How the Catholic Church Creates Dioceses and Archdioceses
Catholics in the U.S. were witness to a rare Church decision in 2023 when Pope Francis elevated the Diocese of Las Vegas to a metropolitan archdiocese. Las Vegas had previously been a suffragan diocese of San Francisco, having been created by Pope John Paul II in 1995. A suffragan diocese operates within an ecclesiastical province […]
Pope Leo XIV Meets Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado
Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the Vatican on Monday, in an audience that was not initially included in the official schedule for the day. The meeting was added to the pontiff’s agenda in the Holy See’s 12:00 p.m. news bulletin. The Vatican has not released any details about […]
Catholic World News Roundup: Holy Land, Gaza, Aleppo
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed: ‘Come back to the Holy Land’: Custos calls pilgrims to visit land of Jesus Speaking to a group of pilgrims from Rome at the Franciscan headquarters in the Old City of Jerusalem on Jan. 7, Franciscan Father Francesco […]
Pope Leo Condemns ‘Zeal for War’ in Diplomatic Speech
Pope Leo XIV condemned the weakening of international multilateralism and the increased use of force in a speech to diplomats at the Vatican on Friday. He also said states should respect fundamental human rights, such as religious freedom and freedom of speech, and comply with international humanitarian law in the lengthiest speech to date of […]
Pope Leo XIV Condemns Violence in Iran, Syria, Ukraine
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday lamented escalating violence in Iran and Syria and renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine, while also offering a special blessing for children receiving baptism and praying for those born into “difficult circumstances.” Speaking after the Angelus on Jan. 11, the pope said: “My thoughts turn to the situation currently […]
‘Pray with the Pope’: Leo XIV Invites Monthly Prayer
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication has launched a new prayer campaign in which Pope Leo XIV invites Catholics to pray with him for the great challenges facing the world. The “Pray with the Pope” initiative is part of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which, during the pontificate of Pope Francis, launched the project known as […]
Pope Leo XIV Plans Annual Consistories, Next in June
Pope Leo XIV will be hosting a second consistory of cardinals at the end of June and wants to hold such meetings annually. The Vatican made the announcement Thursday evening at the conclusion of the Holy Father’s first extraordinary consistory of cardinals that lasted two days. The next such meeting is expected to be held […]
Pope Leo XIV Warns Against Agendas at Consistory
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday called on cardinals to experience the extraordinary consistory as a time of spiritual discernment in unity and warned against the temptation to put personal interests ahead of the common good. “We gather not to promote personal or group ‘agendas’ but to entrust our plans and inspirations to a discernment that […]
Pope Leo XIV Shares January Prayer Intention
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of January is for the faithful to pray with the word of God. In a video released Jan. 7 on X, the Holy Father said that he is praying “that we may learn, practice, and love praying with the word of God.” “The gift of Scripture is […]
Cardinals Stress Peace and Unity at Leo XIV Consistory
Cardinals who spoke to the Register as they entered the consistory all said they welcomed the Pope’s decision to host the two-day meeting. Participants in the Jan. 7-8 extraordinary consistory in Rome shared their thoughts with the Register Wednesday on Pope Leo XIV’s first major meeting with the College of Cardinals since his election in […]