Latest Roman Catholicism News
Millions mark Mexico's Virgin of Guadalupe Day but calls for a truce in drug violence go unheeded
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Millions of faithful gathered to mark Mexico’s Virgin of Guadalupe Day, honoring the country’s patron saint. But calls by the Roman Catholic Church for a truce in Mexico's ongoing cartel violence apparently went unheeded as more dead bodies were found in the country on...
Vatican's keffiyeh Nativity scene raises eyebrows and then disappears — at least until Christmas Eve
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis presided over his weekly general audience Wednesday alongside a Palestinian-crafted Nativity scene that was missing its eyebrow-raising signature element: a keffiyeh-draped manger holding the infant Jesus. The wooden Nativity scene in the...
The spiritual heart of Paris awakens: Notre Dame hosts first Mass since 2019 fire
PARIS (AP) — Notre Dame Cathedral, its air thick with the smell of incense, hosted its first Mass on Sunday since the catastrophic fire of 2019, a moment that transcended religious significance to become a powerful symbol of Paris’ resilience. Beneath the glow of traditional...
Notre Dame's reopening celebrated its saviors as much as the cathedral's resurrection from fire
PARIS (AP) — The reopening ceremonies for Notre Dame were as much a celebration of people as they were a rejoicing at the cathedral's resurrection from fire. Outside, the Catholic faithful shivered and prayed in the cold and the rain — and yet were ecstatic and said they wouldn't...
An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on
PARIS (AP) — Howling winds couldn’t stop Notre Dame Cathedral ’s heart from beating again. With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a specially designed crosier carved from fire-scorched beams, the monument roared back to life...
Notre Dame's reopening will begin with an archbishop's knock on the doors. Here's what comes next
PARIS (AP) — The reopening this weekend of Notre Dame is a succession of ceremonies to breathe life back into the iconic cathedral and celebrate the recovery from its devastating fire in 2019. Forecasts of stormy winds forced a late change in plans Friday, moving all of Saturday's...
'AI Jesus' avatar tests man's faith in machines and the divine
LUCERNE, Switzerland (AP) — Would you trust an “AI Jesus” with your innermost thoughts and troubles? Researchers and religious leaders on Wednesday released findings from a two-month experiment through art in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland, where an avatar of “Jesus” on...
Vatican and Microsoft create AI-generated St. Peter's Basilica to allow virtual visits, log damage
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican and Microsoft on Monday unveiled a digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica that uses artificial intelligence to explore one of the world’s most important monument’s while helping the Holy See manage visitor flows and identify conservation problems. ...
Bishops and bankers meet to help Catholics seeking to ethically invest
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Religious communities are increasingly seeking to invest in companies that match their faith values and ethical concerns, but experts say the financial market lags in providing the appropriate options. A conference in London on Monday and Tuesday (Nov. 11-12)...
Pope to make late Italian teenager Carlo Acutis the first millennial saint on April 27
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis said he will canonize Carlo Acutis next April, setting the eagerly awaited date for the late teenager to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial and digital-era saint. Francis made the announcement at the end of his weekly general audience on...
