Read & Reflect
Articles, reflections, news, and homilies — thoughtful Catholic content for the faithful, published regularly.
Latest Articles
Featured
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
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 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...
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...