(ANALYSIS) Thirty-eight days have gone by since Feb. 14, when Pope Francis left the Vatican to be hospitalized at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital. These weeks have been challenging for an 88-year-old patient battling bilateral pneumonia. Medical reports did not downplay the severity of his condition, the crises he endured, or the complexity of his clinical picture.
Read MoreThe Vatican on Sunday released the first photo of Pope Francis in the hospital since he began treatment for double pneumonia, in which the 88-year-old pontiff appeared to be breathing unaided.
Read MoreWhen a pope is ill, resigns or passes away, who steps in? And who else helps lead the Holy See?
Read MoreAs he recovers from bilateral pneumonia at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis released the text prepared for the Sunday Angelus prayer, which was published by the Holy See Press Office.
Read MoreThe Holy See Press Office releases Pope Francis' Angelus address as he continues his recovery at Gemelli Hospital. In his message, the pope expresses gratitude for prayers and medical care while urging continued prayers for peace. Reflecting on the day's Gospel reading, he emphasized the importance of seeing others with charity and always speaking with goodness.
Read MoreIn the same square where, on his first day as pope, he blessed the people and asked for their blessing, on Monday that same people gathered to pray for their shepherd, Pope Francis — for his health, for his recovery and for his return among them.
Read MoreThe Vatican announced an evening rosary for the Holy Father's health, starting Monday, in St. Peter's Square. The Holy See press office released a statement announcing that starting this evening, cardinals residing in Rome will gather in St. Peter's Square to recite the rosary for the “health of the Holy Father.”
Read MorePrayers filled St. Peter’s Basilica Sunday as Archbishop Rino Fisichella delivered Pope Francis’ prepared homily to thousands of permanent deacons gathered for a special jubilee Mass, while the pontiff remains hospitalized with pneumonia.
Read MoreThe book, six years in the making, vividly recreates Pope Francis’ childhood in Buenos Aires and offers few new insights into his papacy. The book is enhanced by remarkable photographs, including private and unpublished material made personally available by Francis himself. He tackles a series of topics, including the future of the church, social policy, migration and the environmental crisis.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Could it possibly have been coincidence? The very day Congress certified Donald Trump’s election as the next U.S. president, the Vatican announced the transfer of San Diego’s Cardinal Robert McElroy to become the politically significant archbishop of Washington, D.C. There’s no doubt Pope Francis wants McElroy to keep an eye on Trump.
Read MoreIn a historic first for the Vatican, Pope Francis on Monday named a woman to head a major Vatican office. The pope appointed Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church’s religious orders. The decision marks a major step in the pope’s plan to give women more leadership roles within the male-dominated Catholic clergy.
Read MoreThe scandals surrounding the life and work of the former (and now disgraced) cardinal Theodore McCarrick rumbled in the background of Roman Catholic life for decades — starting in the early 1980s. Insiders whispered, but nothing was done.
Read MoreAhead of the beginning of the Jubilee of Hope in 2025, the Dicastery for Evangelization is hosting various events, including concerts and exhibitions. In a press conference, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-prefect of the Dicastery, outlined the itinerary for some of the upcoming events. Another major event ahead of the Jubilee is the exhibition of various rare icons from the Vatican Museums.
Read MoreThe pontiff reflected on his own memories of playing soccer as a child in Argentina. Francis also described sports as an experience of the “sense of fraternity,” because friends would play “knowing only opponents on the field, never enemies.” Sports offer lessons in life, he added, as players learn from the highs of winning, the effort it takes to win, and the loss of defeat.
Read More(ANALYSIS) At the current synod, whose purpose is to address “communion, participation, and mission” in the church, women’s role is on the agenda. But Catholic women have historically found ways to speak to and about their church leadership, even when they have been excluded from its proceedings.
Read MoreThe Vatican’s doctrinal summit opened this week with one issue deemed to be out of bounds: female deacons. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, the Vatican’s prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said that the church was not “rushing” on the issue.
Read MoreThe Vatican gave Catholics the green light to continue visiting the Bosnian village of Medjugorje, where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary some four decades ago. The Vatican's doctrinal office released a statement that fell short of declaring the apparitions “authentic” — but instead recognized the “positive fruits” for pilgrims stemming from the spiritual experience.
Read MorePope Francis — following his historic 12-day trip to Southeast Asia — chimed in on the upcoming U.S. presidential election, instructing U.S. Catholics to use their “conscience” when voting and to choose the “lesser evil.” The pope’s remarks came days after the very first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It was the kind of quote that, when said by the right person under the right conditions, would inspire bold headlines. “Your country ... has families with three, four or five children,” Pope Francis told President Joko Widodo of Indonesia. “Keep it up, you’re an example for everyone, for all the countries that maybe ... these families prefer to have a cat or a little dog instead of a child.”
Read More(PHOTO ESSAY) The U.S. president has the Secret Service as protection. The pope has the Swiss Guard. Who are these men donning multi-colored uniforms designed during the Middle Ages who march around St. Peter’s Square? Religion Unplugged takes you behind the Vatican walls for a closer look at the military unit.
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