Pope Francis celebrates Christmas Eve Mass as Italy sets pandemic record of new cases Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter's Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases. The Associated Press
Biden, Pope Francis discuss climate change and global vaccine sharing President Biden's meeting at the Vatican with the pope is one of several gatherings scheduled with global leaders over the next week. Jaclyn Diaz
Pope Francis expresses shame at the scale of child sexual abuse by clergy in France The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950. The Associated Press
Pope Francis Seen Leaving Hospital 10 Days After Intestinal Surgery AP journalists saw a car with Francis sitting in the front passenger seat leaving Rome's Gemelli Polytechnic hospital on Wednesday morning. The Associated Press
In Easter Message, Pope Francis Urges Broad Access To Vaccines And An End To Conflicts During Sunday's ceremony, the pope had harsh words for armed forces, support for struggling countries, and urged the use of vaccinations to curb the pandemic. Jeannette Muhammad
'I Come As A Pilgrim': Pope Francis Begins Historic Visit To Iraq The pontiff arrived at Baghdad International Airport where he was greeted by the prime minister. During his four-day visit, Francis will focus on Iraq's ancient but dwindling Christian community. Alice Fordham
In Pope Francis, Biden Has A Potential Ally — Who Shares The Same Catholic Detractors The pope and the president share liberal stances on climate change and economic disparity. A theology scholar argues U.S. Catholic Church leadership is increasingly allied with the political right. Sylvia Poggioli
Pope Plans Historic Visit To Iraq As Its Christian Populations Dwindle Many Iraqis — Christian and Muslim — say they are excited about the first papal visit to the country, raising hopes of religious tolerance in the face of extremist violence. Alice Fordham Play AudioListen 4 mins
Pope Prays For U.S. Capitol Victims, Urges Americans To Protect Democratic Values In remarks at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol and urged Americans to come together for the "common good." Matthew S. Schwartz
In A New Book, Pope Francis Speaks Out On The Coronavirus And Anti-Mask Protests People who claim that mask mandates deprive them of their personal freedom, Francis says, are "victims only in their own imagination." The book also addresses demonstrations against racial injustice. Tom Gjelten
