News & Commentary

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead the World Youth Day prayer vigil at St. John Paul II Field in Panama City Jan. 26, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See POPE-PANAMA-WYD-VIGIL Jan. 26, 2019.

Pope to hear confessions, eat lunch with young people, at World Youth Day

Pope Francis will have nine events with young people, including hearing their confessions and eating lunch with them, during his Aug. 2-6 trip to Portugal.

Read More →

Chinese diocese donates masks to Vatican to fight COVID-19

A Catholic diocese in China’s Shaanxi province has donated thousands of face masks to communities in the Vatican and Italy to help them fight the coronavirus.

Read More →

Pope entrusts world threatened by COVID-19 to Mary

Pope Francis entrusted to Jesus’ mother the suffering and anguish of millions of people affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More →

Holy sites closed after COVID-19 reports

JERUSALEM (CNS) — The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem urged its faithful to cooperate with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health, following its order March 5 to close all schools, universities, mosques and churches, including the Church of the Nativity and Shepherd’s Field.

The affected areas were in the West Bank: Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and Jericho for 14 days following seven reported cases of the coronavirus in the Bethlehem and Beit Jala area.

Read More →

Italian doctors: Staff overwhelmed during pandemic

Doctors working in the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy have launched an appeal in a major medical journal warning the outbreak in their province is out of control.

Read More →

Amid COVID-19 pandemic, pope prays for homeless

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — During his live-streamed daily morning Mass, Pope Francis prayed that the coronavirus pandemic may awaken people’s consciences to the plight of homeless men and women suffering in the world.

Read More →

During pandemic, priests bridge distance between deceased, family

When Father Mario Carminati went to bless the remains of one of his parishioners, he called the deceased man’s daughter on WhatsApp so they could pray together.

Read More →
Skip to content