Masked assailants launch deadly attack on Italian church in Istanbul

One man died after armed assailants opened fire in an Italian church in Istanbul during Sunday mass in an apparent assassination attempt that was swiftly condemned by Pope Francis.

Vatican, the deep divide: Pope Francis under increasing pressure from conservatives

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, is facing increasingly strong opposition inside the Vatican. The conservative clan of the Roman Curia – the powerful governing body of the Holy See – accuses him of a laxist vision of Catholic...

Paris's Notre-Dame spire to be crowned with new rooster symbolising cathedral’s rebirth

A pivotal moment in the restoration of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral is set for Saturday, with the installation of a golden rooster atop its spire.

German priest abducted in Mali in 2022 has been freed, officials say

A German Catholic priest widely thought to have been abducted after going missing in Mali in late 2022 has been freed and is on his way back home, officials said on Sunday. 

In rare move, Pope Francis dismisses conservative US bishop who was a prominent critic

Pope Francis on Saturday dismissed US bishop Joseph Strickland, a prominent conservative who had repeatedly criticised his papacy, following concerns over the clergyman's leadership and governance.

More than 200,000 Spanish children abused by Roman Catholic clergy, probe estimates

Over 200,000 minors are estimated to have been sexually abused in Spain by the Roman Catholic clergy since 1940, according to an independent commission published Friday.

Pope warns world 'is collapsing' due to climate change, urges action at COP28

Pope Francis warned Wednesday the world "is collapsing" due to global warming, urging participants of the upcoming COP28 climate talks to agree to binding policies on phasing out fossil fuels.

Pope opens meeting on future of Church amid tensions with conservatives

Pope Francis opens a major congress on the future of the Catholic Church Wednesday marked by tensions with conservatives on issues such as the treatment of divorcees and LGBTQ believers.

Pope Francis appoints 21 new cardinals, embracing diversity and reform

Pope Francis on Saturday elevated 21 clergymen from distant corners of the world to the rank of cardinal, saying diversity was indipensable to the future of the Catholic Church.

Paris’s Catholic Foreign Missions Society under fire over alleged sexual abuse

The French Catholic Church is facing new accusations of a sexual abuse scandal within Paris’s Foreign Missions Society, an organisation dedicated to spreading Christianity overseas. As a criminal investigation has been opened into accusations...

Mexico's Supreme Court decriminalises abortion nationwide

Mexico's Supreme Court on Wednesday decriminalised abortion across the conservative Latin American country.

Pope Francis hails religious tolerance, warns of environmental ruin on Mongolia visit

Pope Francis praised the "wisdom" of the Mongolian people Saturday, in harmony with nature and embracing spirituality, while warning the young democracy of risks such as corruption and environmental ruin.

With an eye on Russia and China, Pope visits tiny Catholic flock in Mongolia

Pope Francis arrived in Mongolia on Friday morning on a visit to encourage one of the world’s smallest and newest Catholic communities.

Pope Francis heads to Portugal for World Youth Day as church grapples with sex abuse scandal

Pope Francis plans to head to Portugal on Wednesday to open the first post-pandemic edition of World Youth Day, hoping to inspire the next generation of Catholics while coping with the church's ongoing clergy sexual abuse scandal.

French Catholic Church to provide clergy with scannable IDs in bid to battle sexual abuse

Rattled by repeated cases of sexual abuse over the years, the French Catholic Church will soon provide digital ID cards with scannable QR codes that will offer colour-coded background information – ranging from green to orange to red – on bishops,...

Portuguese parliament votes to legalise limited euthanasia

After a long battle, Portugal on Friday passed a law legalising euthanasia for people in great suffering and with incurable diseases, joining just a handful of countries around the world.

Pope Francis returns to public eye after illness for Easter vigil Mass

Pope Francis returned to public view on Saturday, presiding over Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, a day after unseasonably chilly weather in Rome convinced the recently ailing pontiff to skip Good Friday's nighttime procession at the...

Pope Francis comforts couple who lost daughter

Pope Francis, leaving Gemelli Hospital, comforts & prays with a couple who just lost their daughter, Angelica the night before. Video by CNN’s Delia Gallaghe...

Pope Francis thanks well-wishers after illness, kicks off Easter week with Palm Sunday Mass

Pope Francis thanked those who prayed for him during his illness Sunday, as he kicked off the holiest week in the Christian calendar just a day after leaving hospital following a bout of bronchitis.

Pope Francis expected to be discharged from hospital after three night stay

Pope Francis was set to leave hospital on Saturday after a three-night stay for treatment of bronchitis, and begin preparations for the most important week in the Christian calendar.

Pope Francis feeling much better after antibiotics, Vatican says

Pope Francis has seen a marked improvement in his health after receiving an infusion of antibiotics for an infectious bronchitis, the Vatican said in an upbeat statement on Thursday.