With the declining situation in Gaza always in his heart, in his final months, Pope Francis bequeathed his popemobile to Caritas Jerusalem and directed the agency to turn it into a mobile health station for the children in Gaza.

Ukrainian religious leaders met with the head of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ conference, asking the church in the U.S. to “be on the side of the truth” regarding Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

As the College of Cardinals continues to discuss the church’s most pressing issues before the conclave, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors said it was encouraged that protecting children and vulnerable people was a priority in those discussions.

Each step of this conclave process is steeped in meaning and tradition, which is wonderful, but it can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to explain to kids.

As members of the College of Cardinals met May 5, all 133 cardinals who plan to enter the conclave to elect a new pope had arrived in Rome, the Vatican press office said.

The Archdiocese of Mobile announced April 25 that engineers have deemed the west end of the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception as unsafe due to extensive termite damage.

The conclave is set to begin May 7, but the public only knows its end by iconic white smoke billowing out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney.

Only through loving others and accepting love in spite of one’s own failures can Christians truly understand and proclaim the joy of Christ’s victory over death, said French Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille.

Le Figaro had described Cardinal Arborelius as “first and foremost a man of prayer but also a noted theologian, committed to ecumenism.” It also said his leadership of a church in “a highly secularized country where Catholicism is in the minority” is an advantage.

While the liturgical legacy of Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, may have flown under the radar for many, several experts told OSV News his 12-year papacy made a definite impact.