Vatican News This Week: SSPX, Newman, Lateran Treaty, Candlemas, Lourdes
This week in the Vatican, relations with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) took a serious turn, while we also received the joyful news of Saint John Henry Newman’s entry into the General Roman Calendar. On its anniversary, discover how the 1929 Lateran Treaty established Vatican City State, restoring the Pope’s temporal sovereignty and […]
Pope Leo XIV Calls for Olympic Truce at Winter Games
The pontiff warned that profit, doping, and fanaticism can distort sport’s deeper human purpose. As the Winter Olympic Games open in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Pope Leo XIV has issued a wide-ranging letter on the value of sport, urging nations to embrace an “Olympic Truce” and warning against corruption, fanaticism, and a “dictatorship of […]
Leo XIV Meets Sant’Egidio Founder on Peace
Pope Leo XIV and Sant’Egidio Community founder Andrea Riccardi discussed the role Christians and the Church are called to play in promoting peace in the midst of various world conflicts. Pope Leo XIV and the founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, Andrea Riccardi, met at the Vatican this week and discussed the role Christians and the […]
Pope Leo XIV: Peace Begins With Dignity, Not Weapons
In a message for the Church’s Feb. 8 World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, the pope warns that conflict and inequality fuel exploitation. As the Church marks the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, Pope Leo XIV renewed what he called the Church’s “urgent call” to end a […]
Cuba’s Bishops Head to the Vatican to Meet Pope Leo XIV
The country’s bishops will travel to Rome from Feb. 16–20 to present to Pope Leo XIV “the vicissitudes, sorrows, joys, and hopes of the Church in Cuba.” Cuba’s bishops are scheduled to travel to Rome later this month to meet with Vatican dicasteries and present Pope Leo XIV with a report on the state of […]
Vatican: Pope Leo XIV Will Not Visit the U.S. in 2026
The pontiff is expected to travel to Africa in April, visit Peru later this year, and make a summer stop in Spain. Pope Leo XIV will not travel to the United States in 2026, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said Sunday, denying circulating reports that the pontiff might make an […]
Pope Leo XIV Meets Courage International in Vatican Audience
“We talked about the importance of chastity, how it heals and strengthens and restores the person,” said Courage International Executive Director Father Brian Gannon. Pope Leo XIV met with members of Courage International on Feb. 6 in what the ministry called a “historic” and “momentous” event that took place in Vatican City. The Connecticut-based ministry, […]
World Day of the Sick: When Suffering Becomes Prayer
Each year on Feb. 11—the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes—the Church observes the World Day of the Sick. Established in 1992 by St. John Paul II, the day was created to raise awareness of illness, encourage prayer, and invite Catholics to unite their suffering with Christ for the good of the Church and the […]
The Origins and Meaning of Candlemas
Thousands of small flames flicker in the air, dancing beneath the vaulted ceilings of St. Peter’s Basilica. One of the most beautiful liturgical ceremonies of the year is being celebrated — a ritual rich in memory and symbolism. It is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, known to the faithful as Candlemas. Since […]
The Church at the Olympics: A Cross of Unity Arrives in Milan
As Milan prepares to welcome the world for the upcoming Winter Games, the Catholic Church is also opening its doors to athletes, visitors, and locals—offering a spiritual home in the heart of the city. Since the London 2012 Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Cross has accompanied athletes at major international events. It has been present […]