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 prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2024.

Pope Francis to release new encyclical ‘Dilexit Nos’ on the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Oct 21, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The encyclical, titled “Dilexit Nos,” meaning “he has loved us,” will be published on Oct. 24. Read more

Statuary sits before imagery of the recently canonized saints in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024

Pope Francis canonizes 14 new saints, including priests martyred in Syria

Oct 20, 2024

By Courtney Mares

In a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 20, the pope declared three 19th-century founders of religious orders and... Read more

Pope Francis and King Philippe listen to a speech by Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during the pope’s trip to Belgium in late September 2024.

Over 500 Belgians demand removal from baptismal registry after Pope Francis remarks

Oct 17, 2024

By Thomas Philipp Reiter

After the pope’s visit to Luxembourg and Belgium in late September, 524 people have signed a declaration published Oct. 16... Read more

In January 2025, Pope Francis will become the first sitting pontiff to publish an autobiographical memoir, which will be titled “Hope.”

Pope Francis to release ‘first memoir published by a sitting pontiff’ in January

Oct 16, 2024

By Madalaine Elhabbal

The original plan had been to release the memoir after his death. However, the pope decided to publish in light... Read more

Pope Francis greets pilgrims at his general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.

Pope Francis hopes for ‘reconciled differences’ with Orthodox and Protestant Christians

Oct 16, 2024

By Courtney Mares

The pope said “the climate of dialogue between the two Churches has lost the acrimony of the past and today... Read more

Pope Francis receives the vice president of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, on Oct. 14, 2024, in a meeting in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. The two discussed the situation in the country and exchanged gifts in an atmosphere of “great affection,” according to an official statement.

Pope Francis meets with Argentine vice president Victoria Villarruel

Oct 15, 2024

By Julieta Villar

Pope Francis received the vice president of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, in a meeting in which they discussed the situation in... Read more

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi (left) arrives at the Vatican for Synod on Synodality meetings on Oct. 10, 2024. The Vatican announced on Monday, Oct. 14, that the cardinal returned to Moscow to meet with Russian authorities as part of the peace mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis.

Cardinal Zuppi returns to Moscow as Vatican peace envoy

Oct 14, 2024

By Courtney Mares

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi returned to Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian authorities as part of the peace mission entrusted... Read more

Pope Francis addresses the faithful during the Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.

Pope Francis: ‘True wealth is being loved by God’

Oct 13, 2024

By Courtney Mares

“Let us remember this: True wealth is not the goods of this world. True wealth is being loved by God... Read more

Pope Francis celebrated Mass on the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, June 29, 2023, where he also blessed the pallia for new archbishops.

Vatican shares Pope Francis’ schedule for December consistory to create cardinals

Oct 12, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

On Dec. 8, Pope Francis will preside at a Mass with the College of Cardinals in St. Peter’s Basilica. Read more

Pope Francis prays at the Mass in suffrage for the cardinals and bishops who have died in the past year, Nov. 2, 2022.

Pope Francis writes letter to new cardinals: You express the Church’s unity

Oct 12, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

Pope Francis will add 21 members to the College of Cardinals at a consistory at the Vatican in December. Read more

Eight people in this church and adjoining buildings in Derdghaya, Lebanon, were killed.

Israeli missile destroys Catholic church in Lebanon; at least 8 dead

Oct 11, 2024

By Andrés Henríquez

A church of the Melkite Greek Catholic Eparchy of Tyre, Lebanon, has been hit by a missile from Israeli airstrikes... Read more

Young people lead a procession in Protomartyrs Square at the Vatican for an ecumenical prayer service on Oct. 11, 2024.

PHOTOS: Pope Francis, synod pray where first Christian martyrs of Rome were killed

Oct 11, 2024

By Hannah Brockhaus

The ecumenical prayer vigil Oct. 11 was held in Roman Protomartyrs Square inside Vatican City. Read more

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with Pope Francis during a meeting at the Vatican on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024.

Pope Francis, Zelenskyy hold fourth meeting since outbreak of Russia-Ukraine war

Oct 11, 2024

By Kristina Millare

The Oct. 11 meeting is the fourth meeting the Ukrainian president has had with the Holy Father since the outbreak... Read more

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

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

Christian worshippers pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024.

Pope Francis: ‘Prayer and fasting are the weapons of love that change history’

Oct 7, 2024

By Kristina Millare, Elias Turk

In his letter to Catholics in the Middle East, the Holy Father expressed his closeness with those “who dwell in... 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 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