“Please; to be with Jesus is to be joyful, it is also to have the capacity that holiness gives us to have this sense of humor.”

“I join in the unanimous concern for the situation in Afghanistan. I ask all of you to pray with me to the God of peace, so that the clamor of weapons might cease and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue.”

While the Holy See continues to dialogue with the Chinese government, the church is proud of Catholics who have held on to their faith in the country, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Pope Francis: “Let us remember that the church always has difficulties, always is in crisis, because she’s alive. Living things go through crises. Only the dead don’t have crises”

APSA’s budget summary, made public for the first time, offered a glimpse into the Vatican’s investments and real estate holdings, which often have been shrouded in mystery and subject to much speculation.

A Vatican prosecutor requested that Father Gabriele Martinelli, who is accused of sexually abusing a younger student at the St. Pius X Pre-Seminary, be sentenced to six years in prison if convicted.

Pope Francis congratulated retired Pope Benedict XVI on the 70th anniversary of his priestly ordination.

In the assessment released on June 9th, the European Watchdog committee states that the Vatican's efforts towards investigating potential crimes committed by senior officials needs improving.

The life and works of the famed Italian poet Dante Alighieri remain a lasting treasure that embodies the virtue of hope, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis’ Holy Week and Easter will be celebrated primarily in St. Peter’s Basilica with a very small congregation.