Pope Francis shares meal with the poor
Pope Francis had lunch with around 1,300 poor from Rome on Sunday. The meal was part of several Vatican-sponsored initiatives marking the sixth annual World Day of the Poor, including a free mobile medical clinic in St. Peter’s Square. After two years off due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the free lunch was again offered in […]
Pope Francis prays for Turkey after deadly Istanbul bombing
Pope Francis has expressed his condolences for the victims of a deadly bombing on a busy pedestrian street in Istanbul over the weekend. The Vatican published a message on Nov. 15 that expressed the pope’s spiritual closeness to the injured and those who mourn the loss of their loved ones who died in the explosion […]
German bishops meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican amid concern over Synodal Way
Pope Francis received the German bishops at the Vatican on Thursday. The audience with Pope Francis lasted about two hours, the German Bishops’ Conference said in a statement published after the encounter, describing the meeting as an “open round of talks” in which “the bishops were able to raise their questions and issues, and the […]
Vatican conference examines history of 400-year
The Congregation of Propaganda Fide — a Vatican department dedicated to the Church’s missionary activity — is celebrating its 400th anniversary. A three-day conference at the Vatican this week sought to examine the centuries-long history of this department, including its global impact today. EWTN News Nightly’s Tracy Sabol recently spoke with Monsignor Camillus Johnpillai, head […]
Pope Francis travels to northern Italy to share a special meal with his cousins
Pope Francis traveled to northern Italy on Saturday to celebrate the 90th birthday of his second cousin Carla Rabezzana with his Italian relatives. The 85-year-old pope arrived by helicopter in the Italian province of Asti, 30 miles east of Turin, just before noon on Nov. 19. The pope made a brief stop to pray at […]
‘We lift our prayers to God for peace in Ukraine’: Vatican Mass marks Ukraine
Cardinal Pietro Parolin offered Mass for peace in Ukraine on Thursday in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. The Vatican secretary of state said in his homily on Nov. 17 that “there is no situation so compromised that the Spirit of God cannot resurrect.” “This evening’s prayer for peace, which unites all our […]
What is behind Pope Francis’ appointment of the new prefect for the Eastern Churches?
For the role of prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, Pope Francis has chosen Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, who since 2020 was nuncio to the United Kingdom. The Italian prelate’s diplomatic career came about somewhat “by accident.” As a specialist in Eastern liturgy and a fluent Russian and Armenian speaker, Gugerotti arrived in Rome to serve […]
Pope Francis removes Caritas Internationalis leaders, appoints temporary administrator
Pope Francis on Tuesday removed the entire leadership of an international confederation of charities and appointed a temporary administrator to improve the organization’s management. Pope Francis issued a decree Nov. 22 appointing Pier Francesco Pinelli, an Italian management consultant, as temporary administrator of Caritas Internationalis (CI). With the same ordinance, the pope said the positions […]
Pope Francis chooses papal ambassador to lead Dicastery for the Eastern Churches
Pope Francis on Monday appointed a papal ambassador and expert in Eastern languages and literature to lead the Vatican Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, 67, has been apostolic nuncio to Great Britain since July 2020. The Italian was undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches from 1997 to 2001, before beginning […]
Pope Francis: What is spiritual consolation? The saints explain
Pope Francis used the example of several Catholic saints to explain the concept of spiritual consolation during his weekly audience on Wednesday. “What is spiritual consolation?” he said Nov. 23. “It is a profound experience of interior joy, consisting in seeing God’s presence in everything. It strengthens faith and hope, and even the ability of […]
