Visitor breath, sweat and climate change prompt work on Sistine Chapel masterpiece March 8, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Arts & Culture, News, Vatican, World News hen millions of visitors flock to the Sistine Chapel each year, their seemingly invisible breath and sweat are slowly leaving a mark on this Renaissance masterpiece, according to Vatican Museums officials.
Church is holy by Christ’s presence, not human perfection, pope says March 4, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News The Catholic Church is both a community made up of fragile and limited human beings and a divine reality, Pope Leo XIV said at his weekly general audience.
Bones of St. Francis draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims February 27, 2026By Josephine Peterson OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Saints, World News Eight hundred years after his death, the bones of St. Francis of Assisi have been placed on public display for the first extended public viewing in history, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to the hilltop town.
From Foreheads to Crowns: How Ash Wednesday looks different worldwide February 17, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Lent, News, World News, Worship & Sacraments Catholics going to Mass on Ash Wednesday will leave church marked, but whether the ashes appear as a bold cross on the forehead or sprinkled atop the head depends largely on where in the world they worship.
Pope concerned about lack of progress on protecting children February 5, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The world continues to fall short of protecting and caring for its children, leaving them with few opportunities to succeed and at greater risk of suffering abuse, Pope Leo XIV said in a speech Feb. 5.
Scripture is intended to speak to believers ‘in every age,’ pope says February 4, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Bible, News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV said Scripture is meant to speak directly to believers in today’s world, emphasizing that the Bible is the word of God expressed through human authors during his weekly general audience.
To know God, we must welcome Jesus’ humanity, pope says January 21, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Leo XIV said that God is revealed through Jesus’ humanity, not solely through a “channel of transmission of intellectual truths.” It is through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection that one can come to know God.
Vatican sees record number of visitors during Jubilee year, officials say January 5, 2026By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: Jubilee 2025, News, Vatican, World News An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year, exceeding early forecasts, officials said at a news conference at the Vatican Jan. 5.
Rather than chasing productivity, turn to God to resolve restlessness, pope says December 17, 2025By Josephine Peterson Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Vatican, World News In today’s fast-paced world with pressures for results and efficiency, Pope Leo XIV said many have been stripped of their serenity and ability to live.
