This week is a big week for Pope Benedict XVI. On Monday he turns 85 years old. Then on Thursday he marks seven years as pope. Join us this Sunday, April 15 for a special look at his papacy: his travels, his teachings, and the bridges he has sought to build. Seven Years with Pope ...read more

A trip to Israel is more than a vacation. It’s a tour through biblical history, as well as an inner journey to meet Jesus. The people and places of the Holy Land testify to Him as a living Gospel account. On Catholic Focus, we take a pilgrimage to Israel. There, we go behind the scenes ...read more

Slavery could seem like something from the past, but taking a good look at the reality of the world today we find that there are 27 million slaves. That is more than in any other period in human history. The Universal Declaration of the Human Rights says: “No one shall be held in slavery or ...read more

Why is religious practice found in almost every culture throughout history? Can religions continue to occupy a place in the secular, Western societies of the 21st century? Do religions need to evolve as globalization brings different cultures closer together? As Western societies become more and more secular in outlook, these questions have gained increasing currency. ...read more

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York gave this meditation about Divine Mercy at a recent conference in the Bronx, New York.  As is the case when Cardinal Dolan is on scene, there was gratuitous applause and laughter…and a thought provoking story. ...read more

Syrian-born Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud, died in Rome at the age of 81 this past weekend. Cardinal Daoud was the retired head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Eastern Churches and the former patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church. In a condolence message to the current Syriac Catholic patriarch, Pope Benedict called the Cardinal a “faithful ...read more

“Dear brothers and sisters! If Jesus is risen, then – and only then – has something truly new happened, something that changes the state of humanity and the world. Then he, Jesus, is someone in whom we can put absolute trust; we can put our trust not only in his message but in Jesus himself, ...read more

Reflection of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI after the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum Good Friday, 6 April 2012 Read the full text below. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Once more in meditation, prayer and song, we have recalled Jesus’s journey along the way of the cross: a journey seemingly hopeless, yet one that ...read more

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper recalls the institution of the Eucharist and the giving of a new commandment: “Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” (Jn 13:34)  In his homily from the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, Pope Benedict commented on the events which ...read more

In his homily during the Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica this morning – at which sacramental oils are blessed and priestly ordination promises are renewed – Pope Benedict XVI encouraged and challenged the Catholic priests of the world: “Does our consecration extend to the daily reality of our lives – do we operate as ...read more