Claire Giangravé

Pope Francis' flurry of activity in August, seemingly setting the stage for his successor, has fueled rumors of an impending resignation.

Former Vatican envoy and outspoken papal critic Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò released a letter on March 7 blaming "deep state" forces in the United States, the European Union and NATO for triggering the current war and demonizing Russia.

While borrowing Catholic tropes to take whacks at the church is "nothing new," he noted, others have done it better.

 Pope Francis "hit out at 'cancel culture,'" as one headline put it. But the pontiff wasn't complaining about how the twitterverse had banished Ellen DeGeneres or urged a boycott of Dr. Seuss.

The Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life defended the COVID-19 vaccine and called out those who spread “malinformation” to discredit the vaccine as peddling “pure nonsense.”

Former Vatican economy czar Cardinal George Pell warns in a new book that the Catholic institution is facing a growing deficit.

Pope Francis and his team of reformers continue their efforts to promote transparency in the institution’s fraught finances.

A recent meeting between Pope Francis and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has raised hopes among Indian Catholics about the possibility of a future papal visit.

In Rome and at the Vatican, President Joe Biden found a safe haven from the debates taking place back home, where some U.S. bishops argue Catholic politicians should not be allowed to receive Communion if they support abortion rights.

Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI likely received the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in October, according to official Vatican reports that priority for the third dose was given to people over 60.

A Vatican census released ahead of World Mission Day reveals growing numbers of Catholics in what Pope Francis often refers to as "the global peripheries," even as the number continues to diminish in Europe.

Religious leaders to urge strong climate action at COP26 and commit to encouraging their congregations to care for creation.

This October, Pope Francis will inaugurate a three-year preparation process for the 2023 synod, which will focus on reforming the synodal process. The preparation process and the synod have the potential to revolutionize the way decisions are made in the Catholic Church and promote a more decentralized structure of authority.

A new book on the history of the Vatican's international relations shows how Pope Francis is only following in his predecessors' footsteps in standing up to the United States.

As tensions rise in Afghanistan following the takeover by Taliban forces in mid-August that threatens the small Christian community in the country, a Catholic priest managed to flee with a group of disabled children and nuns on Aug. 25.

A message from the Twitter account of Cardinal Raymond Burke, a conservative prelate and outspoken skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccine, confirmed Aug. 14 that he had been placed on a ventilator after testing positive for the virus.

"Meeting the pope was essentially having a childhood dream be realized," says Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in the popular series "The Chosen."

Vatican athletes might never compete in the Olympic Games, but the small Catholic state still hopes to have an influence on the global sporting event through the promotion of human fraternity and lasting friendships.

Pope Francis' first foreign trip since his recovery from surgery will be to the Eastern European countries of Hungary and Slovakia from Sept. 12-15. While Slovakian citizens eagerly anticipate the papal visit, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to generate conflicts and challenges.

Italian LGBTQ citizens angered by what they considered undue interference by the Vatican in its attempt to stall a controversial bill being debated in the Italian Senate that would criminalize homophobia.