Vatican News

The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum.

The Holy Father carried the cross at the Roman amphitheater on Good Friday, the first time a pope has done so in several years.

After the proclamation of the Gospel of John’s account of Christ’s passion, the papal preacher, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFMCap, delivered a homily.

Far from their home villages, about 200 migrant Catholic workers near Dhaka gathered on Good Friday to reenact the Passion at a church center that serves 1,700 faithful in the industrial zone.

Across France, more than 13,000 adults will be baptized this Easter, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference — an increase of 28% compared with 2025. 

The highly anticipated sixth season will portray the 24 hours of Good Friday — culminating in Christ’s crucifixion.

A Ukrainian bishops issues warning about war, a Christian town in Lebanon mourns a father and son, Cameroon prepares for Pope Leo XIV’s visit, and more in this week’s Catholic world news roundup.

On Holy Thursday night, the Eternal City was alight with candlelit altars housing the blessed sacrament.

A new genetic study shows that the reputed burial cloth of Jesus contains DNA from a mix of people.

The pontiff discussed the ongoing wars and exchanged Easter greetings with the two presidents.

Built in 17th-century Lithuania to mirror Jerusalem’s topography, the Vilnius Calvary leads pilgrims through 35 stations over four miles of hills, valleys, and chapels.

Filipino bishops have urged the Catholic dioceses in the Philippines to support overseas workers, migrants, and their families back home amid the economic crisis following war with Iran.

The Good Friday Reproaches are a series of antiphons, known also as “Popule Meus” (“My People”), and come from the opening lines of the Latin text of the recitation.

As the Church mourns, Catholics are also called to solemnly observe this holy day.

Departing from Pope Francis’ custom of celebrating the liturgy in prisons or migrant centers, Leo celebrated the rite in the cathedral of Rome and washed the feet of 12 priests of the Diocese of Rome.

Catholic speakers for the May 17 event on the National Mall include Bishop Robert Barron, Father Mike Schmitz, and actor Jonathan Roumie. Cardinal Timothy Dolan is set to offer a video address.

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news.

The state committed “litigation intransigence” in fighting a lawsuit over policies that blocked parents from learning about their children’s transgender identities, a federal judge ruled.

On Holy Thursday, the pontiff urged Catholics to imitate Christ’s service in a world marked by brutality.

The Catholic bishops were among more than 50 intervenors presenting arguments at a landmark Supreme Court of Canada hearing into the constitutionality of Quebec’s 2019 secularism law.

India’s Catholic bishops are pushing back on a Supreme Court ruling that reaffirmed Christians are excluded from constitutional protections for lower-caste communities.

The archbishop of Cologne in Germany used his chrism Mass homily to call priests back to offering the daily Eucharist and warn against replacing Sunday Mass with word services.

Chrism Mass includes the blessing of the holy oils that will be used throughout the year in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, and holy orders.

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau lamented the severe persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.

More than half a century after humans last traveled beyond Earth’s orbit, a new NASA project for lunar exploration has begun, marking a historic day in the United States.

Speaking lovingly of his parents and his Catholic upbringing in Ireland, Keane paid tribute to his mother and the virtues he was raised with in Cork City, Ireland.

Builders AI Forum (BAIF) held its first conference at the Vatican in November 2025 and now hopes to be part of advancing Pope Leo XIV’s mission on artificial intelligence.

Catholic activists have complained of “persecution” and “a clear bias against Christianity” in a controversy over public prayer in the U.K. following an outdoor Islamic prayer service in London.

Father Gabriel Corraya of Dhaka, newly elevated to the title of monsignor by Pope Leo XIV, reflects on priesthood, humility, and service as the Catholic Church in Bangladesh marks Holy Thursday.

At the Holy Thursday chrism Mass, Leo XIV said the Church must reject domination, power, and “calculated strategy” in favor of humble service, unity, and peace.

The devotion involves traveling to seven local churches after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday.

President Trump’s first address on the Iran war signaled continued military action, as Catholic leaders called for dialogue and a ceasefire.

EWTN News speaks with Jesuit Father Richard A. D’Souza, director of the Vatican Observatory since September 2025.

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order denying citizenship to children of parents without legal immigration status.

The National Religious Broadcasters’ general counsel, Michael Farris, said the organization was surprised by the ruling and plans to appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman’s order cited November 2025 comments from Pope Leo XIV calling for detained migrants to have access to spiritual care. 

Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna described the pope’s unchanged personality and what his role as his personal secretary is like.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 31 that Colorado could not forbid therapists from helping young clients with unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria.

Christian leaders and Catholic clergy in the Muslim-majority South Asian nation are urging Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to add Easter Sunday to the government holiday calendar.

UEFA told EWTN News its fine on a Serbian soccer club was for offensive language, not a massive Orthodox Christian display — contradicting widespread reports the sanction targeted religious imagery.

The head of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network offers a look behind the scenes.

The pope’s reflection at the general audience was inspired by the Second Vatican Council’s dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium.

An advocate said “simply having euthanasia offered already kills a person, because it deflates and defeats a person’s sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and of value.”

After an assault on Syria’s town of Al-Suqaylabiyah, questions linger over security and accountability, causing Syria’s Christian communities to change Holy Week and Easter services.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said the agency will issue Title X grant notices for 2027 “matched with agency priorities.”

The pope expressed hope that President Donald Trump is seeking a way to decrease violence in the Middle East.

Father Jim Sichko raised $20,000 for gift cards for TSA workers while they were working without pay amid congressional negotiations about funding.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sounded the alarm over Islamic State groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo after escalating violence against Christians.

The logjam of vessels unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz has created a challenging situation for the Apostleship of the Sea, which provides pastoral care for sailors.

In a video released on X, the Holy Father posed a question for the faithful: “Have you ever been in a crisis?”