March 15, 2021 Vatican: Catholic priests, ministers can't bless same-sex unions The Vatican decreed Monday that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.”
March 7, 2021 Where ISIS ruled, Pope Francis calls on Christians to forgive, rebuild Pope Francis called on Iraq's Christians to forgive the injustices committed against them by Muslim extremists and to rebuild as he visited the wrecked shells of churches and met ecstatic crowds in the community's historic heartland, which was nearly erased by the Islamic State group's horrific reign.
February 18, 2021 Anti-vax at the Vatican? You might lose your job The Vatican is taking Pope Francis’ pro-vaccine stance very seriously: Any Vatican employee who refuses to get a coronavirus shot without a valid medical reason risks being fired.
February 17, 2021 COVID-19 pandemic forces Ash Wednesday changes worldwide Ash Wednesday services will look different for Christian churches around the world this year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
January 13, 2021 Pope Francis receives coronavirus vaccine as Vatican begins rollout: reports Pope Francis received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday as the Vatican began its vaccination campaign, according to reports.
January 11, 2021 Pope Francis changes church law, grants women more access to altar Pope Francis changed church law Monday to explicitly allow women to do more things during Mass, granting them access to the most sacred place on the altar, while continuing to affirm that they cannot be priests.
January 1, 2021 Pope Francis pushes through back pain to give New Year's blessing Pope Francis ushered in the New Year on Friday with a traditional Angelus blessing from the papal library, pushing through nerve pain that forced him to skip New Year’s ceremonies in St. Peter’s Basilica.
December 31, 2020 Pope Francis to skip New Year's Eve ceremonies due to back pain Pope Francis is skipping New Year’s ceremonies due to what the Vatican says is a painful back condition, a spokesman said Thursday.
December 25, 2020 Pope on coronavirus vaccine: Needy, vulnerable must come first Pope Francis made a Christmas Day plea for authorities to make COVID-19 vaccines available to all, insisting that the first in line should be the most vulnerable and needy, regardless of who holds the patents for the shots.
December 24, 2020 Pope Francis celebrates low-key Christmas Eve Mass amid coronavirus restrictions Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass on Thursday night amid coronavirus restrictions that reduced a normal crowd of as many as 10,000 congregants to a group of fewer than 100 people, according to reports.