Although the Vatican knows most of the children who will come to Rome May 25-26 for the first World Children’s Day will be Italians, Pope Francis hopes local celebrations also will take place so that the whole Catholic Church can experience their joy and will show them the beauty of gathering with other believers, a cardinal said.

Mission is tirelessly going out to all men and women to invite them with respect, joy and kindness, to encounter God and enter into communion with him, Pope Francis wrote in his message for World Mission Sunday.

Pope Francis “dotted the eyes” of performers dressed as a dragon and lion in a traditional ceremony to symbolically awaken them and welcome in the Chinese New Year.

For three days, the pair joined couples from around the world in Cape Town, South Africa, at the International Council Meeting of Retrouvaille, a peer ministry for those struggling in their marriages.

Ending human trafficking requires collective action in addressing the conditions that cause it, said a U.S. bishop.

At the National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 1, President Joe Biden called for prayers for a peaceful resolution of conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and he urged Americans to be united in the face of challenges.

Catholic universities are called to contribute to the growth of the intellectual tradition of the church as well as the hearts of their students, forming them into agents of good, Pope Francis told the University of Notre Dame’s board of trustees.

The Senate Judiciary Committee Jan. 31 grilled the CEOs of major social media companies on how they respond to child sexual exploitation on their platforms.

Lent is a time to free oneself from slavery and take action to free others suffering from the multiple forms of slavery that afflict the world, Pope Francis said.

Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem told OSV News that the level of destruction in Gaza is unprecedented and many residents there are “starving.”