Catholic church

Pope Leo asks God for 'a world with no more antisemitism' on Holocaust Remembrance Day

"On this annual occasion of painful remembrance, I ask the Almighty for the gift of a world with no more antisemitism," Pope Leo said.

|ByREUTERS, LEO FEIERBERG BETTER
Pope Leo XIV presides over the Ecumenical Vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, on January 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy.
Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd during a meeting with bishpops, priests consacrated persons and personal workers at the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, northeast of the capital Beirut, on December 1, 2025.

Pope Leo XIV challenges Illinois governor over end-of-life legislation

The Illinois bill, which takes effect next September, gives terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less the option to request a medical prescription to end their lives.

|ByREUTERS
President Isaac Herzog meets with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, September 4, 2025.

Israel's Herzog, Pope Leo discuss rise in worldwide antisemitism ahead of Christmas

The pope expressed his pride in Israel’s diverse and thriving Christian communities, who will gather at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem for an annual festive meeting in the coming weeks.

|ByESTHER DAVIS
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai receives a chalice from Pope Leo XIV (R) at a Holy Mass during the pope’s first apostolic journey, in Beirut, on December 2.

Pope Leo decries leaders who invoke religion for violence and nationalism

"It has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion," said the pope.

|ByREUTERS

60% of US Catholics say abortion should be legal, reflecting political divides within the Church

The survey also uncovered notable demographic shifts and regional variations within the US Catholic community.

APRIL 17, 2024ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Abortion rights protesters demonstrate after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Dobbs v Women’s Health Organization abortion case, overturning the landmark Roe v Wade abortion decision in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 27, 2022.

Pope Francis meets with families of Hamas hostages, marks 6-month anniversary

As part of his diplomatic efforts, Francis also met last November with a group of Palestinians affected by the conflict.

APRIL 10, 2024ByTHE MEDIA LINE STAFF
Pope Francis holds the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 8, 2023.

Pope Francis calls for Gaza ceasefire in Easter address

Francis has repeatedly deplored the death and destruction in the Gaza war.

MARCH 31, 2024ByREUTERS
Pope Francis looks on from a balcony, on the day he delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" (To the city and the world) message at St. Peter's Square, on Easter Sunday, at the Vatican March 31, 2024.

'War is always a defeat': Pope calls to end wars in Gaza, Ukraine

"We should never forget that war is always a defeat," Pope Francis said.

MARCH 20, 2024ByREUTERS
Pope Francis reacts during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, March 20, 2024.

Pope Francis calls for studies into 'ugly' gender theory

"I have asked that studies be carried out into this ugly ideology of our times, which cancels out the differences and makes everything the same," the pope said.

MARCH 1, 2024ByREUTERS
Pope Francis holds a weekly general audience in Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, August 30, 2023.

In Jerusalem, Catholics commemorate when Jesus was crowned with thorns

According to Christian tradition, Jesus was crowned with thorns on the day of his crucifixion. The thorns were meant to mock him for claiming to be the "king of the Jews."

FEBRUARY 17, 2024ByMAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
Feast of Thorns ceremony in Jerusalem.

Pope sees 'hypocrisy' in those who criticize LGBT blessings

He also stressed that such blessings do not amount to formal Church approval for same-sex unions.

FEBRUARY 7, 2024ByREUTERS
Pope Francis speaks during a meeting with members of Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service (CHARIS) at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, November 4, 2023

Pope says Africans are 'special case' when it comes to LGBT blessings

Blessings were allowed last month in a document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), which has caused widespread debate in the Catholic Church.

JANUARY 29, 2024ByREUTERS
Pope Francis leads the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, October 11, 2023.

Vatican eases rules on the ashes of the dead

In previous guidance from 2016, the Vatican said the ashes must be kept in "sacred places", and therefore neither at home, divided among family members nor scattered to the wind.

DECEMBER 12, 2023ByREUTERS
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

Spain's Catholic Church to compensate sexual abuse victims

The Church had until now refused to compensate victims in cases where the abuser had died, a frequent occurrence.

NOVEMBER 24, 2023ByREUTERS
A church is seen on the day Portugal's commission investigating allegations of historical child sexual abuse by members of the Portuguese Catholic church will unveil its report, in Lisbon, Portugal, February 13, 2023.