Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Vatican News
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV calls the death penalty ‘inadmissible’ after announcement of public execution in US
Pope Leo XIV described the death penalty as “inadmissible” in a message posted on social media on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty on Saturday, Oct. 10.In his post, the pontiff stated: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the p...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV to be admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday
Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome on late Tuesday morning.The Holy See Press Office made the announcement on Monday, one day after the pontiff said, during his Sunday Angelus, that he would undergo surgery to remove a nodule from one of his lungs.The nodule, he...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV appoints new archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, a 61-year-old Italian Franciscan, as the new archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.The appointment also includes the positions of vicar general for Vatican City and president of the Fabric of St. Peter, the body responsible for the conserv...
Vatican News
Breaking the stigma: Rome conference highlights Catholic mental health ministry
A conference in Rome last week brought together clergy, pastoral workers, and mental health professionals to discuss how to overcome the stigma surrounding mental health in the Church.The conference, “A Healing Presence: The Church’s Call to Mental Health Ministry,” held in Rome from Oct. 9–10, resp...
Vatican News
‘Lead, Kindly Light’: New documentary on St. John Henry Newman premieres in Rome
A new documentary about the life of St. John Henry Newman has premiered in Rome.The film “Lead Kindly Light: The Story of Saint John Henry Newman” premiered at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome on Oct. 9, marking the first celebration of his feast day since Pope Leo XIV declared hi...
Vatican News
Carlo Acutis and the 4 popes
Oct. 12, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of the death of St. Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager who captivated a generation of young Catholics with his love of the Eucharist and passion for technology.Acutis’ journey to sainthood has unfolded alongside the lives of the last four popes, each of whom...
Vatican News
LIVE UPDATES: Pope Leo arrives at Gemelli Hospital, will perform surgery on Tuesday
Pope Leo XIV arrived at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for same-day surgery to remove a small lung nodule detected at a very early stage. Follow updates and reactions here.
Vatican News
Cardinal Zuppi visits Russia to urge release of Ukrainian prisoners
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, has again been appointed as a papal envoy to Russia.Pope Leo XIV appointed Zuppi to lead a Vatican delegation to Russia from Sept. 28–30 to advocate for the release of Ukrainian prisoners amid the ongoing...
Vatican News
Vatican confirms abuse by founder of Institute of the Incarnate Word, orders renewal
ROME — The Holy See has confirmed that Argentine priest Carlos Miguel Buela, founder of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE), committed abuse against several individuals.The Vatican reached this conclusion following a canonical process and has ordered the religious family, which has been under...
Vatican News
Cardinal Parolin tells UN: Self-defense does not justify an arms race
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, said that nations have the right to self-defense but urged them not to use it as an excuse for rearmament.Parolin addressed the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26 at the opening of its 81st session. The U.N. chose “...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV says ‘rebirth’ is key to understanding France trip
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday reflected on his recent four-day pastoral visit to France, calling it a “great gift” and saying the trip could be understood through one central image: the reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.“It is precisely Notre-Dame, with the tragedy it has en...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV to contemplative nuns: In a world of speed, silence is precious
Pope Leo XIV encouraged contemplative nuns to uphold their commitment to silence amid a noisy world and aging religious communities.“[Silence] is particularly important in a world characterized by speed, where everything must be immediately visible and every void must be filled in a hurry,” Leo said...