Christopher White

Retired Pope Benedict XVI's health condition remains serious, but stable, according to a Dec. 29 statement from the Vatican press office. 

Pope Francis asked for prayers for retired Pope Benedict XVI on Dec. 28, saying he is "very sick."

During his annual Christmas Day message, Pope Francis lamented the "famine of peace" sparked by the invasion of Ukraine, saying that the 10-month-long war had wreaked havoc on Ukrainians and aggravated a crisis of hunger around the globe.

Pope Francis marked the start of Christmas at the Vatican by cautioning that it is impossible to celebrate the birth of Jesus without concern for the poor.

Pope Francis warned top Vatican officials against the temptation of believing the Catholic Church is no longer in need of conversion and said that a pure church only for the pure would be a return to heresy. 

The pope traditionally delivers a Christmas message that encourages humility and simplicity.

Be it among refugees in Poland or those who remain in Ukraine, there is widely shared determination that however long is necessary, the country is willing to continue battling Russia to defend its territorial integrity.

Prolife activist Frank Pavone has been dismissed from the priesthood, according to a Dec. 13 letter to U.S. bishops.

The foreign minister said that although Pope Francis has been a "symbol of sympathy, compassion and spiritual support" for Ukrainian Catholics, the pope cannot jointly call on the governments of both Russia and Ukraine to end the war, as it gives the impression that both parties bear some of the responsibility.

Fr. Michael Ryan synthesized the synodal listening sessions at Seattle's cathedral where he is pastor. He was stunned to later find out his words were echoed at the Vatican to describe a new era in church life.

Pope Francis' much anticipated and twice delayed trip to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo is back on, the Vatican announced on Dec. 1.

The Vatican on Nov. 26 publicly criticized the Chinese government's transfer of a Catholic bishop, and some human rights advocates and religious freedom experts hope this noted shift in Rome's posture will continue.

Pope Francis has removed the top leadership of Caritas Internationalis in response to an internal review process that reportedly revealed serious management and morale issues inside the organization.

An ancient Japanese art form repairs broken vessels with gold, not hiding the damage. The tradition illustrates Pope Francis' call to "to go to the margins" because they are also places of possibility.

Only one  group has been in continual ecumenical dialogue with the Vatican since the Second Vatican Council: the Methodists.

At a major interreligious summit, both Pope Francis and the grand imam of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's top cleric, called on faith leaders to join forces in the fight against climate change. Here are five notable quotes.

Pope Francis' direct challenge to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Bahrain's treatment of prisoners and its practice of capital punishment stunned family members who seek reprieve for their death row loved ones.

'These letters written by Sacred Heart Catholic school students symbolize their pain and hopes for their future as they continue to grieve the loss of life and innocence that struck their community.'

Pope Francis, returning from a four-day visit to the Persian Gulf on Nov. 6, gave an impassioned defense of women's rights, strongly condemning the practice of female genital mutilation and decrying those who treat women as "second class citizens."

Pope Francis on Nov. 5 celebrated Mass for over 30,000 faithful from across the Arabian Peninsula, telling the region's tiny minority Catholic population that working toward peace must always be the aim of the Christian life.