This church was "discovered" by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. After attempts to "latinize" the rite, many broke away to form their own rite under the control of the Syrian Patriarch.

A cardinal (from the Latin “cardinalis” or principal) is a high dignitary of the Catholic Church chosen by the pope to assist him in his government. Gathered in the College of Cardinals ...

This is not merely a biographical detail. His papacy was transformative in shaping a Catholic Church that was not focused solely on Europe. He shifted its attention from the old continent to the ...

With a conclave to select a new pope typically not taking place for two to three weeks after a pontiff's passing, several weeks can go by without a pope leading the Roman Catholic Church.

"Having the opportunity to be heard is unbelievably important as a step towards healing, not only for the survivors, but also for the church," Kevin Braney said. Braney is the Committee Chair and ...

The first Latin American and Jesuit pope was determined to lead a more welcoming, pastoral and merciful Church outward to a broken world. Pope Francis (1936–2025), who led the Catholic Church ...

Before we start handicapping, I’m curious how you think the conservative relationship to Rome and church authority changed during Pope Francis’ pontificate. What has it meant for conservative ...

Pope Francis’ death fires the starting gun on what many see as a battle for the soul of the church – pitting those who want to continue his progressive reforms against a small but powerful ...

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. On Easter Sunday, he used his message and blessing to appeal for peace in Middle East and Ukraine.

About six months after he was elected head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis made a surprising admission. A Jesuit priest was interviewing Francis when he departed from a pre-approved list of ...

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, an Argentinian son of Italian immigrants who became Pope Francis, turned out to be a consistently surprising pontiff who forced his Roman Catholic Church to look beyond its ...

Often vague and imprecise, his comments led to fierce arguments over interpretation that polarized the Church. In 2016, for example, he suggested to reporters that the use of contraception could ...