How media shunned Eastern Orthodox leaders visiting refugees with the pope; Which title Francis prefers; Why U.S. bishops fired Catholic News Service editor-in-chief
How and why Bernie Sanders was invited to the Vatican; Cardinal Burke's backlash and the pope's "bodies"; the important difference between "the Synod" and "synods."
Who's revealing Francis's exhortation on marriage and the family; What some speculate it says about divorced and same-sex couples; How corrupt Cardinal Bertone is.
Anticipation builds for release of Francis's document on marriage and family; impatience with his speed for reforming the Curia and replacing top Vatican officials.
Rome responds to attacks in Brussels; Francis breaks with tradition to wash feet of asylum seekers for Holy Thursday; New Vatican directory has revealing findings.
Holy See Press Office rushes to defense of priest abusers; New papal diplomats appointed; Cardinal tells journalists priests are "not obliged" to wash women's feet.
Women at third annual "Voices of Faith" hampered by self-censorship; For every bishop Francis appoints that "smell of the sheep," there are ten career clericalists.
Cardinal Pell's decision to appear before Australian Royal Commission’s inquiry into institutional responses to sex abuse in Rome sparks suspicious and criticism.
Word is Pope Francis will visit Turkey a second time; Jesuit-run Vatican Radio is merging with non-Jesuit CTV; First events for Jubilee Year were not "jubilant."
Francis visits tomb of Don Samuel Ruiz, bishop of the of San Cristóbal de las Casas, and indigenous people whom he empowered with ownership of their local church.
Pope Francis's "seemingly ambivalent" attitude toward clergy sex abuse; Canadian archbishop calls for the church to involve women in all levels of ecclesial life.
The Vatican announces world tour for holy corpses; Relics arrive in Rome escorted by paramilitary police; Francis calls religious to "pray more" to raise vocations.
Francis said though it's impossible to “cancel out” faults of the past, this should not “continue to contaminate” relations with various other Christian communities.
In Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionalists disagree with Pope Francis's “polyhedron ecumenism”; In the U.S. they highlight the faults of married deacons.
Pope Francis commissions specially selected "Missionaries of Mercy" for Holy Year while record numbers of Italian Catholics are seeking "annulments" of their baptism
In 2016 Francis will be focusing more on calling to the episcopacy and promoting to the cardinalate men who have the charism and willingness to be pastoral bishops.
At the end of his address to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis quietly invoked the memory of one of the most important reform-minded bishops in the United States.
Vatican confirms details of Francis's trip to Mexico; Francesca Chaouqui claims some cardinals want the pope dead; and globalization brings Christmas trees to Rome.
Pope Francis opened the Jubilee Year of Mercy heralding "mercy before judgment" in the spirit of Vatican II. But did the liturgy symbolically contradict the message?
Pope sows "confusion" by inviting Muslims take part in upcoming Jubilee Year, giving a Eucharistic chalice to a Lutheran pastor, and remaining the Bishop of Rome.
Pope Francis to everyone: reread Evangelii Gaudium; to bishops: be pastors, nothing more; to St. Peter's square audience: I need your help in reforming the church.
Francis to ordain bishop at the Lateran, not the Vatican; Two new books based on Vatican-insider leaks to be published this week; The Dominicans turn 800 years old
Pope Francis made two surprising announcements in Italian archdioceses—steps to change "the mentality and complexion" of church hierarchy. He’s run into opposition.
Synod Fathers prepare to vote on final document; Pope reminds bishops of Vatican-II hope for episcopal collegiality; More "servant-leader" pastors appointed bishops
While several cardinals in his own curia voice opposition, Pope Francis apologizes to church for "scandals that have occurred recently both in Rome and the Vatican."
U.S. Paulist Fathers give moral prescription for Synod; Priest fired for announcing gay partnership reveals more in upcoming book; Families in Rome welcome migrants.
After news of secret visit with Kim Davis, could the affection that Pope Francis generated with his visit to the United States last week vanish in a cloud of smoke?
The American media have discovered that a Catholic church exists beyond the sex abuse and financial scandals. But as others have said: The church is not the pope.
Vatican announces who will and will not be attending round two of the Synod; Hungarian cardinal silent on refugee crisis; Heated debates over paving stones in Rome.
Francis's decision on annulments did not drop out of the sky. Bishops and priests from almost every part of the world have been calling for such a reform for years.
The Vatican killed all interest in World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, but Francis let that go to outflank various groups that oppose his other initiatives
Following the Orthodox Church, Francis announces World Day of Prayer's theme; U.S. Bishops don't. Why is Francis silent about mob's "Godfather-like" funeral in Rome?
Italian bishops join Francis in strongly denouncing European handling of migrant crisis; Are opponents of Cardinal Kasper's proposal releasing yet another book?
Traditionalists grumble Francis is stacking the Synod assembly with "lefties"; 2016 World Day of Peace theme is announced, along with a long list of global issues.
Various Vatican officials are frustrated with the awkward translations of Francis's remarks. “Some of them make the pope sound stupid, and he's anything but."
Who sits with Francis in the papal plane; How Benedict contrasts with history's other pope emeritus; Why one Italian mayor is mad the pope won't take a vacation.
As Francis plans to overhaul the Holy See's media management, a bishop-psychotherapist is assigned to help remove "playboy priests" from an infamous Italian diocese.
Synod officials released an "underwhelming" working document for October's assembly while Italian Catholics gathered to protest gay marriage and gender theory.
Can Cardinal Pell – or any Catholic – simply ignore the new encyclical or the parts they don’t like? Many have done so before, not least concerning Humanae Vitae.
Francis's week: talking church reform with cardinals and peace with Vladimir Putin. And saints' bodies are en route to Rome. Is Francis reviving medieval devotions?
A preview of upcoming papal visits at home, abroad and with Italian protestants. And the press turns Francis's list of "attacks on life" into an abortion debate.
Cardinal Parolin calls Ireland's gay marriage victory a "defeat for humanity"; progressives and traditionalists hold secret meetings to discuss Synod on the Family.
Oscar Romero will be declared a martyr, Francis tells bishops to stop "trying to tell Catholics what to do all the time," and cardinals deny the pope has enemies.
Argentine Archbishop predicts "the people of God" will support Francis's changes long after he's dead—and traditionalists cry schism while non-Catholics convert.
Tight-lipped officials reveal details of Jubilee year. Serra's canonization is almost complete. And for the first time, a woman bishop visits the Apostolic Palace.
Controversy over the canonization of California's founding father continues; Bishop Finn is finally gone; and Pope Francis will make visit to U.S. Seminary in Rome.
