Although more fatigued, Pope Francis spends Saturday sitting in an armchair, as blood transfusions were necessary and the prognosis remains guarded. Read all  

The Holy See Press Office said Saturday that the text prepared by Pope Francis for the Angelus will be published at noon, while the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization will read the homily prepared by the Pope for the Jubilee of Deacons. Read all  

Cardinal Czerny spends time during his mission in Lebanon to visit a refugee camp in Kfardlakos, Tripoli. The strip of land has tents and small structures giving minimal shelter to Syrian refugees Caritas serves with humanitarian aid as well as with a mobile health clinic. Read all  

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the Vatican Secretary of State says the only matters of concern are the Pope’s health, his recovery, and his return to the Vatican. The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith also says news of calls for the Pope to resign is unfounded. Read all  

At a press conference in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, members of the Pope’s medical team say that he is not yet out of danger, and will be in hospital at least another week - but they note that he is joking as much as usual, and has even begun working again. Read all  

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While Pope Francis' life is not in immediate danger, the level of multiple infections in his lungs means he is not completely "out of danger," said Dr. Sergio Alfieri, director of medical and surgical sciences at Rome's Gemelli hospital.The biggest risk he faces is sepsis, that is, if the infection that is currently localized only in his lungs passes into his bloodstream and begins to affect the rest of his body's organs, the doctor told reporters in the hospital atrium Feb. 21.Pope Francis will need to stay hospitalized for at least another week, he said, so doctors can continue administering a wide range of drug and clinical therapies aimed at eradicating the viral, bacterial and fungal infections in his lungs as well as aid his breathing with low doses of cortisone. The pope does have supplemental oxygen available to take in with a nasal cannula when he needs it, he added, specifying he is "not hooked up to any machines."Alfieri, the surgeon

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On his sixth full day in Rome's Gemelli hospital, "the Holy Father's clinical condition is improving slightly," the Vatican said.He continues to be without fever and "his hemodynamic parameters continue to be stable," said an evening bulletin Feb. 20. "Hemodynamic parameters" refer to a series of tests measuring cardiac output and other indicators of whether a patient's heart health is being impacted by a given therapy."He received the Eucharist this morning and afterward dedicated time to work," the bulletin said. Previously, the Vatican said he was reading and working on texts. The suite of rooms reserved for the pope on the 10th floor of the Gemelli hospital includes an office for the pope's secretaries and a chapel.The morning bulletin Feb. 20 specified that the pope had gotten out of bed to eat breakfast.Pope Francis, who celebrated his 88th birthday in December, has been in Rome's Gemelli hospital since Feb. 14; he was

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis' doctors described his condition as "stable" late Feb. 19 even though "blood tests, evaluated by the medical staff, show a slight improvement, particularly in the inflammatory markers," which are used to monitor infections, a Vatican medical bulletin said.As further proof that the pope was stable, the Vatican said the pope had had a 20-minute private meeting at Rome's Gemelli hospital with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.The prime minister had announced her afternoon visit several hours before the Vatican did."I am very happy to have found him alert and responsive," Meloni said in the communique issued by her office. "We joked as always. He has not lost his proverbial sense of humor."  A statue of St. John Paul II stands outside Rome's Gemelli hospital Feb. 19, 2025, where Pope Francis is being treated for double pneumonia. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza) The Vatican medical bulletin Feb. 18 had said

WASHINGTON - “As we approach Lent, please allow me to speak to all who carry the unbearable sadness and guilt of an abortion experience. Be assured that Jesus keeps on loving you, no matter what,” said Bishop Daniel Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “As we approach Lent, please allow me to speak to all who carry the unbearable sadness and guilt of an abortion experience. Be assured that Jesus keeps on loving you, no matter what.“The blessed ashes distributed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday remind us that we are all sinners; broken, imperfect, yet very precious in the eyes of God and so well loved by Him. The ashes are both a reminder of our need for repentance and the graces that flow from our Lord’s death and resurrection. “Some stay away from the Church because they fear judgment of past sins. Yet as Pope Francis reminds us in his letter announcing the Jubilee of Hope, &

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On his fourth day in Rome's Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis was without fever and devoted some time to work, the Vatican said."The Holy Father continues to be apyretic (without fever) and is continuing the prescribed therapy," the Vatican's evening bulletin said Feb. 17. "His clinical condition is stationary.""This morning he received the Eucharist and then devoted himself to some work activities and reading texts," the bulletin said. An official said a staff member from the Vatican Secretariat of State, which coordinates much of the work of the Roman Curia, likely brought the texts to the pope.  The south side of Rome's Gemelli hospital where Pope Francis is an inpatient is seen Feb. 17, 2025. (CNS photo/Robert Duncan) "Pope Francis is touched by the many messages of affection and closeness that he continues to receive in these hours; in particular he wishes to address his thanks to those who are hospitalized at this

While the immigrant, the poor and the minority are politically ridiculed, stereotyped and treated with contempt in this country, the Eucharist continues to nourish and sustain.

As important as elections are, it's critical that leaders and other reflective Catholics pause and consider how these votes are rooted (or not) in broader Catholic principles.

Pope Francis has appointed Gregg M. Caggianelli, as auxiliary bishop of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. 

Hope in Christ and that God's truth will prevail amid Russia's war on Ukraine was the message that Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the patriarchal head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, shared time and again during his Feb. 15-21 Jubilee Year pastoral visit to the United States.

The French documentary 7 Walks with Mark Brown, filmed by Pierre Creton and Vincent Barré, helped me realize the whole world is charged with the grandeur of God, not just the parts that stand out or look nice.