Vatican News

A century after the consecration of the first Chinese bishops, Pope Leo XIV praised the Church in China for remaining in communion with Rome.On Nov. 5, the Vatican published a video message from the pontiff during a conference titled “The Universal Face of the Church in China,” held at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. ... read more

The last time Father Hugo Gabriel Sánchez met Robert Prevost in Chiclayo, Peru, the future pope had just been created a cardinal. In just a few days, that friend, who wishes Sánchez a happy birthday every year and with whom he shared “hearty laughter” when he was Sánchez’s bishop, will return to Peru as pontiff.A ... read more

Pope Leo XIV has chosen community as the theme for the 2027 World Day of the Sick.The Vatican announced the theme on Thursday ahead of the annual celebration on Feb. 11, 2027. It will also mark the 35th anniversary of the day’s establishment by St. John Paul II, which is celebrated on the memorial of ... read more

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of November is for the proper use of wealth.“What is wealth to you? Millions in a bank account? A huge house and a shiny new car? Or perhaps a place in life where you have enough to share with others — where you gather in order to ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV leaves Rome on Friday, Nov. 6, for an apostolic journey to South America, his first visit there since his election as pope.The trip will take him to three countries, including Uruguay and Argentina, and culminate in Peru, where he served as a missionary and bishop for about 20 years.Like ... read more

Continuing a tradition begun by St. John Paul II in the late 1970s, Pope Leo XIV visited a cemetery outside the Vatican on Nov. 2 — the day the Catholic Church commemorates All Souls’ Day — to celebrate Mass and pray for those who have died.“We have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist in this place ... read more

ROME — Notre Dame defeated Villanova in the D1 college basketball season openers on Sunday, Nov. 1, with final scores of 74-72 for the men’s game and 99-75 for the women’s. The Eternal City Tip-Off games, held in Rome, pitted two schools with “shared faith-based traditions and championship pedigrees” against each other in the historically ... read more

Pope Leo XIV emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) can never replace the human person and that AI regulation must continue.“Machines are tools, not persons,” Leo said in his address.The pontiff held a private audience on Friday with participants in a meeting on “The Future of AI: A Dialogue Between the Vatican and the Scientific World ... read more

Pope Leo XIV has approved a reform of the disciplinary rules governing personnel of the Roman Curia, introducing new safeguards for employees facing proceedings for serious misconduct, including the possibility of legal representation and a longer period in which to submit their defense.The changes were approved by the pontiff on Oct. 19 through a “Rescriptum ... read more

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Italian Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa and Salesian Sister Elena Massimi, a professor of liturgy and sacramental theology at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, as the new undersecretaries of the General Secretariat of the Synod.The appointments mark a leadership change at the body responsible for overseeing the Catholic Churchʼs synodal ... read more

A conference in Rome this week examined how the Church addressed totalitarian regimes in the 20th century. The conference “The Holy See in the Face of Totalitarian Systems in the 20th Century: New Perspectives and Research Directions” was held at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from Oct. 28–29. Over the two days, scholars discussed ... read more

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a Mass on Nov. 2 for the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed — also known as All Souls’ Day — at the Monumental Cemetery of Verano, the oldest and largest cemetery in Rome.According to the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, which announced the event on ... read more

The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV will hold “several meetings” with victims of clerical sexual abuse during his apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17.“During the days of the Holy Father’s upcoming apostolic journey to Latin America, several meetings are planned with people who are victims of abuse by members ... read more

Pope Leo XIV denounced all religious wars in a video message on Tuesday, marking the 40th anniversary of the International Meeting for Peace in Assisi, Italy.“There is no such thing as a holy war: Only peace is holy,” Leo said in his message. “War can never be waged in the name of God.”The pontiff, originally ... read more

“It fills me with joy to return to the continent where I have lived through so many moments of my life,” Pope Leo XIV wrote on his X account on Oct. 26, confirming his upcoming trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, which will take place in November.“May this journey be an opportunity to open our ... read more