by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 11, 2021 / 04:05 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis issued a motu proprio Monday changing canon law to allow women to serve as lectors and acolytes. In the motu proprio “Spiritus Domini,” issued on Jan. 11, the pope changed canon 230 § 1 of …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 10, 2021 / 05:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis prayed Sunday for the United States, asking the Immaculate Virgin Mary to help foster a “culture of encounter” after the recent violence at the U.S. Capitol Building. “I extend an affectionate greeting to the people …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 3, 2021 / 09:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis warned Sunday against the temptation to ignore the suffering of others during the coronavirus pandemic and said that things will get better in the new year to the extent to which the needs of the …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 24, 2020 / 01:00 pm MT (CNA).- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis said that the poverty of Christ’s birth in a stable contains an important lesson for today. “That manger, poor in everything yet rich in love, teaches that true nourishment in life comes …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 23, 2020 / 11:00 am MT (CNA).- The first known nativity scene figurines are on display this Christmas in one of Rome’s oldest basilicas. The underground Chapel of the Nativity in the Basilica of St. Mary Major — known to Italians as Santa Maria …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 22, 2020 / 06:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has recognized the martyrdom of Rosario Livatino, a judge who was brutally killed by the mafia on his commute to work at a courthouse in Sicily thirty years ago. The Vatican Congregation for the Causes …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 17, 2020 / 06:05 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis appealed for a “culture of care” in his message for the 2021 World Day of Peace released Thursday. “The culture of care … calls for a common, supportive and inclusive commitment to protecting and promoting …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 10, 2020 / 08:30 am MT (CNA).- Pope Francis has decreed a Year of St. Joseph in which Catholics will have the opportunity to obtain a special plenary indulgence. Until December 2021, there are many new ways that Catholics can receive an indulgence, including …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 9, 2020 / 01:00 pm MT (CNA).- Assisi unveiled a nativity scene Tuesday made of 50 figurines of shepherds, angels, and barn animals with a new addition this year: a life-size figure of a nurse in scrubs wearing a mask. The diocese said that …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 7, 2020 / 05:55 am MT (CNA).- The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis will travel to Iraq in March 2021. He will be the first pope to ever visit the country, which is still recovering from the devastation inflicted by the Islamic State. …