Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, talks to women religious gathered in Chicago in September 2017 about the church’s need for “a profound renewal of our catechesis.” Photo: CNS/Simone Orendain. By Simone Orendain The head of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation said Catholics “need a profound ren...

Pope Francis arrives to celebrate Mass at O’Higgins Park in Santiago, Chile, on 16 January 2018. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. By Junno Arocho Esteves The beatitudes are not cheap words for those who think they know it all, yet do not commit to faith, Pope Francis has said, celebrating his first public Mass in Chile. They are the fruit of a hopeful heart that yearns for peace and happin...

Pope Francis recognised that Pope John Paul I, who served only 33 days as Pope, lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. Photo: L’Osservatore Romano. By Junno Arocho Esteves and Cindy Wooden, contributing from Rome Pope Francis recognised that Pope John Paul I, who served only 33 days as Pope, lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. The Vatican announced Pope Francis’ deci...

The Vatican has now launched a new multimedia communications website. Image: Sourced. By Cindy Wooden The Vatican has now launched a new multimedia communications website. Prefect of the Secretariat for Communication, Msgr Dario Vigano, announced the launch of the new site (in beta form) on 13 December. The Vatican Radio and Television Centre sites will stay accessible as archi...

Pope Francis greets Jordan’s King Abdullah II during a private meeting on 19 December at the Vatican. Photo: CNS/L’Osservatore Romano. By Junno Arocho Esteves Pope Francis met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the Vatican, two weeks after United States President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital provoked outrage in the Middle East. According to the ...

Father Joseph Espaillat, spiritual director for the Archdiocese of New York’s office of Youth Ministry, and Katherine Angulo, associate director of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, are two of the four bilingual presenters for the new training series for youth ministry volunteers, “Called To Accompany.” The Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Office of Formation and Discipleship unveiled th...

The Christmas tree is seen as Pope Francis leads the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden Advent is a time to make a renewed commitment to prayer and to caring for others, Pope Francis has said. “It is a time to recognise the holes to be filled in ou...

Pope Francis answers questions from journalists aboard his flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Rome on December 2. Photo: CNS/Paul Haring. By Junno Arocho Esteves Men and women contemplating a vocation to the priesthood, consecrated life or marriage should not be afraid, because God wants only for them to experience the joy that comes from serving others, Pope Francis has said in his mess...

Pope Francis is greeted by children upon his arrival in Myanmar for a four day visit. Photo: CNS Photo/Paul Haring. By Cindy Wooden The plight of the ethnic Muslim minority in Myanmar’s Rakhine state was front and centre in speeches by Pope Francis and Aung San Suu Kyi, but neither publicly used the word Rohingya. After private meetings on November 28 with Myanmarese President Htin...

People who are dying must be given love and professional care, but there is no requirement that every means available must be used to prolong their lives, according to Pope Francis. “Even if we know that we cannot always guarantee healing or a cure, we can and must always care for the living, without ourselves shortening their life, but also without futilely resisting their death,” the Holy Father said. By Cindy Wooden.