Vatican News

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

As Pope Leo XIV recovers at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital from surgery that confirmed lung cancer, Catholics around the world are praying for him, and many are turning to a 14th-century Servite priest long known as “the cancer saint”: St. Peregrine Laziosi. Pope Leo XIV shares message after lung cancer surgery From punch to ... read more

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican announced Tuesday evening.“The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled. To ensure the radical removal of the tumor, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed ... read more

Pope Leo XIV entered the hospital on Oct. 13 to undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule. The Vatican has said his recovery in the hospital will take at least a week and the pope’s appointments are canceled through Oct. 20.An extended hospital stay for one of the most important leaders in the world may ... read more

As Pope Leo XIV undergoes lung surgery and recovers at Gemelli Hospital this week in Rome, the faithful can turn to the intercession of a 15th-century Franciscan friar who is the patron saint of lung diseases and respiratory illnesses. St. Bernardine of Siena, known as “the Apostle of Italy” for his efforts to revive the ... read more

As Pope Leo XIV undergoes surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, one figure has taken on particular prominence in recent hours: Dr. Luigi Carbone, who is responsible for coordinating the pontiff’s medical care and is one of his closest advisers on health matters.Carbone was among the doctors who welcomed Leo XIV when he arrived at the ... read more

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A new documentary about the life of St. John Henry Newman has premiered in Rome.The film “Lead Kindly Light: The Story of Saint John Henry Newman” premiered at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome on Oct. 9, marking the first celebration of his feast day since Pope Leo XIV declared him the ... read more

Oct. 12, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of the death of St. Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager who captivated a generation of young Catholics with his love of the Eucharist and passion for technology.Acutis’ journey to sainthood has unfolded alongside the lives of the last four popes, each of whom has marked a different chapter ... read more