Newly elected Pope Leo XIV will be inaugurated Sunday, May 18, the fifth Sunday of Easter, as part of a busy schedule announced Friday, May 9 by the Vatican Press Office. Pope Leo’s immediate appointments, occurring this weekend, include a meeting with cardinals Saturday, May 10, followed by the Regina Caeli prayer from the central […]
On May 8, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV by the College of Cardinals as the 266th successor of St. Peter, making him the 267th pope and the first from the United States. Here are 14 things to know about Pope Leo XIV: 1. Robert Francis Prevost was born on Sept. 14, […]
For the first time in the more than 2,000-year history of the Roman Catholic Church, a cardinal from the United States has been elected pope. Robert Prevost, born in Chicago, was introduced to the world as Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in the early evening hours of Thursday, May 8, 2025. His immediate predecessor, […]
Black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at 11:51 a.m. Rome time on Thursday, signaling that the cardinals voting at the conclave have not yet elected a new pope. The plume of dark smoke indicates that the 133 cardinal electors sequestered inside the chapel have not reached the required two-thirds majority — […]
The official mourning period for Pope Francis – the nine days, or Novendiales, is finished. The black bunting, and memorials set up to honor the late Holy Father have come down. Now, the world awaits the start Wednesday of the Conclave to Elect a New Holy Father. In anticipation of the election of a new […]
VATICAN — The Vatican on Tuesday launched new pastoral care guidelines for the protection and promotion of human life to mark the 30th anniversary of St. John Paul II’s encyclical letter “Evangelium Vitae.” With the aim of upholding the Church’s teachings on the inalienable dignity of the human person, the Dicastery for the Laity, Family […]
Bishop Michael W. Fisher, Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo has released the following statement on the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI…. We honor and celebrate the memory of Pope Benedict XVI who served so long and well the Church he loved intensely as a true “Servant of the Servants of God.” His keen […]
Xaviere Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart will not be the first woman undersecretary of a major Vatican office, but she will be the first woman with a right to vote at a meeting of the Synod of Bishops. Pope Francis named the French sister one of two undersecretaries of the Synod of Bishops Feb. 6. The […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When a person senses God’s call, it can be intimidating or frightening, Pope Francis said, but Christians can be sure that the call flows from God’s love and that responding to the call will be a means of sharing God’s love. “Each one of God’s calls is an initiative of his […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican began vaccinating its employees and residents against COVID-19 Jan. 13, giving priority to its health care workers, security personnel, employees who deal with the public and older residents, employees and retirees. Both Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI said they planned to receive the vaccine, but the Vatican […]
