Vatican News

Amid rising tensions around migration, a conference in Rome reflected on the challenges modern missionaries face after moving to new countries.The conference “The Church of the Sheaves: An International Gathering in Rome on Mission as an Exchange of Gifts” began at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome on Oct. 22 and will continue through Oct. ... read more

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday encouraged those involved in Catholic school and university pastoral ministry to respond to a “merciless” culture, which constantly compares and ranks young people, with the trust of Christ, capable of transforming lives just as it transformed the Twelve Apostles.“Jesus did not choose the Twelve because they were already courageous; he ... read more

The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Thursday published the document “Venite ad Me: Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change,” which is expected to be the last of the documents commissioned from the dicastery by the late Pope Francis.The text, approved by Pope Leo XIV on Aug. ... read more

With less than a year to go until World Youth Day (WYD) in Seoul, South Korea, Pope Leo XIV invited young Catholics worldwide to register and to view the event as a pilgrimage rather than just a trip to a new place.“This is not merely an invitation to see a new city; it is a ... read more

Pope Leo XIV reiterated the Church’s stance against antisemitism and all forms of religious discrimination, recalling the work of St. John Paul II in promoting dialogue between Catholics and Jews.The pontiff held a private audience on Thursday with a delegation from the American Jewish Committee, one of several meetings he has held with Jewish leaders ... read more

You may know that St. John Paul II was the second-longest-serving pope in modern history with 27 years of pontificate, and he was the first non-Italian pontiff since the Dutch Pope Adrian VI in 1523.But did you know that he also changed the Catholic Church forever during those 27 years? Here are five ways he did ... read more

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican Press Office issued an important statement Wednesday evening on Pope Leo XIVʼs recovery following his Oct. 13 surgery, confirming that no further treatment is necessary.The brief statement provided a significant update on the popeʼs postoperative condition.“Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora report the following regarding the popeʼs postoperative recovery: ... read more

Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, days after holding a similar conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.During Thursday’s call with Putin, Leo XIV requested a humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky, a city in Ukraine’s Kherson region that has been facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Moscow, however, has blamed Kyiv ... read more

Pope Leo XIV named 24 new members of the International Theological Commission, including University of Notre Dame theologian Father Khaled Anatolios and Boston College professor Boyd Coolman.These appointments, announced by the Vatican on Monday, are members of an advisory body to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. They will not be required to ... read more

Pope Leo XIV appeared at the window of his private study in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sunday, just one day after being discharged early from the hospital following surgery last Tuesday.The pontiff thanked “all those who have prayed for me in recent days” and expressed “particular gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and all the ... read more

The number of Catholic priests worldwide has risen again after five years of no growth, according to statistics published by the Vatican agency Fides ahead of the 100th World Mission Sunday, which will be celebrated Sunday, Oct. 18.According to the Fides report, the total number of priests rose from 406,996 to 407,421, representing an increase ... read more

Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Oct. 16 while the pope remains hospitalized.According to a Holy See statement, the pope expressed concern about Oleshky in the Kherson region, a city in the Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine where a severe humanitarian crisis is underway and where, according to the United Nations, ... read more

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Gemelli Hospital on Friday after undergoing surgery Oct. 13 for a cancerous tumor in his right lung.In two photographs released by the Vatican, the first since his hospitalization, the Holy Father can be seen standing and wearing the green liturgical vestments used during this period of the liturgical year.In ... read more

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on Thursday that Pope Leo XIV, still hospitalized after surgery, may have to “adjust his pontificate” to his doctors’ advice, including his November trip to Latin America, if necessary.Parolin, as reported by Ansa.it, spoke on the sidelines of the launch of the Iraqi Embassy to the Holy ... read more

Pope Leo XIV, recovering from lung cancer surgery in Rome, sent a request for prayers to participants in a Vatican conference.“As you know, I have been unable to be among you during these days,” Pope Leo wrote in the Oct. 14 message to clergy members and Catholics. “I thank you warmly for your prayers and ... read more