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Young girls take a selfie in front of a poster promoting the upcoming trip of Pope Francis in Erbil

Pope Francis 'determined' on eve of Iraq visit

Pope Francis has asked for prayers ahead of his three-day historic visit to Iraq.

Pope Francis received a Covid-19 vaccination in January

Vatican walks back from vaccine decree after criticism

The Vatican has told employees that they may risk losing their jobs if they refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccination without legitimate health reasons.

Coronavirus • 18 Feb 21

It was the first jail sentence issued by a Vatican state court in concerning financial crimes

Former Vatican bank chief jailed for money laundering

Angelo Caloia, a former head of the Vatican bank, has been found guilty of embezzlement and money laundering and sentenced to eight years and 11 months in prison.

World • 21 Jan 21

The pope traditionally gives his 'Urbi and Orbi' (To the City and The World) message from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica on 25 December

Pope adapts Christmas plans as cardinals contract virus

Pope Francis will deliver his Christmas Day message indoors due to coronavirus restrictions, the Vatican has said, as two cardinals close to the pontiff tested positive for Covid-19.

World • 22 Dec 20

Pope Francis has named new cardinals on seven occasions since his election in 2013

Pope Francis names 13 new cardinals

Thirteen new cardinals have been created by Pope Francis in a ceremony that took place at the Vatican on the eve of the first Sunday of Advent.

World • 28 Nov 20

Vatican report highlights Theodore McCarrick failings

A Vatican report into disgraced former US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick points to failings by popes, Vatican officials and senior US clerics who let him rise through the Catholic ranks despite repeated allegations of sexual misconduct.

World • 10 Nov 20

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square during his Sunday Angelus prayer

Pope Francis names 13 new cardinals

Pope Francis has named 13 new cardinals, including nine under the age of 80 who are eligible to enter a conclave to elect his successor after his death or resignation.

World • 25 Oct 20

Cardinal Pell's Vatican rival, Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, allegedly sent €700,000 to Australia

Australian police drop Vatican money transfer probe

Australian police have said they are not conducting any further investigation into a transfer of monies from the Vatican to Australia, which Italian media had reported were made during the prosecution of former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell.

World • 23 Oct 20

Former Vatican treasurer George Pell pictured arriving at his residence in Rome last month

Australian police probe Vatican funds transfer claim

Australian police are investigating reports of an alleged transfer of Vatican funds to Australia during the prosecution of former Vatican treasurer George Pell for child sex abuse and have referred the matter to an anti-corruption body.

World • 21 Oct 20

The Vatican claims Carlo Acutis interceded from heaven in 2013 to cure a Brazilian boy suffering from a rare pancreatic disease

Teenager one step from becoming first millennial saint

A British-born Italian teenager who dedicated his short life to spreading the faith online and helping the poor was beatified by the Catholic Church over the weekend.

World • 12 Oct 20

The investigation involves the department that runs St Peter's Basilica

Police raid Vatican department in finance investigation

Vatican police have seized documents and computers from the department tasked with maintaining St Peter's Basilica.

Europe • 30 Jun 20

The calls were contained in a new manual for church leaders and workers

Vatican urges Catholics to disinvest in fossil fuels

The Vatican has urged Catholics to disinvest from the armaments and fossil fuel industries and to closely monitor companies in sectors such as mining to check if they are damaging the environment.

World • 18 Jun 20

Pope Francis delivered his message via the internet from his library

Public returns to St Peter's Square

The public returned to St Peter's Square in the Vatican to receive a blessing from Pope Francis for the first time in nearly three months as he called for a year of reflection on the environment.

Coronavirus • 24 May 20

Pope Francis has re-opened some churches in Rome

Pope re-opens churches despite lockdown

The Pope has re-opened some churches in Rome, defying political pressure to close all public buildings in the battle to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Coronavirus • 13 Mar 20

George Pell began serving a six-year prison sentence a year ago

Cardinal Pell lawyers say child sex conviction 'wrong'

Lawyers for disgraced Cardinal George Pell have claimed he remains behind bars for child sex abuse based on "wrong" and "egregious" legal decisions, as they concluded a last-ditch appeal in Australia's top court.

World • 11 Mar 20

Pope Francis has been suffering from a cold

Pope tests negative for coronavirus - report

Pope Francis, who cancelled a Lent retreat for the first time in his papacy because he has a cold, has tested negative for coronavirus, the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported.

Coronavirus • 03 Mar 20

Documents on the pontificate of Pope Pius XII are seen at the Vatican Secret Archives

Vatican opens archive on pope's silence during WWII

Historians have begun combing the archives of the world's most contentious pope, hoping to glean why Pius XII stayed silent during the Nazi extermination of Jews in the Holocaust.

World • 03 Mar 20

Pope Francis to miss retreat south of Rome due to a cold

Pope Francis to miss retreat due to cold

Pope Francis has said that a cold he is suffering from will force him to skip a week-long Lenten spiritual retreat with senior Vatican officials south of Rome that had been due to start later today.

World • 01 Mar 20

Pope Francis was seen coughing through Ash Wednesday mass

Pope cancels group meetings over 'slight indisposition'

Pope Francis, who has been suffering from what the Vatican says is a "slight indisposition," resumed official audiences with individuals in his residence but three with groups were cancelled.

World • 29 Feb 20

Both Beijing and the Vatican have a say in appointing Catholic bishops in China

Chinese, Vatican foreign ministers hold first meeting

The foreign ministers of China and the Vatican have met in the first high-level encounter between the sides - a new sign of improving relations between two states with no diplomatic ties.

World • 15 Feb 20

Francesca Di Giovanni will oversee the Vatican's multilateral relations (Pic: Vatican News)

Pope appoints first woman to senior Vatican position

Pope Francis has named the first woman to hold a high-ranking position in the Secretariat of State, the Vatican's male-dominated diplomatic and administrative body.

World • 15 Jan 20

The retired pope has defended clerical celibacy

Benedict rejects opening up priesthood to married men

Former pope Benedict XVI has publicly urged his successor Pope Francis not to open the Catholic priesthood up to married men, in a plea that stunned Vatican experts.

World • 13 Jan 20

Francis weaved his sermon around the spiritual and personal significance of the night that Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Pope refers to church troubles in Christmas Eve mass

Pope Francis has led the world's 1.3 billion Catholics into Christmas, urging them not to let the church's failings lead them away from accepting God's love.

World • 24 Dec 19

Fr Oliver O'Reilly delivered the homily on the QIH attacks last September

Priest took 'very brave' stance over QIH attacks

The Association of Catholic Priests has said it supports Ballyconnell parish priest Fr Oliver O'Reilly for taking a "very brave" stance against those behind attacks on Quinn Industrial Holdings executives.

Ireland • 18 Nov 19

Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church's own sexual abuse crisis gave it a "duty to approach these issues"

Tech companies responsible for child safety - Pope

Pope Francis has said that technology company executives and investors must be held accountable if they put profit before the protection of children from harm, including the damage caused by easy access to pornography on the web.

World • 14 Nov 19