Pope Francis today called for “the immediate release” of the more than 100 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza and, at the same time, expressed his deep concern at the “total siege” imposed by Israel on Gaza.

Brian Doyle's essays, fiction and poetry all offered powerful reflections on finding the beautiful and the divine amid life’s struggles.

Israel’s Embassy to the Holy See underlined the need for the church to condemn “the hideous crime,” name the perpetrators and acknowledge “Israel’s basic right to defend itself against the atrocity.”

As the death toll rises in Israel, Pope Francis prayer for the families of the victims and “for all those who are living through hours of terror and anxiety.”

"The operation launched from Gaza and the reaction of the Israeli Army are bringing us back to the worst period of our recent history," the patriarchate, led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said in a statement.

A tragic fire reminds us that sometimes the aftershocks of war feel even more cruel than war itself.

The latest effort from the ’Star Wars‘ franchise asks: What happens to you after you lose your faith?

As delegates prepare to gather in Rome for the Synod on Synodality, is clear that in the present moment, Pope Francis is calling us to be a truly listening church—a church of discernment.

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, by Simcha Fisher

A Reflection for Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time, by Valerie Schultz