By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Jan 19, 2023 / 12:15 pm Pope Francis declared six Catholics as venerable servants of God on Thursday, moving them each one step closer to canonization. In a decree signed on Jan. 19, the pope recognized the heroic virtue of an Italian stigmatist, four 20th-century priests, …

By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 5, 2023 / 08:36 am Catholics from Germany, France, Ghana, India, Australia, Uganda, and many more countries who attended the funeral Mass for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday have shared their favorite memories of the late pope and why some decided to join in …

By Hannah Brockhaus, Courtney Mares Vatican City, Jan 5, 2023 / 04:50 am Tens of thousands of people were present in St. Peter’s Square for the funeral Thursday of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a leading theologian of the 20th century and the first pope to resign from office in nearly 600 years. …

By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 12:10 pm The late Benedict XVI was known for his intellectual acumen as a theologian and philosopher, but perhaps his most relatable quality was that he was a cat person. As we remember the life and legacy of the pope, here is …

By Zelda Caldwell, Courtney Mares Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 1, 2023 / 12:12 pm The last words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as he lay on his deathbed were “Lord, I love you!” according to the late pope’s longtime personal secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Vatican News reported. At about 3 a.m. on …

By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 13:54 pm The Vatican published Benedict XVI’s spiritual testament on Saturday night in which the late pope underlined “the reasonableness of faith.” “What I said before to my countrymen, I say now to all those in the Church who have been entrusted …

by Hannah Brockhaus, Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 10:33 am Pope Francis gave thanks for the good works and sacrifices of Benedict XVI, hours after the pope emeritus’ death on Saturday at the age of 95. “The thought goes spontaneously to the dearly beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, …

By Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 03:15 am Here is a look back at the key dates and events in the life of Pope Benedict XVI: 1927 — Joseph Ratzinger is born on Holy Saturday, April 16, in the Bavarian town of Marktl am Inn, Germany, and is baptized …

by Courtney Mares Rome Newsroom, Nov 30, 2022 / 07:55 am Pope Francis said Wednesday that the full restoration of communion among all Christians is “an urgent priority in today’s world.” In a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, the pope expressed gratitude that Catholic and Orthodox …

by Courtney Mares Vatican City, Nov 26, 2022 / 05:40 am The Vatican said on Saturday that Chinese authorities had violated the terms stipulated in its provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops. A statement released on Nov. 26 said that “the Holy See noted with surprise and regret” that …