Pope Francis has issued his first Apostolic Exhortation on Tuesday, Evangelii Gaudium, translated into English as The Joy of the Gospel. The 224-page document outlines the Pope’s vision for a missionary Church, whose “doors should always be open”. The Pope speaks on numerous themes, including evangelization, peace, homiletics, social justice, the family, respect for creation, ...read more

Today’s solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the crowning of the liturgical year, also marks the conclusion of the Year of Faith opened by Pope Benedict XVI, to whom our thoughts now turn with affection and gratitude. By this providential initiative, he gave us an opportunity to rediscover the beauty of ...read more

At a press conference in Rome this morning, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri formally presented the preparatory document for the upcoming Extraordinary Synod on Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization. Archbishop Baldisseri, the head of the Synod of Bishops, said the family is an area that the church will work on for the ...read more

By Mary Rose Bacani Valenti We were riding on the subway with a friend of ours a few years ago.  He started to tell the story of Chiara Luce, an Italian teenager who was then recently beatified.  When he mentioned her name, Richard and I immediately looked at each other.  I knew we were both ...read more

Over 100 thousand people gathered with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square for Mass today, Sunday, October 27th, 2013, to mark the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time and the World Family Day at the close of the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family, which met in Rome this past week to ...read more

Today, Saturday, October 26, Pope Francis gathered with families for the The Pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Tomb for the Year of Faith, an event planned by the Pontifical Council for the Family. Here is the Holy Father’s address: Dear Families! Good evening and welcome to Rome! You have come as pilgrims from many parts of ...read more

Here is a translation of the message that Pope Francis sent to the Director of the Vatican Television Center (CTV), Monsignor Dario Edoardo Vigano, and to the participants in the “Thirty Years of the Vatican Television Center: TV That Relates the Pope to the World” Conference, organized on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of ...read more

Today is the 87th World Mission Sunday. After the Angelus, Pope Francis addressed the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s square with these words: Dear brothers and sisters, Today is World Mission Day. What is the mission of the Church? To spread throughout the world the flame of faith that Jesus has lighted in the world: ...read more

Below is the full text of Pope Francis homily for Marian Day. The celebration was organized as part of the Year of Faith and coincided with the anniversary of the final apparition at Fatima. The statue of Our Lady was flow to Rome from Fatima on Saturday for Marian Day. During the celebration Pope Francis ...read more