Pope Appoints Harvard Professor to Vatican Social Sciences
Tyler J. VanderWeele, a Catholic, is an epidemiologist and director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University. Pope Leo XIV has appointed a Harvard University epidemiology professor and director of the Human Flourishing Program to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Tyler J. VanderWeele, a Catholic, is also co-director of the Initiative on Health, […]
Pope Leo XIV: No Decision Yet on Opus Dei Statutes
Pope Francis moved the prelature’s Vatican oversight from the office for bishops to that of clergy, triggering an ongoing review and rewrite of its governing norms. Pope Leo XIV told the prelate of Opus Dei on Feb. 16 that “the process of updating Opus Dei’s statutes continues in its study phase and that no publication […]
Pope Leo XIV: Health Inequality Erodes Respect for Life
The pope told the Pontifical Academy for Life it is hypocritical to call health a universal value while ignoring policies that drive disparities. Pope Leo XIV on Monday warned that modern conflicts and widening social disparities are eroding respect for human life and equal access to health care, telling members of the Pontifical Academy for […]
Chaplain of His Holiness: What the Title Means
Father Fermín González Melado, who was recently named a “chaplain of His Holiness” by Pope Leo XIV, explains the qualifications and purpose of bestowing this honorary title. Among the recent appointments of Pope Leo XIV, one in particular has been made with remarkable frequency: that of “chaplain of His Holiness.” What does this honorary title […]
Lent 2026 in Rome
This EWTN Vaticano episode explores four powerful Lenten themes unfolding in Rome — from the ancient Station Churches to the peripheries of the city, from the confessional of Santa Maria Maggiore to the meeting point of psychology and grace. Ash Wednesday on the Aventine Pope Leo XIV begins Lent with the traditional Station Church procession […]
Ash Wednesday: Pope Leo XIV Begins Lent with Rome’s Station Church
Rome’s Aventine Hill—one of the city’s seven historic hills and a place steeped in early Christian worship—will mark the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s first Lenten journey as Bishop of Rome. On Ash Wednesday, the Holy Father will join cardinals and the Benedictine and Dominican religious communities for one of the most moving traditions of […]
Lent and the Power of Confession
The forty days of Lent invite Christians to look inward. It is a season that calls for examination of conscience, for change, and for a renewed encounter with the Lord before the joy of the Resurrection. In Rome, that invitation is made visible in a striking way. More than 900 churches across the Eternal City […]
Pope Leo XIV Visits Ostia Parish, Urges ‘Disarming’ Meekness
The pontiff urged “coherence between faith and life” and persistent prayer for peace. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday made his first visit to a parish in the Diocese of Rome, celebrating Mass at Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia Lido and urging Catholics to cultivate “coherence between faith and life” while opposing violence and injustice […]
Pope Leo XIV Prays for Madagascar After Twin Cyclones
In his catechesis before the Angelus, Leo said Jesus fulfills the Law by calling Christians beyond minimal righteousness to great love. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday expressed his closeness to the people of Madagascar after two cyclones caused flooding and landslides. “I pray for the victims, their families, and for all who have suffered serious […]
Pope Leo XIV Brings Hope to Ostia Parish
A popular summer destination for tourists, Ostia will be the first of five parishes where the pope, as bishop of Rome, will celebrate Mass on Sundays in February and March. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday will travel outside the Vatican to visit a Roman parish — the Basilica of Santa Maria Regina Pacis — in […]