Christopher White

Nearly two years after COVID-19 derailed original plans for a trip to Malta, Pope Francis will visit the tiny island to reiterate one of the big themes of his papacy: welcoming migrants is a way to welcome Christ.

At an upcoming meeting with Pope Francis, more than two dozen Indigenous Canadians will give firsthand testimonials about the abuses perpetrated in Canada's residential schools, many of them operated by the Catholic Church.

Tensions over the Vatican's approach to Ukraine and Russia reveal the complex web of intra-ecclesial politics and influence of the global cast of characters who craft and compose the Holy See's role in the world stage.

Pope Francis spoke for a second time by phone with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 22.

Church leaders and theologians praise Pope Francis' apostolic constitution as a breakthrough for expanding the roles of laypeople, even while it remains unclear how the shift in church governance will take place.

Pope Francis has overhauled the Vatican's central bureaucracy for the first time in over 30 years, dramatically expanding the number of top leadership roles for lay men and women and reorganizing Vatican departments under the central priority of evangelization. 

Pope Francis on March 16 spoke with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, a backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. According to the Vatican, Francis rejected justifications for the invasion as a "holy war."

American religious sisters like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton have been protagonists in the larger narrative of women's history, but that record has often been eclipsed, according to scholars during a recent panel discussion.

The mayor of Ukraine's capital city has appealed to Pope Francis to visit Kyiv, saying his personal presence in the city could be instrumental in securing peace amid Russia's invasion of the country. 

The Vatican on March 14 sought to defend itself from criticism that Pope Francis has failed to directly condemn President Vladimir Putin and Russia as aggressors in the war in Ukraine and doubled down on the Vatican's long tradition of maintaining strict neutrality in wartime. 

It's unclear if the Roman Catholic Church could be a neutral negotiator because of its complicated relationship with Russia's Orthodox Church, which has strong backing from the Russian government.

As Russia continues its attack on Ukraine, the Vatican's secretary of state spoke with the country's foreign minister on March 8 to convey "Pope Francis' deep concern about the ongoing war." 

Vatican City's famed umbrella pine trees have been affected by a parasite. The arrival of a non-native species is proof of Pope Francis' admonition that "everything in the world is connected."

Pope Francis will make a much anticipated trip to the war-torn nation of South Sudan in July, after first visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite Catholic patriarch, says a much anticipated visit from Pope Francis will help keep "hope alive" after years of political and economic upheaval have brought Lebanon to the brink of collapse. 

As Ukraine endured its seventh day of Russia's invasion, Cardinal Pietro Parolin marked the start of the Lenten season on March 2 by offering prayers for "those who suffer and flee before the roar of weapons." 

Pope Francis on Feb. 27 again pleaded for peace, saying "those who make war forget humanity." 

Pope Francis called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to express "his deepest sorrow for the tragic events that are taking place in our country."

Pope Francis left the Vatican on Feb. 25 to pay a visit to the Russian Embassy to the Holy See where he expressed his concerns over the country's war against Ukraine. 

Pope Francis has canceled his Feb. 27 visit to Florence and a planned celebration of an Ash Wednesday Mass on March 2 due to knee pain.