Universal Church

In his homily during the Consistory for the creation of 21 new Cardinals, Pope Francis reflects on unity and diversity in the Church, highlighting the importance of synodality under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the “master of walking together.”

Pope Francis renews his call for the international community to help the people of Libya, who have been devastated by violent rains that have caused flooding, resulting in more than 5,000 deaths and widespread destruction.

Pope Francis recalls the beatification of the 9 members of the Ulma family in Poland and praises their heroism for giving their lives to save Jews during World War II.

Presiding over an ecumenical and interreligious event in Mongolia, Pope Francis insists that religions have a great responsibility, and encourages religious leaders to pursue dialogue and harmony while avoiding scandal.

In a new Apostolic Letter released on the day he would have turned 400, Pope Francis praises the “brilliant and inquisitive mind” of the French thinker Blaise Pascal. An article from the Vatican News.

Pope Francis offers his prayers for young victims killed in a "brutal attack" at a school in Uganda. At least 41 are dead and the attackers are said to be fleeing to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Sunday, Pope Francis remembers the victims of the train accident in India that took the lives of nearly 300 people. He calls for prayers for all suffering in wars, recalling Ukraine, in particular.

Representatives from eleven European countries affirm their support for Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the head of Iraq’s Chaldean Church, amid a social media campaign against him.

As Pope Francis prepares to embark on his Apostolic Journey to Hungary, we offer an overview of the Hungarian Church.

On Easter Monday Pope Francis leads the recitation of the Regina Coeli prayer in Saint Peter's Square. He recalls how the women in the Gospel hurry to share the news of the Risen Lord and teach us that we encounter Jesus by witnessing to him.

Following the Easter Sunday Mass, Pope Francis delivers his Easter message and blessing "To the City and the World", underscoring the joyous hope that Christ's resurrection brings and encouraging Christians to rediscover the joy of serving God, working for peace, and helping our brothers and sisters in a world marked by so much suffering.

The "Popecast" is a podcast produced by the Vatican media on the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate. In it, he tells of how he never imagined he would be “the Pope at the time of the Third World War", he speaks of the most beautiful memory as being that the meeting with the elderly people in St. Peter's Square and says: “What I didn't want to see were the boys who died in wars".

Following the discussion that is going on in Israel these days on the issue of the death penalty, below is the Church's position on the issue, as reflected in the catechism and the Pope's statements on the topic.

Pope Francis departs from Juba aboard the papal plane bound for Rome, marking the conclusion of his 6-day Apostolic Journey to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Archbishop Gänswein recounts Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's last words spoken during the night several hours before he died. It was precisely his seeking Jesus, "the beloved", that was the distinguishing hallmark of Joseph Ratzinger's priestly service, as Pope Francis himself recalled in 2016.

The Holy See releases the Spiritual Testament of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, dated 29 August 2006.

Pope Francis released his message for the World Day of Peace to be celebrated on 1st January 2023 and recalled that all crises are interconnected and that we must not forget any of them but work for the good of humanity.

In his traditional Christmas Day message, Pope Francis underscores how Jesus' birth shows us the way to peace in our lives and our world and encourages us to contemplate the face of the Child Jesus and be deeply moved by God’s love, so that peace may be born in our hearts and shared with all.

At the conclusion of the General Audience (Wednesday, December 14th, 2022) Pope Francis called on everyone to renew our closeness to our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are suffering greatly, to help them with humanitarian aid and keep them in our hearts throughout Christmas.

On the day of his 86th birthday (Saturday, 17th December 2022), Pope Francis presented an expression of his gratitude to three people who offer their lives for the poorest of the poor.