Bethany beyond the Jordan, 24 May 2014(Pope Francis added personal off-script remarks. Complete text will be updated shortly) Distinguished Authorities, Your Excellencies,Dear Brothers and Sisters, As part of my pilgrimage I have greatly desired to meet with you who have had to leave your homes and your country as a result of violence and conflict. ...read more

In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus promise the disciples: “I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Paraclete, to be with you forever” (Jn 14:16). The first Paraclete is Jesus himself; the other is the Holy Spirit. We are not far from where the Holy Spirit descended with power on Jesus of ...read more

On May 24, Pope Francis will become the 4th pope to visit the Holy Land, 50 years after the visit of Pope Paul VI in 1964. It promises to be a historic visit as our beloved Pope goes to Amman in Jordan and then to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Most of us don’t realize that there ...read more

As Catholics in Ontario, Canada celebrate Catholic Education Week from May 4-9, 2014, Pope Francis sends his blessing and commends students and teachers to the intercession of Mary, Seat of Divine Wisdom. His Eminence Cardinal Thomas Collins Archbishop of Toronto President of the Assembly of the Catholic Bishops of Ontario His Holiness Pope Francis sends ...read more

On Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Francis declared Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II saints. In an unprecedented ceremony, approximately 800,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square, the streets around the Vatican, bridges over the Tiber and many squares in Rome. The ceremony was also attended by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Retired Pope Benedict XVI ...read more

The canonization of popes John XXIII and John Paul II together in one, historic ceremony was a moment of great joy and thanksgiving for the universal Church. But it was also an opportunity to reflect on the history of the past fifty years, namely, the Second Vatican Council and its ongoing implementation. In this extended ...read more

Here below is the full text in English of Pope Francis’ homily at the mass of Canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII: At the heart of this Sunday, which concludes the Octave of Easter and which John Paul II wished to dedicate to Divine Mercy, are the glorious wounds of the risen Jesus. ...read more

Polish Auxiliary Bishop Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, wearing sunglasses, is pictured in St. Peter’s Square in 1963 during the Second Vatican Council. The future Pope John Paul II helped draft council documents on religious liberty and the church in the modern world. He will be canonized April 27 with Blessed John XXIII. (CNS photo/Giancarlo Giuliani, ...read more

The Milewski family greets Pope John Paul II at the door of their modest house in Wigry, Poland, June 8, 1999. The pontiff made an unexpected visit to the home on his day of respite during a 13-day visit to his homeland. (CNS photo by Arturo Mari) ...read more

Pope John Paul II is pictured during a 1986 interfaith prayer gathering in the Italian town of Assisi. (CNS file photo/KNA)  ...read more