Christopher White

Pope Francis' Jan. 23 installation of lay men and women in the ministries of lector and catechist is a continuation of the unfinished work of the Second Vatican Council, said Catholic liturgists and theologians who heralded the move as both "historic" and "long overdue."

A German report's faulting of retired Pope Benedict XVI's handling of four cases of clergy sexual abuse in the 1970s and '80s has sparked shocked reactions among victims' advocates, theologians, and even Vatican officials.

The Vatican's Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Venezuelan Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, substitute secretary for general affairs, are both insolation after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Cycling is not a novel activity in Rome, though it is a far less common mode of transportation than it is in London, Paris or New York. That could begin to change, thanks in part to some encouragement from the Vatican.

Pope Francis named Archbishop Giacomo Morandi, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to head an Italian diocese, a move that could signal an overhaul of one of the Vatican's most important offices.

Pope Francis on Jan. 10 used his annual address to the Vatican's diplomatic corps to warn against a "cancel culture" mentality, which he said has been "invading many circles and public institutions."

Cardinal Michael Czerny says a new photo exhibition on Amazonia captures the majesty and fragility of a region that is both one of the world's most important ecosystems and one of great importance to the church.

Pope Francis used his annual Christmas Day message to plead for equal distribution of vaccines as the COVID-19 pandemic raged on for a second holiday season in a row.

Indifference towards those on the margins is an offense to God's love, warned Pope Francis during his Christmas Eve Mass.

Pope Francis on Dec. 23 told members of the Vatican bureaucracy that their work should be guided by humility and service, not a "spiritual worldliness" masked by liturgy, doctrine and religious devotion.

Pope Francis on Dec. 23 accepted the resignation of Cardinal Peter Turkson as head of the Vatican's office for peace and justice.

Pope Francis urged global leaders to spend more money on education and devote fewer resources to weapons in his 2022 World Day of Peace message.

Pope Francis has approved further clarifications regarding restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass in an effort to ensure that liturgical reform is "irreversible.”

Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley on Dec. 17 defended Pope Francis against criticisms from the U.S.-based Eternal Word Television Network, known as EWTN, saying the Catholic media empire's attacks on Francis are not representative of how most Catholics view the pope.

Pope Francis marked his 85th birthday on Dec. 17 by meeting with 10 refugees who arrived in Italy from Cyprus on Dec. 16.

German Cardinal Gerhard Müller is under fire for recent comments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic that have been labeled as antisemitic, with Jewish leaders calling on the Vatican to distance themselves from the remarks.

An official from the Vatican's Synod of Bishops' office has apologized for removing a link to a video by the Catholic LGBTQ outreach organization New Ways Ministries and reversed course by re-publishing the original video in question.

'Tis the season for truth telling, according to an Italian bishop who is doubling down on his controversial remarks that "Santa Claus doesn't exist."

For two years running, the Vatican has canceled Pope Francis' public ceremony to mark the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. And for two years in a row, Francis has still shown up.

Less than a week after accepting the resignation of Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit following reports of an "ambiguous" relationship with a woman, Pope Francis on Dec. 6 defended the recently ousted prelate, saying "we cannot condemn."