In many respects, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and Cardinal Timothy Dolan have traveled similar paths to the most powerful office in the church, except for pope.
"It's often when Francis is on the road that he's able to underscore the simplicity that he expects from church leaders," writes Christopher White, NCR's Vatican correspondent.
As Francis gets some much-needed rest inside Vatican walls ahead of the longest international trip of his papacy in September, three potential future popes are having their own moment in the spotlight.
In The Roman Curia, Msgr. Anthony Ekpo admits that for centuries, the work of the Vatican's governance has often perplexed Catholics and non-Catholics alike, leaving some to ask: "Can anything good come from the Roman Curia?"
Nearly three years after their first meeting, President Joe Biden and Pope Francis will likely discuss peace, with the two men representing different visions of what that requires in the present moment.
In the 1960s, the Catholic cardinal of Los Angeles labeled the art of Corita Kent as blasphemous. But on Sunday, April 28, it will be given the spotlight by Pope Francis in a Vatican-organized exhibition.
Pope Francis used his Easter message to reiterate his ongoing appeal for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages as war continues to rage in the Holy Land.
A recent daylong gathering at Georgetown University sought to help U.S. church leaders understand that synodality "doesn't start at the Vatican but grows from the ground up."