Missouri Executes Death Row Prisoner Despite Pleas From Pope and Others

Ernest L. Johnson, 61, was executed for killing three convenience store employees during a 1994 robbery. Supporters, including Pope Francis, said his intellectual disabilities made the execution unconstitutional.

Pope Weighs In on Calls to Deny Communion to Biden Over Abortion

“What must the pastor do?” Francis said when a reporter asked him about the subject. “Be a pastor, don’t go condemning.”

‘Not a Flag to Wave’: Pope Criticizes Political Use of Christianity

On a four-day visit to Slovakia and Hungary, Francis had strong words for those who wield Christian symbols for personal gain.

In Orban’s Hungary, Pope Urges Bishops to Embrace Diversity

On a quick trip to the country, Francis met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary’s hard-right leader, before celebrating a public Mass.

Meeting Hungary’s Strongman, Pope Treads a Fine Line With an Embattled Leader

Pope Francis’ meeting with Viktor Orban could help, or hurt, the prime minister’s efforts to curry favor with voters ahead of coming elections in Hungary, which is predominantly Catholic.

Pope Criticizes Western Intervention in Afghanistan

In a wide-ranging interview with a Spanish-language radio network, Francis said he was in good health after colon surgery in July, and insisted that he had not considered resigning.

Pope Criticizes Western Intervention in Afghanistan

In a wide-ranging interview with a Spanish-language radio network, Francis said he was in good health after colon surgery in July, and insisted that he had not considered resigning.

Pope Francis Encourages Covid Vaccines in Media Campaign

“Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love,” the pope says in a video from the Ad Council.

Opinion | Pope Francis Is Tearing the Catholic Church Apart

Pope Francis’ move against the Latin Mass will deepen the divisions in the church. 

Vatican Says Pope Is in ‘Good General Condition’ After Colon Surgery

The 84-year-old pontiff was “alert” after a three-hour operation, but he is expected to stay in the hospital in Rome for a week.

A Closer Look at the Colon Condition That Hospitalized the Pope

Francis suffered a disorder that is relatively common and treatable, and doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

Pope Sends More Mixed Messages on L.G.B.T.Q. Rights

An encouraging note from Pope Francis capped an especially disorienting week on the Vatican’s stance toward gay rights.

Vatican Expresses Deep Reservations Over Gay Rights Bill in Italy

The move prompted cries of political meddling from liberal politicians and gestures of gratitude from conservatives. A church historian called it “an unprecedented act.”

Pope’s Silence Speaks Volumes on Controversial Communion Vote by U.S. Bishops

The divergence of the conservative American church from Francis’ agenda is now so obvious as to be unremarkable, even when U.S. bishops ignore a Vatican warning.

Pope’s Silence Speaks Volumes on Controversial Communion Vote by U.S. Bishops

The divergence of the conservative American church from Francis’ agenda is now so obvious as to be unremarkable, even when U.S. bishops ignore a Vatican warning.

Targeting Biden, Catholic Bishops Advance Controversial Communion Plan

The decision was aimed at the nation’s second Catholic president and exposed bitter divisions in American Catholicism.