Vatican City, Oct 21, 2015 / 05:27 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The director of the Holy See press office has denied reports in the Italian press that Pope Francis is suffering from a brain tumor, and denounced its dissemination as “gravely irresponsible.”

Wednesday's statement by Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., came in response an Oct 21 report by Italian agency Quotidiano Nazionale alleging that the Pope had been diagnosed with a small but curable brain tumor.

Vatican City, Oct 20, 2015 / 10:26 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Wilfred Napier says the highly controversial midterm report from last year's synod gave weight to issues discussed by only “two or three” people, and was unseen by most synod fathers until after it hit mainstream media.

He also alluded to an agenda in the writing of the final report from last year's synod, which he was involved in drafting, saying that in the process some issues were once again “being pushed in a certain direction.”

Vatican City, Oct 20, 2015 / 06:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Both truth and mercy can be found in consistent Catholic teaching on marriage, Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas told the Synod of Bishops on Thursday.

Vatican City, Oct 18, 2015 / 09:40 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Following multiple knife attacks in the Holy Land this weekend, Pope Francis has appealed for courage and strength in bringing an end to violence and the desire for revenge.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I follow with great concern the situation of strong tension and violence afflicting the Holy Land,” the Pope said Oct. 18, before leading pilgrims in the traditional Angelus prayer.