Vatican

Church's unity comes from faith in Christ and from love, pope says

Pope Leo XIV said in his weekly general audience that the diversity of the Catholic Church is a strength during these times of conflict, brought together through the...

Lent

Faith and flowers: Special rules keep God's house simply beautiful

There are many traditions observed during the season of Lent, and one of the more visible is the stark change in church decor and a complete absence of flowers.

However...

Lent

Jesus is close by, just open your eyes, Pope Leo tells young people

"As a good and caring Shepherd, the Lord always waits for us and accompanies us, wherever we live and however we are," Pope Leo XIV told parishioners during his fourth...

Vatican

Vatican hosted its own mini Paralympics half a century before Games' official start

With the Winter Paralympic Games starting in Milan-Cortina March 6 and running until March 15, the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, said the Vatican already...

Vatican

Church is holy by Christ's presence, not human perfection, pope says

At his general audience, Pope Leo XIV said the Church is both a human community and a divine mystery made holy by Christ’s presence and urging Catholics to witness God’s...

Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

Church can teach what's at stake when nations choose war, not peace, cardinal says

Speaking to Catholic News Service during a visit to the papal farm in Castel Gandolfo, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago said wars today seem more like "a choice rather...

Vatican

Visitor breath, sweat and climate change prompt work on Sistine Chapel masterpiece

The Vatican Museums recently began maintenance work on the Sistine Chapel after a whitish film formed across some of the frescoes. The chapel is still open to visitors...

Vatican

In the face of the mystery of evil, Christians must be signs of hope, pope says

During a parish visit in his Diocese of Rome, Pope Leo XIV went to a working-class neighborhood that has been facing rising criminal activity and increased local efforts...

Vatican

Why do the bones of St. Francis draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims?

Eight hundred years after his death, the remains of St. Francis of Assisi were exhumed and placed on public display in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi...

Pope Leo XIV

U.S. visitors' office saw big uptick in serving pilgrims during 2025

There's a small office near Rome's famous Trevi Fountain that helps U.S. visitors see the pope and have a deeper spiritual experience when they come to the Eternal City...