“We are certainly not saving the world with these initiatives, we are not solving the problems of the homeless in Rome, but at least we are giving them back a little dignity."

Pope Francis has been particularly outspoken against trafficking and slavery, calling it “a crime against humanity.”

Two executives are alleged to have used $455,000 of hospital funds for the restoration of Cardinal Bertone’s residence.

The Vatican on Jan. 12 rejected reports that it could be the next target of Islamist terrorists after last week’s deadly attacks in France. The move came as Pope Francis called for a “unanimous” global response to the self-declared Islamic State as he left on his first of

Mafia ‘betray the gospel,’ Italian bishops say in rare rebuke

Michele and Vinny Arbogast of New York were devastated when their son Kyle was diagnosed with autism as he struggled to speak as a toddler nearly a decade ago.“Autism turns your world upside down,” Michele Arbogast said. “It affects every member of the family.”Kyle is no

Pope Francis on Nov. 11 created a new Vatican body to deal with the most serious cases of child sexual abuse and to streamline complaints against the clergy.The Vatican said the pope would nominate seven cardinals or bishops to consider appeals from clergy accused of abusing minors in a bid to

Half a dozen men stand nonchalantly in front of a grubby building on one of Rome’s busiest streets as cars whizz past. They stiffen whenever a stranger approaches. But few would guess they’re undercover cops protecting Italy’s most endangered man.Inside is the Rev. Luigi Ciotti, a

The tug-of-war at the Vatican over calls for the Catholic Church to be more open to gays and cohabiting couples intensified on Oct. 16 as conservative bishops sought to rein in or renounce draft language they feared might condone lifestyles not in accord with church teachings.The lobbying at the two

Pope Francis and his bishops got a wake-up call on Oct. 7 from a Wisconsin couple who said the Catholic Church was failing to deal with the collapse of the traditional family.Jeff and Alice Heinzen of La Crosse told the pope and 180 bishops attending a synod devoted to family issues that they were a