More than two decades after The Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigations revealed a widespread culture of abuse and cover-up among Catholic clergy, a Vatican report found that despite progress, the church remains sluggish in implementing transparency and accountability measures when it…
Vatican pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 28%
The Vatican aims to eliminate more than a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions it produces over the next decade, according to plans it has submitted to the United Nations.
Traditionalists rejoice that top US cardinal allowed to celebrate old Latin Mass at St. Peter’s
Traditionalist Catholics celebrated news Monday that the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV had given them permission to celebrate the old Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica during their upcoming pilgrimage.
Legacy of ‘green’ papal teaching to take root at Vatican ecology center
Extending the legacy of his predecessors who championed environmental responsibility as a core tenet of Catholic social teaching, Pope Leo XIV on Friday (Sept. 5) will inaugurate a new center for integral ecology on Vatican-owned property south of Rome.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy meets with Pope Leo XIV. Both propose the Vatican as site for peace talks
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday and thanked him for the Vatican’s efforts to help return children taken by Russia. Both he and Leo suggested the Vatican could host peace talks to end the war.
Why ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ by Caravaggio was Pope Francis’ favorite painting − an art historian explains
Pope Francis left a lasting legacy, not least his appreciation for art. In his 2025 biography, “Hope,” Francis spoke of his admiration for the Baroque painter Caravaggio. He recalled that during his travels to Rome as a cardinal, he prayed in front…
Mr. Trump goes to Rome
Most of the time, when people say, “Just joking,” they’re not joking at all. Often, we use “just joking” as a cover when we’ve trotted out ideas we know will be controversial or hurtful but we want to say them…
Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Vatican defends recent cuts to US foreign aid
President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Vatican defended many of the administration’s foreign-aid cuts at a Senate hearing Tuesday, even while saying Catholic charitable groups are well-equipped to deliver such aid efficiently.
Pope Francis’s words air in St. Peter’s Square for first time since illness
Pope Francis’s gravelly, frail voice echoed through St. Peter’s Square on Thursday, as a recorded message from the ailing pontiff delivered his first spoken words to 1.4 billion Catholics since his admission to a Rome hospital nearly three weeks ago.
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…
New biography of late Cardinal Pell underscores leadership vacuum on Catholic right
The sudden death two years ago of Cardinal George Pell, the Australian prelate Pope Francis had enlisted to clean up the Vatican’s finances, left the Catholic conservative cohort in Rome without an identifiable leader. A new biography takes a look…
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.