Pope’s funeral rites, a celebration of hope, to begin late April 21 April 21, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Remembering Pope Francis, Vatican, World News Pope Francis’ funeral rites, like those for any pope or any Christian, are meant to “reinforce the hope and witness to the faith” that those who have been baptized in Christ “will rise with him to new life.”
With pastor’s touch, Pope Francis preached mercy, embraced ‘peripheries’ April 21, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Obituaries, Remembering Pope Francis, Vatican, World News Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88 gave new energy to millions of Catholics — and caused concern for some — as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about mission, poverty, immigration and dialogue.
Pope on Easter: Jesus’ resurrection makes Christians pilgrims of hope April 20, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Easter, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The hope Christians have is not a sign of avoiding reality but of trusting in the power of God to defeat sin and death as the resurrection of Jesus clearly shows, Pope Francis wrote in his Easter message.
Religious freedom, migration on agenda as Vance meets Cardinal Parolin April 19, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Immigration and Migration, News, Religious Freedom, Vatican, World News Against the backdrop of deep differences with the Trump administration over migration and foreign aid as well as concerns for Ukraine and for Gaza, the Vatican secretary of state welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance to the Vatican.
‘Why them and not me,’ pope asks after Holy Thursday visit to prison April 17, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Easter, Feature, News, Vatican, World News While he did not celebrate Mass or wash the feet of inmates, Pope Francis made his customary Holy Thursday visit to a detention facility, arriving at Rome’s Regina Coeli jail at about 3 p.m. April 17.
Be ‘heralds of hope,’ pope asks priests in homily for chrism Mass April 17, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Jubilee 2025, News, Vatican, World News, Worship & Sacraments Especially in a Jubilee Year, but also every day, priests are called to continual conversion so that they can authentically preach the good news of hope, Pope Francis wrote in the homily he prepared for the Holy Thursday chrism Mass.
Pope orders renewal of academy that trains nuncios April 15, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis has raised the status of the Vatican’s diplomatic academy to an institute of higher learning that will issue academic degrees while also strengthening its focus on evangelization.
Despite improved health, pope picks cardinals to lead Holy Week liturgies April 15, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Easter, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis is going without supplemental oxygen for longer periods and is continuing therapy to recover his voice and to recover his physical strength, the Vatican press office said, but he also is increasing the number of private meetings he is holding with the heads of Vatican offices.
Vatican updates norms on donations for special Mass intentions April 14, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News, Worship & Sacraments Catholic faithful do not “buy” Masses, but when a priest accepts an offering and promises to celebrate a Mass for that person’s loved one or other special intention he must do so, the Vatican said.
Pope’s visit to basilica is sign of improved health, press office says April 11, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis’ surprise visit to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray and see ongoing restoration work is a clear sign that his condition is improving, the Vatican press office said.
Britain’s royal couple meet Pope Francis at the Vatican April 9, 2025By Cindy Wooden Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Although they postponed their official state visit to the Vatican because of Pope Francis’ health, Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla met privately with the pope April 9, the Vatican press office said.
Vatican reports progress in flagging suspicious financial activity April 9, 2025By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News The Vatican bank and other Vatican offices with financial dealings are getting more adept at identifying and stopping suspicious financial activity, according to the Vatican’s Supervisory and Financial Information Authority.
