Do you remember where you were when the white smoke appeared, heralding the election of Pope Francis? That will always be an easy question for me, since I was in the S+L studio doing live commentary. The third smoke signal of the conclave looked distinctly different from the first two, which were easily discernible as ...read more

February 11 will long be remembered as the day Pope Benedict announced his resignation – the first pontiff in 600 years to do so. But do you recall the event during which he made his stunning declaration? The Holy Father had convoked a meeting of cardinals to vote on three causes for canonization. As expected, ...read more

There were three popes in Vatican City on Friday May 10, 2013: Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Tawadros II. The latter is the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the largest Christian church in the Middle East. Pope Tawadros was making his first trip outside Egypt since he was enthroned in November ...read more

   Below is the full text of Pope Francis’ catechesis talk at this week’s General Audience. Transcription and translation provided by Vatican Radio. Dear brothers and sisters, good day. The season of Easter that we are living with joy, guided by the liturgy of the Church, is par excellence the time of the Holy Spirit, ...read more

This week brought another historic moment in church history. As of Thursday, there are two popes living in Vatican City. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI returned to the Vatican after two months living in the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo. His helicopter left the papal estate at 4:30pm local time and arrived at the heliport in ...read more

The morning after his election, the first item on Pope Francis’ agenda was visiting the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where he left a bouquet of flowers for Our Lady. He returns to the basilica on Saturday, once again with a Marian intention. The pontiff will pray the rosary, which will be broadcast live on ...read more

Pope Francis greets Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI inside the doorway of the Mater Ecclesia monastery in Vatican City. Benedict XVI returned to Vatican City for the first time after his resignation became official on February 28, 2013. — Photo courtesy of L’Osservatore Romano Photographic Service ...read more

Below is the full text of Pope Francis’ catechesis at today’s General Audience. The transcript and translation of the Holy Father’s talk are provided by Vatican Radio. Dear brothers and sisters, Good Day! Today, May 1st, we celebrate Saint Joseph the Worker and begin the month traditionally dedicated to Our Lady. In our encounter this ...read more

For forty-four young people, Sunday will be one of the most (if not the most) important days of their lives.  Pope Francis will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on each of them at a Mass in St. Peter’s Square. (The above photo from 2012 shows then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio leading a confirmation service in a poor ...read more

To say that the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as pope was a surprise is an understatement. Since his name was announced on the balcony of St. Peter’s square March 13, there has been great interest in what he has to say and teach on matters of the faith. There are several sources of information ...read more