Carol Glatz

The aesthetic and artistic elements surrounding the liturgy must foster prayer and a sense of communion, Pope Francis said.

Marking the 10th anniversary of his election, Pope Francis concelebrated Mass with cardinals resident in Rome in the chapel of his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Right from the start, upon his election, Pope Francis presented a whole new style of being pontiff.

At the end of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 8, International Women’s Day, Pope Francis led a round of applause for women.

Taking in and welcoming others must be done without expecting anything from them in return, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis named five new members to his international Council of Cardinals and renewed the mandate of four current members, the Vatican announced March 7.

The number of Catholics and permanent deacons in the world rose in 2021, while the number of seminarians, priests, and men and women in religious orders declined, according to Vatican statistics.