Catholic Church

‘The pope put us on the world’s radar’: Residents of Peruvian city talk about Pope Leo XIV’s impact on their diocese

Religion

Before he became the new pope, Robert Prevost was the bishop of Chiclayo, a city in the north of Peru, where many describe him as a key leader who helped guide them through tough times.

The life and legacy of Pope Francis

Obituary

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88

Religion

Holy Catholic relics from shuttered institutions are preserved on a New York campus

Sacred Spaces
A couple kiss in front of the Pantheon during a demonstration of supporters of same-sex civil union in Rome.

Protesters in Italy tell lawmakers it’s time to ‘wake up’ and recognize same-sex unions

Justice
Pope Francis waves to faithful as he arrives to lead an audience with the family members of victims of the mafia at the San Gregorio VII church in Rome. A woman shows a picture of her son with the words, "Where is my son?"

When the pope denounces the mafia, there’s a reason it is news

Lifestyle & Belief

Pope Francis condemned the mafia last week and warned mobsters that they’re going to hell unless they stop their evil ways. Here’s why that came as a surprise to those who know the Vatican’s history.Pope Francis condemned the mafia last week and warned mobsters that they’re going to hell unless they stop their evil ways. Here’s why that came as a surprise to those who know the Vatican’s history.

In a new Frontline documentary, director Antony Thomas goes inside the Vatican to reveal secrets of the institution.

A Frontline documentary exposes the Vatican’s ‘secrets’ under Pope Benedict

Lifestyle & Belief

Frontline’s new documentary, “Secrets of the Vatican,” uses leaked documents and interviews to expose turmoil, corruption and abuse in the final year of Pope Benedict’s papacy. It’s a legacy that Pope Francis is now trying to overcome.

Pope smiling in Feb 2014

Will the Pope shift the church’s stance on divorce?

Lifestyle & Belief

Divorced Catholics who remarry are not allowed to take communion. And that exclusion may well be reconsidered as Pope Francis develops his plans for reforming the church, according to Boston Globe columnist and author James Carroll.