by Courtney Mares Rome, Italy, Aug 20, 2021 / 10:34 am Proof of coronavirus vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test is now required for tourists who wish to visit the Duomo in Florence, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and many of Italy’s most famous Catholic cathedrals. Italy implemented earlier this …

by Courtney Mares Rome, Italy, Aug 20, 2021 / 14:58 pm An Afghan Christian refugee whose parents were killed by the Taliban in the 1990s is appealing to Pope Francis to help a Catholic family currently at the Kabul airport. “I ask please, please of both the Holy See and …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Aug 13, 2021 / 12:00 pm Catholic dioceses across China hosted celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this year, while pilgrimages to China’s national Marian shrine were forbidden. “Every community, every diocese has done congresses, performances, theaters, and even pilgrimages …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Aug 11, 2021 / 13:01 pm The actor who plays Jesus in the internet series “The Chosen” met Pope Francis on Wednesday, fulfilling a lifelong dream as he visits Rome this week to view pilgrimage sites related to the Gospels. Jonathan Roumie, a Catholic who …

bv Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jul 20, 2021 / 06:10 am The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg to lead the Catholic Diocese of Reno. Mueggenborg, 59, has served as an auxiliary bishop and vicar general of the Archdiocese of Seattle since 2017. In Reno, …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Jul 13, 2021 / 14:00 pm The Catholic archbishop of Tokyo has asked visiting Olympic athletes and coaches to refrain from attending local Catholic churches to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi said on July 12 that the Tokyo archdiocese had made …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jul 13, 2021 / 04:50 am On the pope’s 10th day in the hospital following intestinal surgery, the Vatican said that Pope Francis’ ongoing medical treatment would allow him to “return to the Vatican as soon as possible.” “The Holy Father is continuing his planned …

by Courtney Mares Rome, Italy, Jul 11, 2021 / 05:45 am In his first public appearance since having an intestinal surgery, Pope Francis prayed the Angelus from the balcony of his hospital on Sunday and delivered a message urging access to good healthcare for everyone. “In these days of being …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jul 8, 2021 / 05:03 am Pope Francis underwent a CT scan of his chest and abdomen on Thursday morning after running a fever during his hospitalization, according to the Vatican. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said July 8 that the pope “temporarily ran a temperature” …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jul 8, 2021 / 08:00 am Pope Francis has offered his condolences to the Haitian people after their President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home Wednesday by a group of gunmen. “Hearing the news of the heinous assassination … His Holiness Pope Francis offers …