Mass returns to Notre-Dame
PARIS -- The archbishop of Paris wore a hard hat as he celebrated the first Mass in Notre Dame Cathedral since a huge blaze devastated the landmark building in April.
Don't let quake shake your hope, Pope Francis tells earthquake survivors
CAMERINO, Italy -- Wearing a firefighter's helmet painted white and gold for the occasion, Pope Francis entered the earthquake-damaged cathedral in Camerino and prayed before a statue of Mary missing the top of its head.
Married priests on synod agenda
VATICAN CITY -- An upcoming Synod of Bishops will study the feasibility of ordaining married men in the Amazon region to compensate for a shortage of priests.
Holy site preparing for more repair work
JERUSALEM -- Following the successful cooperation on the 2016 restoration of the Edicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the leaders of the three churches who serve as guardians of the holy site have signed an agreement to continue with restorations, this time on the pavement and foundations around the tomb.
Plane speaking: Behind the scenes of the Pope's in-flight press conferences
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis’ in-flight news conferences are arguably less newsy than when his pontificate began, mostly because he has been insisting the past few years that most of the questions refer to the trip that is concluding.
Pope Francis: Mitigate global warming, spare further injustice to poor
VATICAN CITY -- Faced with a climate emergency, the world must act immediately to mitigate global warming and avoid committing "a brutal act of injustice" on the poor and future generations, Pope Francis told a group of energy and oil executives and global investors.
Bishops vote to revise U.S. catechism's capital punishment section
BALTIMORE -- The U.S. bishops voted June 13 to revise what the U.S. church teaches its adult members about the death penalty in a passage on the issue in the U.S. Catechism for Adults.
Pope Francis to nuncios: Be men of God, not luxury-seeking diplomats
VATICAN CITY -- Apostolic nuncios are called to be men of faith focused on proclaiming the Gospel and shunning the power and corruption that can come from the luxurious trappings of their diplomatic status, Pope Francis said.
U.S. bishops approve update of texts of rites for clergy ordinations
BALTIMORE -- The U.S. bishops voted to update texts last changed in 2003 for the ordination of clergy.
Nuncios' first mission is to love, says Vatican secretary of state
VATICAN CITY -- Whether the Catholic Church is operating in full freedom or under severe restrictions, no one can prevent its ministers and members from following the supreme law of Christ, which is to love others, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Causes for sainthood advanced for U.S. priest and Spanish martyrs
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis advanced the sainthood cause of Father Augustus Tolton, who was the first African American diocesan priest in the United States and founder of the first black Catholic parish in Chicago.