World News

After less than three weeks in detention, six Coptic young men — one a minor — were released, bringing to a close a case that had raised fears of sectarian tensions in the countryside of Egypt’s Minya province. The case followed the young men’s posting of a video in which they reenacted a scene from ... read more

If you do not live in a competitive district, the temptation is to stay home and not vote. ... read more

The complicated findings, based on relatively small samples within each age group, come as Americans' religious decline continues to plateau.     ... read more

The first U.S.-born pope is very much looking forward to eventually visiting his native country even as he prepares to head to Latin America — his seventh papal trip abroad after his election a year and a half ago, the Vatican foreign minister said. ... read more

Undecided Catholic voters are a swing voting bloc, but reliably show up to the polls, a new report found. The report, conducted by Untold Research on behalf of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby, found "Catholics are swing voters in the truest sense of the term." ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV waves to the faithful attending his Oct. 28, 2026, general audience at the Vatican. ANALYSIS: Having been cleared for duty by his doctors after his recent cancer diagnosis, the Pope will soon need to make some big decisions over who will lead the Curia. ... read more

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, acknowledged the challenges of the Vatican-China deal on Tuesday.Speaking at an event with journalists in Rome, the British diplomat responded to questions regarding the agreement, Pope Leo XIV’s health, and calls for a ceasefire in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.The full text of ... read more

Archbishop Paul Gallagher acknowledged the agreement’s challenges in a meeting with journalists in Rome. Credit: FreshStock/Shutterstock Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, acknowledged the challenges of the Vatican-China deal on Tuesday. Speaking at an event with journalists in ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV with some executives of Mercedes-Benz after his private audience with them at the Vatican on Oct. 28, 2026. Pope Leo XIV also met with the executives of the German auto company on Wednesday. ... read more

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate 12 public Masses during the month of November, starting with an All Souls' Day Mass at Rome's largest cemetery. The Vatican released the pope's liturgical calendar Oct. 27, one day after doctors confirmed he is fit to undertake his Nov. 6-17 journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. ... read more

Mercedes-Benz, the German luxury automaker, celebrated nearly 100 years of producing the popemobile — the pope’s personal vehicle.To mark the occasion, Pope Leo XIV held a private audience with Mercedes-Benz executives on Wednesday. That same day, the exhibit “A Century of the Popemobile” opened at the Vatican Museums, featuring the first popemobile, gifted to Pope ... read more

Father Richard Storey was accused of the felony theft in May of this year. Credit: Merch Hub/Shutterstock A priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has pleaded guilty to a six-figure theft from a local parish, archdiocesan officials said this week. Father Richard ... read more

A priest in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has pleaded guilty to a six-figure theft from a local parish, archdiocesan officials said this week. Father Richard Storey, who was accused in May of stealing $160,000 from Curé of Ars Catholic Church in Leawood near Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to the theft on ... read more

undefined Pope Leo XIV presides over a prayer vigil in St. Peter's Basilica on April 11, 2026. The Vatican has not yet confirmed details regarding the liturgical celebrations planned for Christmas. ... read more

undefined A statue of Christ in the garden of St. Ignatius Cathedral in Xujiahui, Shanghai, the seat of Bishop Joseph Shen Bin. Cardinal Stephen Chow welcomed more papal-approved ordinations under the Vatican-China deal; a missionary, scholars, and rights advocates ask how much freedom it has brought. ... read more