Bari Trip Gives Pope a Chance to Help Save Christianity in the Middle East

During the Roman Empire, the entire Mediterranean region was known as Mare Nostrum,“Our Sea.” It was an imperial assertion of dominance, of course, but it also reflected the idea that the peoples of the Mediterranean are linked by geography and destiny, sharing a common fate.

Pope Says New Vatican Finance Laws, Norms Are Working

The decade-long process of updating the laws of Vatican City State is part of the Vatican’s support for international commitments to protect people and safeguard vulnerable groups, who are “frequently the victims of new, odious forms of illegality,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Ducks Debates Over Married Priests, Women Deacons in Amazon Doc

Pope Francis’s highly anticipated document on the Amazon bypasses two hot-button issues looming over its publication – the possibility of married priests and women deacons – while calling for “outrage” over the treatment of the region’s land and its peoples.

U.S. Bishops Ask Pope About Amazon Synod, Discuss Range of Issues

Talking about debates, differences and discernment, Pope Francis told a group of U.S. bishops that people focused on the possibility of ordaining some married men and women deacons for service in the Amazon will be disappointed in his apostolic exhortation.

Bishop Urges Catholics to Exercise ‘Prudence’ When Voting

Moral theology often focuses on individual policy decisions and how they measure against Catholic teaching – but too little attention has been paid to how Catholics should navigate voting for specific candidates, said Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego in a sweeping address ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

Pope Francis to Celebrate Pentecost in Malta

Pope Francis will celebrate Pentecost in Malta, the Mediterranean island-nation where St. Paul was shipwrecked and where thousands of migrants and refugees continue to seek welcome and shelter.