Pope Francis on Thursday received the President of the Slovak Republic, Andrej Kiska, who subsequently met with Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, Under-Secretary for Relations with States, in the Secretariat of State.

A Vatican Press Office statement called the discussion “cordial”, noting they took place shortly before the 25th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the then Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, which took place on 19 April 1990 following St…

Pope Francis on Monday expressed his hope that the international community does not look on, “silent and inactive”, in the face of the “unacceptable crime” of the persecution of Christians around the world.

The Holy Father was speaking to the Shalom Community at the end of his Easter Monday Regina Coeli Address. The Community had sponsored a relay which ended in St…

Pope Francis held his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, during which he continued his catechetical series on the family, concluding his reflections on the role of children in family life. Below, please find the English summary of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks.

Dear Brothers and Sisters: Today we continue our reflection on children, the greatest blessing which God has bestowed on man and woman…

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday morning, despite the cold and the rain, to take part in Solemn Mass with Pope Francis in celebration of Easter. Following the Liturgy, the Holy Father gave the traditional Blessing Urbi et Orbi – to the City [of Rome] and to the World. Below, please find the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared remarks:

Pope Francis

EASTER URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE to the City and to the World

5 April 2015

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus Christ is risen! …

Thousands of faithful filled the Coliseum on Friday night for the traditional Good Friday Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis. The reflections accompanying the Stations this year were composed by Italian Bishop Renato Corti, Bishop-Emeritus of Novara.

Entitled “The Cross: Radiant Culmination of God’s Protective Love,” Bishop Corti’s reflections drew attention to different types of suffering in the world, such as child abuse, human trafficking and Christian persecution…

Pope Francis on Thursday evening celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Rome’s Rebibbia prison. The Mass was also attended by inmates at a nearby women’s detention centre.  During the Mass Pope Francis washed the feet of 6 men and 6 women, including one mother holding her small child in her lap.

During his off-the-cuff homily, Pope Francis focused on the passage of the Gospel reading which said “He loved His own in the world, and He loved them until the end.” “He loves us without limits, until the end,” Pope Francis said…