"Laudato Si'," the title Pope Francis chose for his encyclical on the environment, comes from a hymn of praise by St. Francis of Assisi that emphasizes being in harmony with God, with other creatures and with other human beings, said the head of the Franciscan order.Sitting under tower

Ongoing crisis in eastern Ukraine was the principal topic of their conversation.

Move considered 'a further sign of the Vatican's commitment to financial transparency'

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With financial assistance from Pope Francis, a Rome parish led 50 homeless and poor people on a pilgrimage to see the Shroud of Turin June 4 and has provided the money needed for another Rome parish to do the same a week later.Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, sai

Saunders said the cardinal acted 'with callousness, cold heartedness.'

Pope Francis seems to describe his life in the Vatican almost as if he were in prison mdash at least as far as his freedom of movement goes But that is not the first thing he cites when he talks about what he and prisoners have in common When visiting a prison he said quot I think to myself 3

Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero's preferential love for the poor "was not ideological, but evangelical," said Cardinal Angelo Amato, the prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes.The cardinal, who was delegated by Pope Francis to preside over Archbishop Romero's beatifi

Chaldean Bishop Antoine Audo of Aleppo, Syria, and his people are exhausted.The bishop, who is president of the church's charitable agency, Caritas Syria, left the country for a few days to attend the general assembly of Caritas Internationals in Rome May 12-17.Daily life "is becoming more

Vatican and Palestinian representatives have finalized the text of a formal agreement recognizing freedom of religion in the "State of Palestine" and outlining the rights and obligations of the Catholic Church, its agencies and its personnel in the territory.Without fanfare, the Vatican ha

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, who was convicted in 2012 on one misdemeanor count of failing to report suspected child abuse.The Vatican announced the bishop's resignation April 21, specifying it was under the terms of the