International

As all Christians prepare to celebrate Easter together in 2025, Pope Francis recalls that the preeminent Christian celebration belongs to Christ and not to our earthly calendars or plans.

At the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis prays for victims of storms and flooding in central and eastern Europe, and assures them of his closeness.

During his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis recalls his recent Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, and praises the living and joyful faith and witness of the Churches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.

The General Secretariat of the Synod officially announces the schedule for the second session of the XVI General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality, set for October, during a press conference held at the Holy See Press Office.

Ahead of the COP 29 in Azerbaijan, speakers participating at the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Holy See's high-level event on energy conversion tell Vatican News how this transition can generate new professions that can concretely combat the phenomenon worrying young people globally.

Pope Francis releases his message for the 39th World Youth Day, and encourages young people to embrace life's challenges with hope and perseverance.

The fifth National Eucharistic Congress in Tanzania concluded with Bishop Wolfgang Pisa, urging the faithful to allow themselves to be touched and changed by the Holy Eucharist. The Tanzanian Bishops also took the opportunity to pronounce themselves on the spate of killings and abductions that have recently rocked the usually peaceful nation.

Cardinals Grech and Hollerich, along with Father Costa and Monsignor Battocchio, outline the details of the October General Assembly of the Synod in a Vatican briefing moderated by the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. The Pope will preside over a penitential celebration with testimonies from victims of abuse, war, and indifference to migration. Notable novelties include four public fora while two bishops from China will attend again.

The massive project of restoring Paris’ Cathedral of Notre-Dame is due to reach completion in the coming months, opening its doors to the faithful on the evening of December 7. Three months before this deadline, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris serves as our guide amidst the scaffolding and craftsmen still active inside the construction site.

In the wake of recent flooding in northern Thailand, the Bishop of Chiang Rai and hundreds of volunteers are working to clear thick mud from churches and homes.

During the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis celebrates the life and witness of Blessed Fr. Moisés Lira Serafin, beatified the day before at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City at a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

In his reflections on the Sunday Gospel, Pope Francis reminds us that knowledge of the Lord is important, but so also is following Him and letting ourselves be transformed by His Gospel so that we can truly be converted.

Following the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis prays for victims of floods in Vietnam and Myanmar, notes the Beatification of Fr Moises Lira Serafin, remembers those suffering from ALS, and appeals once again for peace throughout the world.

As the Church marks the Twenty-fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Fr. Edmund Power, OSB, offers his thoughts on the day’s liturgical readings under the theme: “Christ crucified, the heart of the Christian message”.

Abbot Jeremias Schröder from Germany is elected Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation during the Congress of Abbots meeting in Rome.

Pope Francis encourages the Theatine Regulars to embrace with joy the paths of renewal, communion, and service as they celebrate the anniversary of the solemn profession of their founder, St Cajetan, and his first companions.

Athletica Vaticana, the 'Team of the Pope,' prepares for its imminent participation in the European Cycling Championship in Belgium, less than two weeks before Pope Francis is slated to make an Apostolic Journey to the nation.

Pope Francis stops at the Basilica of St. Mary Major upon his return to Rome to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection throughout his 12-day Apostolic Journey.

Aboard the flight from Singapore to Rome, Pope Francis spoke to journalists about the civilian tragedy of the war in Gaza and the need for Americans to choose in conscience between Harris and Trump. He condemns abortion and the rejection of migrants, and expresses a positive view of the agreement with China, calling the country a promise and hope for the Church.

Cardinal William Goh expresses his appreciation for the closeness and care that Pope Francis showed the people of Singapore, and invites the universal Church to learn from the experiential faith of Asian Catholics.

Pope Francis boards the papal plane in Singapore to return to Rome, and concludes his 12-day Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania.

At the conclusion of Pope Francis' pilgrimage to Asia and Oceania, our Editorial Director offers his thoughts on the images and experiences that are destined to remain in the heart and mind of everyone involved.

Pope Francis holds a private meeting with the clergy and consecrated religious of Singapore, and urges nuns to always express the motherhood of the Church.

Pope Francis visits with a group of elderly and sick people at St. Theresa's Home in Singapore and tells them their prayers "are very important to God."

Pope Francis’ first full day in Singapore kicks off with meetings with the President and PM and a discourse to the authorities, and then it is the occasion for an ethnically diverse but united society to come together for Holy Mass.

During Mass at the National Stadium in Singapore, Pope Francis reminds the faithful that love is at the foundation of all that we are and do.

Addressing Singapore's authorities, civil society and members of the diplomatic corps, Pope Francis praises Singapore's growth, resilience, and commitment to social justice, urging continued efforts toward inclusivity, environmental sustainability, and the common good.

Pope Francis’ urgent call to create the conditions for a just and fraternal world echoed loud, in different contexts, throughout his Apostolic Journey to Oceania and Southeast Asia.

On the first day of his Apostolic Journey to Singapore, Pope Francis' only appointment was a "warm and fraternal" meeting with his Jesuit brothers serving in the country.

As Pope Francis begins the final leg of his Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania, Jacob Soo, the Executive Director at the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI) in Singapore, breaks down the complex migration situation in the Southeast Asian city-state, highlighting key challenges and ACMI’s responses.