By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — When Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran walked onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, telling the crowds in Latin: “I announce to you a great joy. We have a pope!” not many people recognized the name of then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos …

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — If you haven’t been to confession recently, don’t wait, Pope Francis told people at his weekly general audience. One may walk into the confessional with a heavy heart, but forgiveness brings freedom and lightness. “If a lot of time has passed, don’t lose even …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Courageously follow Jesus in seeking out the poor and sinners, and in making difficult sacrifices in order to help and heal others, Pope Francis said. Christians are called to confront the material, spiritual and moral destitution of “our brothers and sisters, …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Catholic universities must give “uncompromising” and “unambiguous” witness to church teaching and defend themselves from all efforts to dilute their Catholic identity, Pope Francis said.

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — On successive days in mid-January, Pope Francis and his top collaborator at the Vatican made public statements that provided a lesson in Franciscan contextualization of highly loaded moral issues.

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — In the first nine and a half months of Pope Francis‘ pontificate, more than 6.6 million people participated in papal events at the Vatican, including weekly general audiences, group audiences, liturgies and recitations of the Angelus and “Regina Coeli” on …

By John Stegeman The Catholic Telegraph From Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation (see March 2013 cover) to Pope Francis’ election (April 2013 cover) and everything since, The Catholic Telegraph has had the story. The year 2013 saw the paper’s cover redesigned, and an increased emphasis on the website and social media, …

Staff & CNS Reports From the moment he stepped onto the balcony following the words “Habemus Papam,” Pope Francis has captured the attention of the world. Acknowledging that impact, TIME magazine has named the Holy Father as its 2013 Person of the Year. Pope Francis earned the nod by beating …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — People must stand united against the scandal of hunger while avoiding food waste and irresponsible use of the world’s resources, Pope Francis said. People should “stop thinking that our daily actions do not have an impact on the lives of those …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — In an effort to better implement the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Holy See has begun to draw up its own safe-environment program for children in Vatican City State and to offer human rights courses for its …