Becoming a cardinal is an insistent call to put Jesus at the center of one’s life, to love the poor as he did and to strengthen the bonds of unity within the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said as he created 21 new cardinals from 17 nations.

It was the feast of Christ the King — Sunday, Nov. 24 — and excited yet hushed murmurs of expectation rippled through the worshippers assembled for vespers at Christendom College’s Christ the King Chapel in Front Royal.

The study of theology must include reference to the context in which its students live and will minister, Pope Francis said, so in Sicily that means it must have something to say about the Mafia.

Prayer has the power to transform today’s Catholics into modern-day apostles who can respond to what the world truly needs, said the new acting international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Anyone interested in Catholic Church can now see a detailed, interactive breakdown of the body that will elect the next pope. The Vatican launched a “dashboard” for the College of Cardinals Dec. 5, allowing users of the web page to see a comprehensive list of the church’s cardinals and sort them […]

Two cardinals-to-be will stand out in a sea of red during a solemn consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica when Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals Dec. 7.

Russian politicians want to close house churches and ban anointing faithful in flats. This would hit the religious communities hard and following the Orthodox Church hierarchy, Catholic bishops are also opposing the move.

At 53 years old, Capuchin Father Roberto Pasolini, the new preacher of the papal household, was among the youngest in the Vatican audience hall when he told Pope Francis and members of the Roman Curia: be open to change.

“Mary,” an earnest drama, will be available for streaming on Netflix Dec. 6.

Sudanese Catholic Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali of El Obeid Dec. 2 described narrowly escaping execution in his country, where he has remained with the faithful amid a deadly war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.