Archbishop Gallagher: Surrogacy Is a New Form of Colonialism
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher spoke at the event “A Common Front for Human Dignity: Preventing the Commodification of Women and Children in Surrogacy.” Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations of the Holy See, described the practice of surrogacy as a “new form of colonialism” in which the interests of […]
Mosaic of Pope Leo XIV Readied for St. Paul Outside the Walls
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV for installation in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica was presented to the pontiff on Jan. 14. A mosaic bearing the official portrait of Pope Leo XIV was presented to the pontiff on Jan. 14. The mosaic will be placed in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica at […]
St. Peter’s Holy Door to Be Sealed Jan. 16
The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the last of four papal basilicas for the Jubilee of Hope, will be sealed shut. With the final sealing on Jan. 16 of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy See will complete the closing — which includes the actual masonry work — of the four […]
Angola Among African Countries Pope Leo XIV Will Visit
Archbishop Imbamba thanked Pope Leo XIV for accepting the invitation to visit Angola. Angola is one of the countries Pope Leo XIV plans to visit in what will be his first pastoral trip to the continent of Africa as pontiff, the apostolic nuncio in the southern African nation has announced. Addressing journalists during a press […]
Vatican Prosecutor Steps Aside in London Property Appeal
The appeal trial is scheduled to resume Feb. 3. The Vatican’s Court of Cassation has cleared the way for the appeal phase of the Secretariat of State funds trial — commonly tied in headlines to Cardinal Angelo Becciu — rejecting last-ditch procedural challenges and accepting the recusal of Vatican Promoter of Justice Alessandro Diddi from […]
Manila’s Black Nazarene Feast Draws 9.6 Million Devotees
In a fiery homily at the fiesta Mass for the feast of the Black Nazarene, Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. of the Diocese of Balanga called on politicians implicated in infrastructure corruption to resign. More than 9.6 million Catholics joined the annual feast of the Black Nazarene, one of Asia’s biggest religious events, seeking miracles and […]
Pope Leo XIV: Make Time Each Day to Speak With God
Pope Leo XIV urged Christians Wednesday to set aside time in their daily lives to speak with God in prayer and warned about the harm to one’s relationship with him when this is ignored. “Time dedicated to prayer, meditation and reflection cannot be lacking in the Christian’s day and week,” the pontiff said during the […]
What Paul VI Really Meant by the ‘Smoke of Satan’
COMMENTARY: The famous phrase from Pope St. Paul VI is widely invoked in discussions about the Catholic Church. But what did he actually have in mind? In recent weeks, as the Church marked the 60th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council, a quotation from Pope St. Paul VI — “from some fissure […]
Charlotte Priests Ask Vatican About Ban on Altar Rails
Reacting to Bishop Michael Martin’s Dec. 17, 2025, pastoral letter announcing the impending abolishment of altar rails and kneelers in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, 31 of the diocese’s priests have signed a letter to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Legislative Texts containing a set of questions, or “dubia,” related to the matter. According to […]
Pope Leo XIV Charts Early Direction After First Consistory
COMMENTARY: Early signs from Leo’s first consistory suggest continuity with Pope Francis’ original pastoral vision — more in what he said than in how he later governed. The direction of the Leonine pontificate is still not yet clear, but the consistory of cardinals last week gave some further indications. Pope Leo XIV intends to continue […]