Latest Roman Catholicism News
Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome in a test of the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. From his...
A Holy Year is about to start in Rome. Here's what you need to know
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Tuesday formally inaugurates the 2025 Holy Year, reviving an ancient church tradition encouraging the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome, amid new security fears following a Christmas market attack in Germany. At the start of Christmas Eve...
13 people including children die in stampedes in Nigeria at Christmas charity events
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday. The two accidents came days after...
Ten people including children die in a stampede in Nigeria at a Christmas food distribution event
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ten people, including four children, have been killed in a stampede in Nigeria’s capital city as a large crowd gathered to collect food items distributed by a local church at a Christmas event, the police said Saturday. The stampede occurred in the early...
Leap of faith: A few young women in US buck the trends by joining the ranks of Catholic nuns
PALMYRA, Pa. (AP) — It was a radical idea, and for many years she had been resistant. But as Zoey Stapleton, 24, walked down a darkened hiking trail, steps behind her parents, she counted back from three and “took a leap of faith,” revealing to them that she wanted to become a...
Takeaways from AP’s reporting on young nuns
Less than 1% of nuns in the United States today are 30 or younger. That number has remained steady in the past decade but shows little signs of increasing. Between 100 and 200 young women enter into a religious vocation each year in the U.S., and not all of them will complete the...
White House says Biden will visit Pope Francis, Meloni in final international trip of his presidency
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will travel to Italy next month to meet with Pope Francis and top Italian officials for what is expected to be the final international trip of his presidency. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden will also...
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...
