ROME (CNS) — God suffers and grieves when those who profess to believe in him do not love the people he loves and do not work for the justice he desires, Pope Francis said. "God suffers when we, who call ourselves his faithful ones, put our own ways of seeing things before his, when we follow the judgments of the […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Having come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, Catholics are called to share with others the hope and joy that come from faith and that endure even when life gets difficult, Pope Francis said. "What the world needs is the love of God, to encounter Christ and believe in him. For this […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians must not "put pressure on others" to convert or induce in them "feelings of guilt," but take a weight off their shoulders through joyfully sharing the Gospel, Pope Francis said. At his general audience Jan. 25, the pope explained that Jesus frees people from all forms of oppression and that this freedom is cause for […]

WASHINGTON – When the first bombs struck Ukraine nearly a year ago, aid was already coming in from Catholics in the United States through the U.S. bishops’ Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe. On Ash Wednesday, February 22, Catholics are again encouraged to give to this annual collection, which for three decades has helped churches in 28 […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The media and the field of communications need to exercise more kindness and share the truth with charity, Pope Francis said. "Kindness is not only a question of 'etiquette' but a genuine antidote to cruelty, which unfortunately can poison hearts and make relationships toxic," the pope wrote in his message for World Communication Day. Just as […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Word of God, which heals and raises people up, is meant for everyone, Pope Francis said. Jesus "wants to reach those far away, he wants to heal the sick, he wants to save sinners, he wants to gather the lost sheep and lift up those whose hearts are weary and oppressed," the pope said. "Jesus […]

WASHINGTON – In October 2022, members, consultants, and staff of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs met with members of the Anglican Church in North America’s (ACNA) Committee on Ecumenical Affairs in Chicago. The meeting marked the second theological exchange between the committees, and mutual affirmation by both organizations was expressed towards […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As the Biden administration and state governments look at ways to expand or restrict access to abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling, Pope Francis prayed that God would strengthen people's commitment to protecting human life at every stage. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said Pope Francis is "deeply grateful for the faithful […]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Interreligious dialogue can combat climate change by tapping into the "profound richness" of faith traditions to promote a sense of "ecological responsibility" and conversion, Pope Francis said. Welcoming a delegation of Cambodian Buddhists to the Vatican Jan. 19, the pope called for "dialogue at all levels" to seek solutions for repairing the broken relationship between humanity […]

WASHINGTON – At the National Prayer Vigil for Life, thousands gathered to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, while looking with hope to the future since its reversal last year with Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. “Today we have so much to celebrate. For the first time in the 49-year-history of the […]