At the end of 2023, the number of Catholics in the world reached 1.405 billion, up 1.15% from 1.389 billion Catholics at the end of 2022, according to the Vatican’s Central Office of Church Statistics.

In this episode, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss a revealing new interview that the pope’s doctor gave to an Italian newspaper.

As Pope Francis continues his convalescence, the Vatican published a full calendar of Holy Week and Easter liturgies with no indication of who would preside or be the main celebrant.

A Reflection for Friday of the Third Week of Lent, by James T. Keane

A Reflection for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, by Heather Trotta

A Reflection for Thursday of the Third Week of Lent, by Robert Buckland