Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Vatican News
Vatican News
Documentary about St. Carlo Acutis premieres at the Vatican
Roughly a year after the canonization of Carlo Acutis — the first millennial saint — an authorized documentary about him is set to premiere worldwide.“Carlo Acutis: The Young Saint” premiered at the Vatican Film Library on Sept. 29. The documentary, featuring never-before-seen footage of Acutis’ lif...
Vatican News
Vatican official says Vatican finances need more scrutiny despite progress
A Vatican official called for greater scrutiny of Vatican finances after roughly 15 years of reforms.Monsignor Anthony Ekpo, assessor for general affairs of the Secretariat of State and president of the Financial Security Committee, spoke at a conference at Rome’s Luiss University on Sept. 29. Accor...
Vatican News
Bishop Barron in Rome: Despite tension, Catholicism is deeply aligned with American ideals
Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, argued that Catholic theology is deeply compatible with the founding of the United States as it marks its 250th anniversary.The evangelist and founder of Word on Fire Ministries delivered the keynote address at the “America at 250” event at the U....
Vatican News
Vatican calls for a renewal of attention in the age of clickbait
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication has unveiled the theme for the 61st World Day of Social Communications: “A New Gaze: Paying Attention in the Age of Clickbait.”With this theme, the Vatican will invite people “to reflect on Christ’s compassionate gaze as a way of overcoming the superficialit...
Vatican News
Synod proposes reforming canon law to give greater weight to laity, women in the Church
The General Secretariat of the Synod published on Wednesday the final report of the Canonical Commission, which explicitly endorses several proposals to amend the Code of Canon Law related to the participation of laymen and laywomen in the life and governance of the Church.Specifically, the document...
Vatican News
Pope warns of ‘uncontrolled consumption of resources,’ challenges to waste disposal
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday warned of the urgency of the current ecological crisis during an audience at the Vatican with a delegation from the Hera Group, an Italian conglomerate specializing in environmental services, waste management, integrated water systems, and energy.“The ecological challenge of...
Vatican News
Pope prays the rosary with children: ‘50 million Hail Marys rising to heaven’
VATICAN CITY — More than 700 children from schools and parishes in Rome joined Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican Gardens on Thursday to pray the rosary for peace in the world.The Oct. 1 event marked the beginning of a week of prayer for the initiative “One Million Children Praying the Rosary,” promoted by...
Vatican News
This is Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of October
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of October is for the mental health ministry.“Melancholy, bad character, confusion of senses — today, we understand that behind these old labels lies a deep, silent suffering not only of those affected by mental disorders but also of their loved ones and...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV arrives in Paris at start of 4-day visit to France
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for a four-day visit to the country that begins with a packed first day, with stops at UNESCO headquarters, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the national stadium for a prayer vigil with 80,000 young people. Leo is the first pope to visit Paris since Pope Ben...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV, in France, says protection of life a duty for everyone
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV, in his first speech during a four-day visit to France, lamented the use of science and technology for profit instead of moral and ethical human progress and said that everyone is responsible for the protection of life.Addressing French President Emmanuel Macron and other govern...
Vatican News
Pope Leo XIV warns of ‘corruption of culture’ in the age of AI
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence has fostered a “corruption of culture” that could affect what it means to be human during a speech at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday.The pontiff visited the headquarters of UNESCO — a s...
Vatican News
Pope Leo prays at Notre-Dame Cathedral: ‘Where heaven and earth meet’
PARIS — Pope Leo XIV prayed evening prayer at Notre-Dame Cathedral on Friday, becoming the first pope to set foot in the monumental church since it was rebuilt after the 2019 fire that ravaged its roof, nave, and spire.Less than two years after its reopening, Leo reflected on the iconic cathedral, w...