Pope Francis continued his recovery from pneumonia on Thursday, eating breakfast out of bed and working with his aides at the hospital as some of his cardinals cheered him on and insisted that Catholic Church was very much alive and well even in…
Pope Francis Hospitalized With Bronchitis, Undergoes Tests As Holy Year Events Canceled
Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday to treat a weeklong bout of bronchitis and undergo diagnostic tests, the Vatican said, confirming the latest issues with the 88-year-old’s pontiff’s health that forced him to cancel his agenda through Monday at least.
Pope Francis calls US Catholics to listen to Jesus, not Trump, on immigration
Pope Francis issued a clarion call to U.S. Catholics Feb. 10 to reject the anti-immigrant narrative of the Trump administration. He also rebutted Vice President JD Vance’s appeal to ordo amoris to justify the administration’s “America First” policies. Vance, who…
With Oscar-nominee ‘Conclave’ piquing interest, pope keeps dean of the College of Cardinals in place
With interest in a papal elections high thanks to the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave, ” Pope Francis threw a wrench Thursday in some of the speculation about a future Sistine Chapel vote by deciding to extend the term of the current dean of…
Rest, reorientation and hope – the pillars of 2025’s Catholic Jubilee year
Pope Francis has proclaimed a Jubilee year in the Catholic Church, which began on Dec. 24, 2024, and will continue through Jan. 6, 2026. But what is a Jubilee, and what is this year’s about?
Luce, a cartoon mascot for Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, appeals to a younger generation while embracing time-honored traditions
Luce, the anime-inspired official mascot for the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee, whose name means “light” in Italian, has been getting a lot of attention on social media. Some people love the cartoon and find her “cute,” but a few others consider her “unsuitable”…
Pope welcomes Cuba’s prisoner release following talks with Vatican as part of long-standing dialogue
Pope Francis on Sunday hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prayed would be undertaken elsewhere, as he welcomed an agreement the Vatican helped facilitate as part of a three-way dialogue with Washington…
Tool of faith or digital distraction? Catholic Church offers indulgences to faithful who fast from social media
The year 2025 is a Year of Jubilee: an event held every quarter-century that calls Catholics around the world to embark on a holy journey of faith and repentance.
Jewish leaders decry Pope Francis’ criticism of Israel as ‘incendiary’
A group representing the leaders of the United States’ largest Jewish organizations has written a letter to Pope Francis criticizing his recent condemnation of Israeli airstrikes that killed 25 Palestinians, calling the pope’s comments “incendiary.”
Al Mohler vs. Pope Francis on human nature
The papacy is an “unbiblical office” and Pope Francis is a heretic, according to Southern Baptist leader Al Mohler. Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., blasted the pope in his May 21 podcast called “The Briefing.”…
Africa’s Catholic bishops reject Vatican doctrine on blessing same-sex couples
A rebellion against Pope Francis is brewing in Africa. On Jan. 11, African Catholic bishops, gathered at a conference in Accra, declared the Vatican’s recent proposal to allow priests to offer non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples is contrary to their…
Hope and the pope: Defending LGBTQ people more than our positions
With the pope all over the headlines recently, I decided to do my homework and see what all the buzz was about. I came away fascinated and with renewed hope. Since being elected in 2013, Pope Francis has advanced respect…