When Pope Francis gave the green light for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to issue its controversial 2024 declaration Fiducia Supplicans, authorizing the blessing of persons in same-sex unions, presumably the point was to fill a pastoral void and to reach out to a constituency often alienated from the Catholic Church.

At Mass on the second day of the Novemdiales, or “nine days” of mourning for the late Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin invited Christians to look to Christ’s infinite mercy for peace in the world and in our hearts. In his homily, the 70-year-old Italian-born Cardinal drew inspiration from the day’s Gospel, which recalls the fear and sadness of the Apostles as they huddled in the Upper Room after Jesus’ death.

For the past week, the death of Pope Francis has dominated the news. For the next several weeks, the election of his predecessor will do so. And today the Church places before us the story about Thomas’s doubt and, therefore, about what it means to believe. In God’s providence, the scene orients our thoughts and prayers about the papacy and the next pope...

Pope Francis battled to the end. He fought through his great suffering. The way he died showed the real measure of the man. Amazing how one moment in an 88-year life can be so defining, so inspiring. He didn’t die alone. Jesus was with him till his last breath. Mary, too, watched over him. He showed us how suffering can be noble — how life is still valuable even in the last hours.

As all in the Catholic Church pray for the eternal repose of the soul of Pope Francis and begin the assessment of his life and papal legacy, it’s essential to begin with how he himself viewed his life and divine calling. He summed it up at the very moment his pontificate began. After a pope exceeds the requisite number of votes in a conclave, he is formally asked...

In addition to their unprecedented historical importance, the Dead Sea Scrolls are archaeological marvels. First discovered in 1946 by a shepherd in the Qumran Caves of the Judaean desert, this mysterious collection of ancient manuscripts comprising biblical texts, calendars, and astrological charts has long excited scientists — and left them wondering how they survived so well for some 2,000 years.

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced Tuesday. The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.

We need to garden, now, more than ever. Two diverse things can bring this into focus for us today: artificial intelligence, and celebrating Easter. What is called artificial intelligence (hereafter, AI) is swiftly and steadily making its way into our life in obvious and not so obvious ways. I will not attempt a fuller analysis of the dangerous effects of AI, nor will I address the thorny question of its legitimate uses...

God, Who, in Thine ineffable providence, didst will that Thy servant Francis ... should be numbered among the high priests; grant, we beseech Thee, that he, who on earth held the place of Thine only-begotten Son, may be joined forevermore to the fellowship of Thy holy pontiffs. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

How will Pope Francis be remembered? Pope Francis, 88, leader of the world’s more than one billion Catholics, died this morning at 7:35 a.m., after a brief rally from a long period of illness that began with a severe respiratory infection. Many things come next: a papal funeral, a conclave, and the announcement of a new Pope. But the question of the Argentinian pope’s legacy will linger...