Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Vatican News
Vatican News
Vatican Observatory addresses one of science’s greatest enigmas: quantum gravity
The Vatican Observatory, one of the oldest astronomical institutions in the world, hosted its prestigious Vatican Observatory Lectures at its headquarters in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, last week. This year’s series focused on quantum gravity.The event brought together internationally renowned experts a...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV names nun, cardinal to succeed Cardinal Czerny at human development office
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday named Italian economist Sister Alessandra Smerilli, FMA, to succeed Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.Czerny will turn 80 on July 18, while the 51-year-old Salesian sister has been secretary, the No. 2 position...
Vatican News
Amid abuse scandal in UK, Pope Leo XIV appoints apostolic administrator to Northampton
Amid a sexual abuse scandal affecting the Diocese of Northampton in the United Kingdom, Pope Leo XIV named an apostolic administrator to oversee the diocese until a new bishop is appointed.The pontiff named Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster to replace Bishop David Oakley, who was charged with a...
Vatican News
Pope Leo strengthens Roman Curia with new appointments in key Vatican dicasteries
Pope Leo XIV continues to make changes to the leadership of the Roman Curia with new appointments to the No. 2 position in two key dicasteries: the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, responsible for promoting and ensuring the proper application of canon law in the Latin and Eastern Churches, and the D...
Vatican News
Vatican financial watchdog loses autonomy
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s financial intelligence and anti-money-laundering authority has been overhauled under a new 12-article statute that eliminates its president and board and places it under a new structure led by a director and deputy director appointed by the pope.The Authority for Financi...
Vatican News
Vatican begins 5-year, 5-million-euro restoration of Renaissance frescoes in Hall of Raphael
The Vatican Museums has launched an ambitious restoration to the frescoes of the Hall of Raphael in the Apostolic Palace, expected to take five years and to cost 5.5 million euros (around $6.3 million).The Renaissance frescoes — which date to the early 16th century and have been virtually untouched...
Vatican News
SSPX consecrates bishops in defiance of Rome’s schism warning
Pope Leo XIV is not even two years into his pontificate and he is already facing one of the most delicate episodes of his ministry: a new rupture within the Church.In a defiant move and despite repeated warnings from Rome, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) went ahead Wednesday with the consecration o...
Vatican News
Parolin: SSPX ordinations are ‘schismatic’
ROME — Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said Wednesday that the episcopal ordinations carried out earlier in the day without papal mandate by the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) constitute a schismatic act.“I don’t think there is much to say about this episode,” Parolin said at an e...
Vatican News
Vatican confirms excommunication of SSPX bishops, declares schism
One day after the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) consecrated four bishops without the permission of Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican issued a decree declaring the excommunication of all bishops involved in the ceremony and stating that the group is in schism.Published on July 2 by the Dicaster...
Vatican News
Vatican releases biopic on Pope Leo XIV’s early years in Rome
The Vatican has released a new documentary, “Leone a Roma,” about Pope Leo XIV’s early years in Rome before his election to the papacy.Following its previous documentaries, “León de Perú” and “Leo from Chicago,” the documentary premiered July 1 on the Vatican News YouTube channels in English, Italia...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV to spend July 4 with migrants on Italian island of Lampedusa
Pope Leo XIV will follow in his predecessor Pope Francis’ footsteps with a visit to a major migrant landing point, the Italian island of Lampedusa, on July 4.Continuing his summer of day trips in Italy, the first U.S.-born pope will spend the U.S. Independence Day greeting immigrants, celebrating Ma...
Vatican News
Vatican official to Catholic journalists: Be ‘disciples before influencers’
Editor’s Note: The following is the keynote address delivered by Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, to young Catholic media professionals and guests during the closing dinner of the 2026 EWTN Summer Academy on July 1 in Rome.Gratitude and hopeAllow me to...