VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, bishops are called to be close to the people in their dioceses and peacemakers in a world marked by division and tension, Pope Leo XIV told the bishops of Italy.Standing in front of the Porziuncola, the small church where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order, Pope Leo said […]

WASHINGTON – Bishop Daniel E. Garcia has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, which commenced its work on November 13. His appointment was made by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. The subcommittee’s work falls […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Insisting that the dignity of all people, including immigrants, must be respected, Pope Leo XIV asked U.S. Catholics and "people of goodwill" to read and listen to the U.S. bishops' recent pastoral message on the topic."When people are living good lives — and many of them (in the United States) for 10, 15, 20 years — […]

WASHINGTON – Catholics across the country are encouraged to observe a nationwide prayer vigil from Thursday, January 22 to Friday, January 23, 2026, to pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life in post-Roe America. “Together, we must pray to change hearts and build a culture of life as we advocate for the most vulnerable. I […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — If people do not see themselves as "caretakers of the garden of creation, we end up becoming its destroyers," Pope Leo XIV said.As the U.N. Climate Conference continued in Brazil, the pope dedicated his weekly general audience talk Nov. 19 to explaining how Jesus' death and resurrection should lead Christians to "a spirituality of integral ecology," […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While "creation is crying out" and millions of people suffer the effects of climate change and pollution, politicians are failing to act, Pope Leo XIV said.As the U.N. Climate Conference, COP30, began its final week of meetings Nov. 17, the pope sent a video message to Christian representatives and activists from the global south who were […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At a time when young people spend so much time in "digital environments," members of the Catholic Biblical Federation need to ask how they are fulfilling the Second Vatican Council's mandate to give everyone access to the Bible, Pope Leo XIV said."What does 'easy access to Sacred Scripture' mean in our time? How can we facilitate […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Before joining hundreds of people for lunch, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the Jubilee of the Poor and prayed that all Christians would share "the love of God, which welcomes, binds up wounds, forgives, consoles and heals."With thousands of migrants, refugees, unhoused people, the unemployed and members of the trans community present in St. Peter's […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Leo XIV fulfilled a promise made by the late Pope Francis to return to Canada's Indigenous communities artifacts — including an Inuit kayak, masks, moccasins and etchings — that have been held by the Vatican for more than 100 years.The pope gave 62 artifacts to the leaders of the Canadian bishops' conference Nov. 15, the […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Meeting an international cast of film directors and actors, Pope Leo XIV spoke about the power of cinema to help people "contemplate and understand life, to recount its greatness and fragility and to portray the longing for infinity."  Pope Leo XIV greets Australian actor Cate Blanchett during a meeting with film directors and actors in the […]