Publications

Pope Leo to grieving father: ‘Death never has the last word’
17
Oct
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Pope Leo to grieving father: ‘Death never has the last word’

Pope Leo XIV has responded to a letter from a grieving father with the encouragement that “death never has the last word.” In the October issue of Piazza San Pietro magazine, the pontiff penned a letter to Francesco, a father of four, who wrote to the Holy Father about the death of his 12-year-old son, Domenico Maria, from a sudden illness 18 years ago. Despite the time that has passed, the father said he still felt like his son’s premature death happened only yesterday.  “Holiness, this letter of mine is intended only as a thought, as well as a remembrance for…
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Nigerian Catholic leaders respond to call to label Nigeria ‘country of particular concern’
17
Oct
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Nigerian Catholic leaders respond to call to label Nigeria ‘country of particular concern’

Catholic leaders in Nigeria have weighed in on a recent call by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for the Trump administration to redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) over alleged Christian persecution. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced legislation in September that would require the Trump administration to adopt the CPC designation in addition to imposing targeted sanctions against Nigerian government officials who facilitate or permit jihadist attacks against Christians and other religious minorities. In interviews with ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, on Oct. 14, Nigerian Catholic Church leaders shared their views on the Christian persecution in the west…
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Catholic Church must do more to help sexual abuse survivors and hold church leaders to account, hard-hitting report says
16
Oct
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Catholic Church must do more to help sexual abuse survivors and hold church leaders to account, hard-hitting report says

A Vatican commission for the protection of children has said the mishandling by the Catholic Church’s leaders of sexual abuse allegations involving clergy is causing “ongoing harm” to victims, in a hard-hitting report released Thursday. The report also called out parts of Italy and Africa for failing to implement robust anti-abuse measures. The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, which released its second annual report on October 16 called for greater transparency from the Vatican and noted with “concern” that survivors often perceive the church’s central administration as “lacking in sensitivity.” The report is the first to be released since the election of…
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Book to feature Pope Leo’s writings and meditations as Augustinian prior
16
Oct
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Book to feature Pope Leo’s writings and meditations as Augustinian prior

The Order of St. Augustine and the Vatican Publishing House announced the publication of a new book by Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A., titled “Free Under Grace: Writings and Meditations 2001-2013.” The book will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, which opened Wednesday. The tome will include, for the first time, the writings of the current pontiff during his term as prior general of the Augustinian Order, offering readers a "closer look at his spirituality," according to a statement from the Vatican Publishing House. It will include reflections, meditations, homilies, and addresses, all imbued with…
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Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88
21
Apr
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Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta. At 9:45 AM, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta with these words: "Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live…
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‘Run’ to seek Christ in everyday life, Pope Francis says in Easter Sunday homily
20
Apr
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‘Run’ to seek Christ in everyday life, Pope Francis says in Easter Sunday homily

Under clear spring skies and surrounded by thousands of faithful gathered in a St. Peter’s Square adorned with vibrant yellow daffodils, Pope Francis’s Easter Sunday homily called Christians to actively seek the risen Jesus in their daily lives, urging believers to “run” just as the disciples did after discovering the empty tomb. “We must look for him without ceasing,” emphasized the pope’s text, which was delivered by Cardinal Angelo Comastri on April 20. “Because if he has risen from the dead, then he is present everywhere, he dwells among us, he hides himself and reveals himself even today in the sisters…
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How the tradition of Dutch flowers at the pope’s Easter Mass was saved
20
Apr
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How the tradition of Dutch flowers at the pope’s Easter Mass was saved

In early 2022, some Dutch Catholics were dismayed to learn that a 37-year Easter tradition would not continue. The Netherlands, known for its fields of flowers, had for more than three decades donated the colorful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths that decorate St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican. Pope Francis celebrates Easter Sunday Mass in 2017, flanked by tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils from the Netherlands. Credit: Lucia Ballester/CNA The custom was put on hold for two years because of coronavirus restrictions, and in 2022, the Dutch florist who had organized the initiative since 2015 said…
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20
Apr
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On Easter Sunday 2025, Pope Francis did not deliver his speech in person, though he briefly greeted the faithful with a brief “Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter”. The pope’s traditio, “urbi et orbi,” was read by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, as the 88-year-old pontiff, still convalescing, was present but physically limited. Pope Francis briefly blessed the crowd after the message was read. “Urbi et orbi” means “To the city [of Rome] and to the world.” It is a special apostolic blessing given by the pope every year on Easter Sunday, Christmas, and other special occasions.…
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How a stolen rosary led one young woman to the Catholic Church
20
Apr
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How a stolen rosary led one young woman to the Catholic Church

In 2017, while working at the World Food Program office in the Azarieh building in downtown Beirut, Iman Hijaze spotted her colleague’s rosary lying on the floor. Alex Imad, a former Shiite Muslim who had converted to Christianity, had accidentally dropped it. “When I touched it, I felt an electrical shock through my body,” Hijaze recalled.   Instead of returning the rosary to Imad, Hijaze slipped it into her pocket. Later, Imad checked the security camera footage and discovered what happened. When he confronted her, he hugged her gently and drew the sign of the cross on her back.  “I felt another…
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Tallest cross in the world will remain despite Spanish ‘resignification’ project
05
Apr
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Tallest cross in the world will remain despite Spanish ‘resignification’ project

The spokesman for the Spanish Bishops’ Conference (CEE, by its Spanish acronym), Bishop Francisco César García Magán, stated Friday that the 492-foot cross at the Valley of the Fallen, the tallest cross in the world, will remain standing as part of the Spanish government’s “resignification” of the site. The Valley of the Fallen, inaugurated in 1959, is a huge complex built after the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and is located about 30 miles from Madrid. It consists of a basilica situated underground in an excavated space in the mountain, a monumental cross, a Benedictine monastery, a school, and a Stations…
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