Vatican News

On Christmas Day, Pope Francis prays for peace around the world

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2016 / 05:36 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" blessing Christmas Day, Pope Francis prayed that the Child Jesus, also called the Prince of Peace, would bring a real and lasting peace to everyone suffering from violence and conflict around the world.

The power of the Christ Child "is the power of service, which inaugurates in our world the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of justice and peace.”

Pope Francis: Want to see God this Christmas? Be humble

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2016 / 03:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis noted how the coming of Jesus as an infant is paradoxical to the images of grandeur that had accompanied the prophesies on the coming of the Messiah, saying this should challenges us to go beyond the ephemeral and focus on what really counts.

Knights of Malta rebuff Vatican probe into dismissal of leader

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2016 / 10:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Two days after the announcement that Pope Francis has established a group to look into the circumstances regarding the recent dismissal of the Order of Malta's former Grand Chancellor, the Knights responded – saying the decision was an internal matter.

Pope Francis' reform plan can be boiled down to this one thing

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2016 / 10:04 am (CNA).- If there's anything Pope Francis' recent 12-point plan for the reform of the Roman Curia shows, it's that while his vision of a simple, less clerical body is clear, it's contingent on one thing: conversion.

Pope donates 6 million euro to Ukraine relief efforts for Christmas

Vatican City, Dec 23, 2016 / 05:52 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After taking up a collection earlier this year to aid families affected by the ongoing crisis in Eastern Ukraine, Pope Francis has decided to distribute an initial sum of 6 million euros to different charity projects as a Christmas gift.

“In the name of the Holy Father, at Christmas the first installment of the aid for the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine will be paid,” a Dec. 23 communique from the Pontifical Council Cor Unum read.

Pope Francis lays out 12 guiding principles for reform of the Roman Curia

Vatican City, Dec 22, 2016 / 05:44 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a lengthy, in-depth speech to members of the Roman Curia Thursday, Pope Francis dug into what he said are the key guideless of his ongoing reform, which in his view ought to focus primarily on conversion, unity and streamlining the old process in order to meet modern needs.

Francis opened his annual Dec. 22 speech reflecting on how God humbled himself, making himself small and becoming a servant to mankind.

Meet the first woman in history to run the Vatican museums

Vatican City, Dec 21, 2016 / 09:09 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday it was announced that Barbara Jatta, a wife and mother of three children, will be the new director of the Vatican Museums – a position that until now has belonged only to men.

Jatta, who has served as Vice-director of the museums since June 2015, was a natural choice to succeed the outgoing Director of the museums, Antonio Paolucci, who has guided them since 2007.

Vatican speaks out on unapproved bishop ordinations in China

Vatican City, Dec 21, 2016 / 08:34 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After the recent unauthorized ordination of bishops in China, which falls just ahead of a major meeting for Chinese Catholic representatives, the Vatican has issued a statement reaffirming their position on the matter.

At Christmas, Jesus offers a new kind of hope, Pope Francis says

Vatican City, Dec 21, 2016 / 03:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- While hope can often be viewed as the desire for things out of our reach, Pope Francis has said that the birth of Jesus offers us a new kind hope – one which, thanks to the Incarnation, is attainable and leads to a different goal.

“When we speak of hope, we often refer to that which man is not able to do and that which is not visible. In effect, what we hope for goes beyond our strength and gaze,” the Pope said Dec. 21.

Pope Francis pardons priest tied to Vatileaks scandal

Vatican City, Dec 20, 2016 / 12:25 pm (CNA/Vatican Insider).- Pope Francis has officially granted clemency to Spanish priest Msgr. Lucio Angel Vallejo Balda, who had already served half of his 18-month jail sentence for leaking confidential Vatican documents.

The Vatican announced Dec. 20 that the Pope had given Msgr. Vallejo Balda the "benefit of conditional release" and that the priest will now fall under the jurisdiction of his home diocese of Astorga, Spain.

Retreat House Bandra