Catholic News Service

When the Vatican announced Pope Francis would travel to L'Aquila in central Italy Aug. 28 to open a seven-centuries-old celebration of forgiveness, people on social media began speculating that the pope would resign. But the L'Aquila archdiocese has been clear that the papal sojourn is more about expressing care for the people in the earthquake-prone region.

Pope Francis expressed his solidarity and closeness with Catholics in Nigeria after gunmen stormed a church and reportedly killed at least 50 people during a Pentecost Mass.

The Vatican updated its COVID-19 protocols, allowing most employees and visitors to enter Vatican City State without a vaccination certificate or proof of recovery and easing the Vatican's mask requirements.

The Vatican stamp and coin office has released several commemorative coins, including one promoting the importance of vaccinations and a silver medal for peace in Ukraine; proceeds from sales of the medal will be used to help victims of the war.

Pope Francis sent well-wishes to Queen Elizabeth II for the 70th anniversary of her coronation as well as the public celebration of her birthday.

Pope Francis has appointed new members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, including Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich.

Commentary: The very notion of dialogue has atrophied throughout our American culture, as partisan, racial, economic and ideological divisions have undermined civility and the basic proposition that we can learn from a dialogue with those with whom we disagree.

The drought in Kenya — which the United Nations described as the worst in 40 years — is believed to be a consequence of climate change. The lack of rain in the fourth consecutive season has snuffed out livelihoods, leaving millions of people on the verge of starvation.

The COVID-19 pandemic not only caused a one-year delay in holding the World Meeting of Families, it also prompted a look at new ways to involve Catholic families from around the world and to ensure that they take the lead in ministering to each other.

After setting white flowers at a statue of Mary, Queen of Peace, Pope Francis prayed the rosary and asked Mary to intercede to bring peace to Ukraine and to every place in the world torn by violent conflict.

Of all the Catholic clergy who have made significant scientific contributions, more than half of them have been Jesuits. Br. Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory, gave a recent lecture in New York City that highlighted some of these standout figures.

As a "first choice," members of the Italian bishops' conference decided to focus their study of clerical sexual abuse in the country on cases reported to the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2000 to 2021.

As Italian bishops debated how to respond to calls for a nationwide investigation into clerical sexual abuse and the way accusations have been handled, U.S. Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of Boston encouraged them to move forward.

Some U.S. bishops spoke out against the easy accessibility to guns in the country following a May 24 rampage that left at least 19 children and two of their elementary school teachers dead in Uvalde, Texas.

The president of the Polish bishops' conference criticized the Vatican's "naive and utopian" attitude to the war in Ukraine and urged Rome to show "greater maturity" in attitudes toward Russia.

In a 6-3 ruling May 23, the Supreme Court said two Arizona death-row inmates could not present new evidence of ineffective counsel they said they received in state trials during their federal appeals.

The  deadline on Title 42 came and went at the U.S.-Mexico border without any changes allowing migrants in, including asylum-seekers, after a federal judge blocked the government from lifting the health measure instituted during the pandemic.

After he led the recitation of the "Regina Coeli" prayer with visitors in St. Peter's Square May 22, the pope invited everyone to take part in "Laudato Si' Week," which runs May 22-29.

Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his spiritual closeness to Catholics in China, voicing hope that the church there operates in "freedom and tranquility,'' but making no mention of a 90-year-old cardinal who was recently arrested in Hong Kong.

San Francisco's archbishop declared May 20 that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is not "to be admitted" to Communion unless and until she publicly repudiates her position on legal abortion.