Arriving in Skopje, with its skyline dotted by minarets and domes, Pope Francis told civic leaders that the country's ethnic and religious diversity is a "precious patrimony" to be appreciated and treasured.Read More
In the Catholic heart of Bulgaria, Pope Francis celebrated a special Mass for 245 children receiving their first Communion and thanked them for helping him, their parents and grandparents remember their own first Communion.Read More
As individuals and as a church, it can be tempting to dwell on mistakes, failures and sins that block the fullness of life, but Easter is the proclamation that the Lord is victorious and his love will triumph, Pope Francis said.Read More
The president of France and the archbishop of Paris have vowed to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral after a devastating fire, continuing what a professor of architecture described as the natural lifecycle of a historic building.Read More
Marking retired Pope Benedict XVI's 92nd birthday, the editorial director of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication insisted what the retired pope wrote about facing the clerical sexual abuse crisis is essentially what Pope Francis has said, too.Read More
At the end of a highly unusual spiritual retreat for the political leaders of warring factions, Pope Francis knelt at the feet of the leaders of South Sudan, begging them to give peace a chance and to be worthy "fathers of the nation."Read More
U.S. Cardinal Edwin F. O'Brien, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and the former Archbishop of Baltimore, celebrated his 80th birthday April 8, meaning he is no longer eligible to enter a conclave to elect a new pope.Read More
The life of a young person and the vocation to which God calls each one is "holy ground" that pastors and parents must respect, nurture and encourage, Pope Francis wrote in a new apostolic exhortation.Read More
To fight clerical sexual abuse, the Catholic Church must have clear laws and procedures, but it also must engage in "spiritual combat," because it is obvious the devil is at work, Pope Francis said.Read More
Celebrating Mass with members of Morocco's tiny Catholic community, Pope Francis praised them for the many ways they "bear witness to the Gospel of mercy in this land."Read More
The Christian mission is not about numbers of converts, but about changing people and the world by being witnesses of God's mercy and love, Pope Francis told missionaries in Morocco.Read More
Moving from ideals and principles to concrete examples, Pope Francis met in Morocco with Muslim men and women studying to be prayer leaders and preachers and with dozens of migrants assisted by Caritas.Read More