ROME, Italy – The theological legacy of Benedict XVI continues, four years after his pontificate came to an end.

WASHINGTON – There is no getting around fasting during Lent.

VATICAN CITY – In his prayer video for March, Pope Francis prays for persecuted Christians, asking for the prayers and aid of the whole Church toward those mistreated on the basis of their beliefs.

Second Sunday of Lent, March 12 (Year A) Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 33; 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Matthew 17:1-9

When we depart on a journey, preparations and planning are the order of the day.

VATICAN CITY – Increasing threats against biodiversity, unsustainable use of the earth's resources and accelerated extinction rates are driven more by overconsumption and unjust wealth distribution than by the number of people on the planet, a Vatican workshop concluded.

The season of Lent is all about preparing, which means there are plenty of to-do lists for Catholics as they count down the days to Easter Sunday and the Resurrection.

There’s an axiom which says: Nothing feels better than virtue.

Andrew and Martha sat glumly. They were stuck in the same argument they’d had so many times before in their life together as a couple. One stabbed using sharp words, the other stonewalled using the silent treatment.

ROME – Lent is a time to receive God's breath of life, a breath that saves humanity from suffocating under the weight of selfishness, indifference and piety devoid of sincerity, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – On Ash Wednesday Pope Francis said that while Lent is certainly a time of mortification, it’s also a journey of hope that leads to the joy of Christ’s Resurrection – a journey that requires both daily sacrifice and love.