Vatican City, Dec 10, 2015 / 03:33 pm (CNA).- With the launch of the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis’ reforms to the annulment process have gone into effect, giving more of a role to the local bishop, dropping automatic appeals, and ensuring that the process is free of charge.

The new process is aimed at streamlining the system for granting annulments out of concern “for the salvation of souls” while affirming the longstanding Catholic teaching on marriage indissolubility.

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2015 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- At the opening of the Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has granted to  CNA an exclusive interview touching on mercy in several of its aspects.

Please find below the full text of the conversation:

CNA: What is mercy for a theologian?

Vatican City, Dec 8, 2015 / 09:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Tuesday the façade and dome of St. Peter’s Basilica were illuminated with images portraying man’s relation to nature – an event inspired by Pope Francis’ recent encyclical on care for our common home and set to coincide with major Church events.

Titled “Fiat Lux (Let there be light): Illuminating Our Common Home,” the three-hour display took place the evening of Dec. 8, which marked a major day for the Church.

Vatican City, Dec 8, 2015 / 03:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A two-day Vatican workshop over the weekend explored the unique challenges faced by women as they balance work with family life, and what true equality for women looks like in the workplace.

“It was easy in the old days to know who your enemy was. Everybody just called it 'the man' – 'the man' didn't want you to advance. But now it's not that simple,” said Helen Alvaré, law professor at George Mason University and participant in the two-day workshop.