This week the Council of Cardinals met again in Rome, a consistory was announced, a papal interview was published, and Pope Francis delivered a powerful homily for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe . The Guadalupe homily, delivered in Spanish during a mass Pope Francis celebrated at St. Peter’s, packs a powerful punch and ...read more

How Bishops are Appointed Last week on Vatican Connections we talked about how a bishop gets appointed. It’s a rather long process, and some viewers wrote in asking if there was a text explaining the process. (I talk fast sometimes!). Step one: The process begins at the local level. The bishops in a region submit ...read more

Pope Francis final meeting in Turkey was with a group of 50 young people, including many refugees from Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East and Africa.  The young refugees are cared for by the local Salesian community in Istanbul. The Salesian Oratory (Youth Center) in Istambul is headed by Salesian Fr. Andres ...read more

This is the special prayer of the Orthodox community during the Divine Liturgy. The most exalted vessel of the Ortohodoxy is being glorified now receiving from the West the venerable Sheperd and Primate. And receving this auspicious day with joy now implores Christ devoutly: Guard Your world with Your power, keeping all in harmony, as ...read more

This morning following the Eucharist celebrated in private in the chapel of the Apostolic Delegation in Istanbul, Pope Francis met with the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, His Excellency Isak Haleva. He then traveled by car to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy in the Church of St. George in ...read more

On the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis released a letter for the Year of Consecrated Life. The Year of Consecrated Life begins on November 30, 2014 and ends February 2, 2016. Find the full text of the letter below: Dear Brothers and Sisters in Consecrated Life, I am writing ...read more

Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople jointly presided over an ecumenical prayer service on Saturday evening in the church of St. George, within the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Below, please find the full text of the allocution His All Holiness, Bartholomew, prepared for the occasion. Your Holiness, In offering glory to the all-good God in Trinity, ...read more

Pope Francis has presented these gifts during his visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Phanar: Gift of the Holy Father to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate The two sheets reproduced in facsimile belong to the Greek Barberinian manuscript 372 of the Vatican Apostolic Library. The original (mm. 223 x 168), in parchment, composed ...read more

Below you will find the full text of Pope Francis’ Homily during the Ecumenical Prayer Service in St. George’s Church in Istanbul: Your Holiness, my dear Brother Bartholomew, Each evening brings a mixed feeling of gratitude for the day which is ending and of hope-filled trust as night falls. This evening my heart is full of ...read more

Below you will find the full text of Pope Francis’ homily during Mass at the Cathedral of Istanbul: In the Gospel, Jesus shows himself to be the font from which those who thirst for salvation draw upon, as the Rock from whom the Father brings forth living waters for all who believe in him (cf. ...read more