation

Feb 2, 2025

By AC Wimmer

Pope Francis, reflecting on the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, says it serves as a reminder that Jesus... Read more

Pope Francis presides over First Vespers for the World Day for Consecrated Life in St. Peter's Basilica, surrounded by bishops, priests, and religious men and women on Feb. 1, 2025, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis calls consecrated religious to be ‘bearers of light’ amid modern challenges

Feb 1, 2025

By AC Wimmer

The World Day for Consecrated Life, celebrated annually on Feb. 2, takes on special significance this year as the Church... Read more

Pope Francis speaks during his general audience on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.

Pope Francis tells Ukrainian youth to be patriots, pursue peace through dialogue

Feb 1, 2025

By AC Wimmer

In a virtual meeting, Pope Francis urged young Ukrainians to maintain hope and continue dialogue despite the ravages of war. Read more

Pope Francis speaks with Spanish clergy and seminarians on Jan. 30, 2025, at the Vatican.

Pope Francis shares with seminarians that his mom did not want him to enter seminary

Feb 1, 2025

By Victoria Cardiel

Pope Francis discussed in a Jan. 30 audience with seminarians and formators how his mother put up quite a bit... Read more

Pope Francis delivers his catechesis during the jubilee audience in the Paul VI Hall on Feb. 1, 2025.

In powerful jubilee message, pope points to Mary Magdalene’s transformative trust

Feb 1, 2025

By AC Wimmer

Pope Francis emphasized Mary Magdalene’s transformative encounter with the risen Christ as a model for personal conversion. Read more

Pope Francis meets with the Roman Rota in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

At Vatican marriage tribunal, Pope Francis extols ‘gift of indissolubility’ of marriage

Jan 31, 2025

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pontiff addressed the topic of marriage’s indissolubility, or permanence, in a meeting with members of the Roman Rota, one... Read more

Orthodox Archbishop Anastasios Yannoulatos of Albania, 95, died on Jan. 25, 2025, in Greece due to a recent illness. He led the Albanian Orthodox church for nearly 33 years.

Pope Francis offers condolences after death of Albanian Orthodox Archbishop Anastasios

Jan 30, 2025

By Kristina Millare

“The faith of the Orthodox community of Albania was certainly embodied in the life of our dear brother,” the pope... Read more

Emergency response units search the wreckage on Jan. 30, 2025, of an American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after it crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport the night before. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, collided midair with a military Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to reports, there were no survivors among the 67 people on both aircraft.

Pope Francis offers condolences after deadly midair collision near Washington, DC

Jan 30, 2025

By Courtney Mares

The pope sent a personal message to President Donald Trump on Jan. 30 as search efforts continued in and around... Read more