The lay ministry of catechist, the pope said, gives recognition to “those lay men and women who feel called by virtue of their baptism to cooperate in the work of catechesis.”

Cardinal Luis F. Ladaria, S.J., the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has sent a letter to Archbishop José H. Gomez that may lead to a reconsideration of the plan of some bishops to get the conference to approve a document regarding “the worthiness to receive Communion” of Catholic politicians.

Pope Francis: “I pray that Jerusalem may be a place of encounter and not of violent clashes, a place of prayer and of peace.”

“The 1950s were a time of recovery, the beginning of prosperity in the West,” Cardinal Czerny told the congregation, among whom were Hungarian clergy and laity, and diplomats from other countries. “There was even hope of new freedom in the Communist world

With today’s decree, Pope Francis abolished privilege in matters of civil and penal matters, making it possible for ordinary Vatican tribunals to judge cardinals and bishops.

Pope Francis introduces significant changes to the “General Regulations of the Roman Curia,” to prohibit Vatican officials and related entities from accepting or soliciting money or gifts valued at more than 40 euros (around $50), either for themselves or for someone else.

Francis shocked the world when he traveled to Iraq earlier this year despite the ongoing pandemic. And the 84-year-old pope hopes to visit several more countries in the second half of 2021.

Besides Bishop McElroy, there are four other Americans on the board, including Mary Haddad, R.S.M., the president and C.E.O. of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

A new book takes readers behind the scenes of the unlikely friendship between the leader of the Catholic Church and the head of the most prestigious and influential Islamic institute in the world.

The message of Easter is not a mirage or a magic formula, Pope Francis said. But it does offer hope to a world suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic and many sources of conflict.