Aventine procession: Pope Leo leads Ash Wednesday walk
The brief Ash Wednesday walk between two hilltop basilicas marks the start of Lent in Rome. Each Ash Wednesday, dozens of people crowd the doors of the Church of Sant’Anselmo, perched on the Aventine — one of Rome’s seven hills — to witness the penitential procession that moves solemnly along the roughly 200 meters (656 […]
St. Peter’s marks 400 years with SmartPass, new areas
The Vatican will open new parts of St. Peter’s — including the full terrace — and roll out a “SmartPass” digital entry system as it marks the basilica’s 400th anniversary. As the Basilica of St. Peter approaches the 400th anniversary of its consecration, the Vatican has announced a slate of liturgical and cultural initiatives — […]
Vatican: Notre Dame row shows need for abortion dialogue
The Church should engage with universities about how to take “an ethical approach” to the dignity of unborn life, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life said. The president of the Pontifical Academy for Life said Tuesday the Church needs to maintain a dialogue with universities on the issue of abortion. Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro […]
Cardinal Parolin: The Vatican ‘will not participate in Trump’s Board of Peace’
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace,” promoted by the U.S. president to address Gaza and other conflicts. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced on Feb. 17 that the Holy See “will not participate in the Board of Peace,” an […]
Pope Leo XIV Ends World Children’s Day Committee
Pope Leo XIV has eliminated the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day, transferring the committee’s functions to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. Pope Leo XIV has eliminated the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day, established by Pope Francis in November 2024. In a decree published on Feb. 13, the Holy Father […]
Rome Vicariate Arts Day Highlights Gaza Suffering
The humanitarian situation in Gaza was the focus of a day of the arts at the Lateran Apostolic Palace on Feb. 14, drawing attention to the ongoing suffering of residents in the Gaza Strip. On Saturday, Feb. 14, the humanitarian situation in Gaza was the focus of a day of the arts at the apostolic […]
Pope Appoints Harvard Professor to Vatican Social Sciences
Tyler J. VanderWeele, a Catholic, is an epidemiologist and director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. Pope Leo XIV has appointed a Harvard University epidemiology professor and director of the Human Flourishing Program to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Tyler J. VanderWeele, a Catholic, is also co-director of the Initiative on Health, […]
Pope Leo XIV: No Decision Yet on Opus Dei Statutes
Pope Francis moved the prelature’s Vatican oversight from the office for bishops to that of clergy, triggering an ongoing review and rewrite of its governing norms. Pope Leo XIV told the prelate of Opus Dei on Feb. 16 that “the process of updating Opus Dei’s statutes continues in its study phase and that no publication […]
Pope Leo XIV: Health Inequality Erodes Respect for Life
The pope told the Pontifical Academy for Life it is hypocritical to call health a universal value while ignoring policies that drive disparities. Pope Leo XIV on Monday warned that modern conflicts and widening social disparities are eroding respect for human life and equal access to health care, telling members of the Pontifical Academy for […]
Chaplain of His Holiness: What the Title Means
Father Fermín González Melado, who was recently named a “chaplain of His Holiness” by Pope Leo XIV, explains the qualifications and purpose of bestowing this honorary title. Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one in particular has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” What does this honorary title […]
