Vatican News

Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, on Thursday criticized AI deepfakes as a threat to human encounter.Speaking at a conference on AI in Rome on May 21, Mendonça warned of the dangers of AI, saying that it can “have painful consequences on the destiny of individuals.”“When a deepfake ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV told leaders of international associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements, and new communities Thursday that governance in the Church must never become a vehicle for prestige or personal power but must serve communion and the spiritual good of the faithful.Speaking May 21 in the Synod Hall to participants in ... read more

Pope Leo XIV told a group of ambassadors on Thursday that nations should measure their success by how well they treat those on the margins, not by the level of power or prosperity they have reached.“Courteous and clear dialogue, essential though it is, must be accompanied by a deeper conversion of heart: the willingness to ... read more

VATICAN CITY — The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a new document to guide the “path of implementation of the Synod” through an ecclesial assembly in October 2028 at the Vatican.The 18-page document, titled “The Path of Implementation of the Synod: Towards the Assemblies 2027–2028 — Stages, Criteria, and Tools for Preparation,” establishes ... read more

Pope Leo XIV goes through his day centered on prayer, silence, and seeking God amid his responsibilities at the helm of the Church, said his personal secretary, Peruvian priest Father Edgard Rimaycuna, in an interview released May 18 by the Order of St. Augustine.Rimaycuna offered details regarding the daily spiritual life of the pontiff, whom ... read more

Pope Leo XIV said Wednesday that the liturgy occupies a central place in the life of the Church, since it “touches the very heart” of the mystery of Christ — because it is “at once the space, the time, and the context” in which the Church receives from him “her very life.”The liturgy, he said ... read more

Pope Leo XIV lamented that after being confirmed, many young people no longer attend church. He asked those awaiting confirmation to “pay special attention” to one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, perseverance.The pope met on Saturday, May 16, with those awaiting confirmation from the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy. In an impromptu message, the ... read more

In an address to its board of governors, Pope Leo XIV thanked the Catholic Extension Society on May 18 for the assistance it provides to the poor.The pontiff praised the organization’s founder, Father Francis Clement Kelley, who more than 120 years ago “sought to reach out to remote faith communities across the United States in ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged Catholics and communicators to promote forms of communication that respect the truth of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, while also calling for renewed care for creation and peace as Laudato Si’ Week begins.Speaking after praying the Regina Caeli May 17 from the ... read more

A total of 72 young people from the Gaza Strip arrived in Rome this week to continue their academic studies at various universities across the city, an opportunity that opens up for them a hopeful path amidst the tragedy of war.Their arrival in the Italian capital was made possible thanks to an initiative promoted by ... read more

The traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) addressed Pope Leo XIV this week with a statement of faith it called “the minimum necessary to be in communion with the Church.”In an introduction to the “Declaration of Catholic Faith” — published May 14 on the society’s website — the SSPX said that for more than ... read more

Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Tawadros II, the Coptic patriarch of Alexandria, on May 15. The conversation marked the 13th Day of Friendship between Copts and Catholics.The Vatican said that the discussion between the two took place in a “cordial and fraternal atmosphere,” and that they expressed the mutual desire to “overcome any ... read more

Pope Leo XIV visited Rome’s public La Sapienza University on Thursday, the largest university in Europe and one of Italy’s most prestigious academic institutions, where he denounced the “great lie” he said is causing anxiety and depression among young people.Speaking in the university’s Aula Magna after a brief moment of prayer in the “Divina Sapienza” ... read more

Pope Leo XIV appointed Father Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap, as the third bishop of Venice, Florida, on May 13. The Capuchin Franciscan priest has been pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., since 2018 and served for more than 20 years as a missionary in Papua New Guinea and Cuba.The ... read more

In an unexpected gesture as he was greeting people at the general audience in St. Peterʼs Square on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV stopped at the exact spot where, 45 years ago, St. John Paul II was shot in an assassination attempt.Leo got out of the vehicle and remained in silence to pray before the white ... read more