By Cindy Wooden https://youtu.be/XowAqos2lLY In response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis says he will give an extraordinary blessing "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) at 6pm Rome time on 27 March. The formal blessing -- usually given only immediately after a new pope's election and on Christmas and Easter -- carries with it a plenary indulgence for all wh...

By Cindy Wooden Pope Francis prays in front of a crucifix at the Church of Saint Marcellus in Rome on 15 March 2020. The crucifix was carried through Rome in 1522 during the "Great Plague". Photo: Vatican Media/CNS. With Italy in lockdown and Rome streets almost deserted, Pope Francis left the Vatican on 15 March to embark on a mini-pilgrimage to an icon and to a crucifix associated with...

The fast-paced nature of the digital age can cause young men and women to focus more on capturing moments for their social media rather than experiencing them, Pope Francis told Catholic young people.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has published an online Lenten Calendar for this year’s Lent and Easter to honour and remember modern martyrs who heroically offered their lives for God and their communities.

Catholic dioceses across the United States of America are taking precautions to guard against the spread of the coronavirus and reminding parishioners to take common-sense steps related to hygiene in their personal lives.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This year the Lord grants us, once again, a favourable time to prepare to celebrate with renewed hearts the great mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, the cornerstone of our personal and communal Christian life. We must continually return to this mystery in mind and heart, for it will continue to grow within us in the measure that we are open to its spiritual power and respond with freedom and generosity.

The decade-long process of updating the laws of Vatican City State is part of the Vatican’s support for international commitments to protect people and safeguard vulnerable groups who are “frequently the victims of new, odious forms of illegality”, Pope Francis has said.

Imagine that your mobile phone rings, and the display says the call is from a “private number” – you expect it to be a telemarketer, but instead, when you answer, you hear a man with an Argentine accent say: “This is Francis. I received your letter”.

With fake news becoming ever more sophisticated, Pope Francis said people need the wisdom, courage and patience to discern and embrace constructive stories.

The loss of the Papal States and the declaration of Rome as the capital of a united Italy 150 years ago was a “providential” event that changed the city and the church, Pope Francis has said.