catholicism

Vatican Holds Conclave To Elect New Pope

The conclave to choose a new pope continues. Here's what you need to know

12:44pm May 06, 2025

As more than a billion Catholics around the world await the election of a new pope, all eyes are on the Sistine Chapel, where 133 cardinals started the secretive process known as a conclave.

See some of the most memorable moments from Pope Francis' papacy

5:50am April 21, 2025

Pope Francis was a master of making emotional connections. He was, at heart, a pastor to wounded souls. Here are some of the most memorable moments of Pope Francis' papacy.

Pope Francis is still in critical condition, but he had another 'restful night'

4:14am February 26, 2025

Francis, 88, has been in critical condition for several days and he has remained absent from several regular appearances. The church has encouraged worshippers around the world to pray for his health.

Pope Francis shows slight improvement in the hospital and calls Gaza's parish

6:48am February 24, 2025

Pope Francis, 88, has been in critical condition since the weekend but showed improvement and resumed some work Monday, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis and Indonesia’s top imam make a joint call for religious harmony

8:35am September 05, 2024

The pope’s meeting with the Muslim leader in Jakarta comes during the first leg of an intense 11-day, four-nation tour in Asia and Oceania.

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Clergy sex abuse survivor and victim's advocate Juan Carlos Cruz first met Pope Francis in 2018 when a group of survivors of abuse was invited to the Vatican.

Religion

Pope Francis' LGBTQ comments are not surprising but sincere, gay Vatican adviser says

3:52pm January 26, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Juan Carlos Cruz, a gay Chilean man who is a survivor of clergy sex abuse, about remarks by Pope Francis that criminalizing homosexuality is "unjust."

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Caroline McDonald, left, a student at Georgetown University, Lauren Morrissey, with Catholics for Choice, and Pamela Huber, of Washington, join a abortion-rights rally outside the Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 1, 2021.

When does life begin? Religions don't agree

12:44pm May 08, 2022

by Sarah McCammon

Debates about abortion often center around the issue of when life begins. Some religions say it's at conception. Another says it's with the baby's first breath.

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An Arizona priest quit after learning he had used the wrong word while performing baptisms throughout his career. The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix estimates thousands of people were affected by the mistake.

An Arizona priest used one wrong word in baptisms for decades. They're all invalid

1:07pm February 15, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The Catholic Diocese of Phoenix found that Rev. Andres Arango had been incorrectly saying "we baptize" instead of "I baptize." The error made thousands of baptisms and subsequent sacraments invalid.

Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican on Sunday.

On COVID vaccinations, Pope says health care is a 'moral obligation'

7:26am January 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

Francis says individuals have a responsibility to care for themselves "and this translates into respect for the health of those around us."

Pope Francis shakes hands with Joe Biden, then vice president, at the Vatican, in 2016.

In Pope Francis, Biden Has A Potential Ally — Who Shares The Same Catholic Detractors

4:35pm March 01, 2021

by Sylvia Poggioli

The pope and the president share liberal stances on climate change and economic disparity. A theology scholar argues U.S. Catholic Church leadership is increasingly allied with the political right.

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