Following the celebration of Vespers, Pope Francis met with the youth of Cuba. Below you will find the full text of his prepared remarks, which he set aside prior to speaking. The full translation of his delivered speech will be published shortly. Meeting with Youth Fr. Félix Varela Cultural Center, Havana Sunday, 20 September 2015 Dear ...read more

On Sunday, September 20, 2015, Pope Francis arrived at the Havana Cathedral to celebrate Vespers with priests, religious and seminarians. Please see below for the Holy Father’s full prepared remarks, which were set aside prior to speaking. The full translation of his actual talk will be published shortly. Vespers with Priests, Religious and Seminarians Havana ...read more

  Following the conclusion of Mass in Havana, Cuba, Pope Francis gave the following Angelus address: Angelus Message of Pope Francis Havana, Plaza de la Revolución Sunday, 20 September 2015 I thank Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, Archbishop of Havana, for his fraternal words, and I greet all my brother bishops, priests, religious and lay ...read more

On Sunday, September 20, 2015, Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana. Below, find the full text of his Homily. Homily of Pope Francis Holy Mass, Havana, Plaza de la Revolución Sunday, 20 September 2015 Jesus asks his disciples an apparently indiscreet question: “What were you discussing along the way?” ...read more

As part of my documentary about women in the Church, this week I followed Sr. Helen Prejean as she she worked to save the life of Richard Glossip, a man on death row in Oklahoma. The week began on a grim note. Richard’s execution was only a few days away and there seemed to be no ...read more

On Saturday, September 19, 2015, Pope Francis arrived at the “José Martí” International Airport of Havana to begin his four-day journey in Cuba. He was greeted by President Raul Castro, along with many distinguished authorities and members of the clergy. Below you will find the full text of his address during the welcoming ceremony: Mr. President, ...read more

Say the name Junípero Serra in American church circles and you are likely to get a mixed set of reactions. Some will tell you he is the saintly Franciscan who evangelized what is today the U.S. Others will tell you this is the man who forced the natives to convert by confining them to the ...read more

In his fifth apostolic journey outside of the European continent, Pope Francis will visit Cuba and the United States of America, marking his longest trip thus far. He will spend 3 days on the largest and westernmost island of the West Indies, followed by a 5-day visit to the American East. In a series of articles, I will introduce the places that will be visited by the Pope from the perspectives of a Catholic pilgrim. Today, let us travel to Cuba first. ...read more

Here’s what we’ve been reading about across the country this week: Canada’s bishops held their annual plenary assembly in Cornwall, Ontario. Among the things discussed during the meeting were new guidelines for dealing with abuse allegations. The Canadian Bishops’ Justice and Peace commission also outlined the justice and peace issues facing Canada right now. On ...read more

This past week two radio stations released interviews they conducted with Pope Francis earlier this summer. As always, (almost) everyone was surprised that he gave the interviews, and several of his comments made headlines. The interviews were given to Radio Renascença – the radio station owned by the Patriarchate of Lisbon and the Portuguese Bishops ...read more