Catholic Church

Pope Francis Wants to Consider Ordaining Married Men as Priests

This could help remote communities without priests

By Abigail Abrams March 9, 2017

Pope Francis Met Martin Scorsese to Discuss His New Movie About Priests

28 years after Last Temptation of Christ the Church is finally talking to Scorsese again

By Melissa Locker November 30, 2016

How Pope Francis and Mother Teresa Are Linked

She will be canonized Sept. 4

By Elizabeth Dias August 29, 2016

Argentinian Nuns Probed for Helping Former Minister Hide Wads of Cash in Convent

Four nuns are suspected of helping to hide $9 million

By Amanda Calvo July 21, 2016

Pope Francis Honors George And Amal Clooney For Charity Work

They attended the pontiff's Un Muro o Un Ponte Seminary at Paul VI Hall

By Lindsay Kimble / People May 30, 2016

What Happened the First Time a Pope Visited a Synagogue

John Paul II's Apr. 13, 1986, visit to Rome's Great Synagogue was the first of its kind

By Merrill Fabry April 13, 2016

Protesters Want Poland to Abandon Abortion Law

Demonstrators held coat hangers to show their opposition to the Catholic Church–backed law

By Simon Lewis April 4, 2016

Brazil Weighs Stiffer Abortion Penalties

While critics including in the UN have called on Brazil to liberalize abortion laws because of Zika, some members of the government want to toughen them

By Matt Sandy/Rio de Janeiro February 22, 2016

Vatican Says Bishops Don't Have to Report Child-Sex Abuse

Report says the church has told prelates that decision should be made by the victims and their families

By Rishi Iyengar February 11, 2016

Exclusive: Vatican Meets With U.S. LGBT Envoy

A symbolic meeting to open a controversial dialog

By Elizabeth Dias November 11, 2015

Pope Francis's Popularity Extends Beyond Catholics and Conservatives

50% of Catholics also had a more positive opinion of the Church

By Tanya Basu October 7, 2015

California Inks Right-to-Die Bill

California becomes the fifth state to allow the controversial practice

By Josh Sanburn October 5, 2015

Behind the Scenes With Pope Francis in America

Ten days of reporting from the Papal bubble

By Elizabeth Dias September 29, 2015

What Pope Francis Thought of the United States

The Pontiff touched on sexual abuse, women priests and peace in Colombia

By Elizabeth Dias / Papal Plane September 28, 2015

Scalpers Are Selling Pope Francis Visit Tickets on Craigslist

The practice has been denounced by political and religious leaders

By Victor Luckerson September 24, 2015

Here Are 5 Pope Francis Quotes On the Economy and Inequality

He has spoken out against 'the idolatry of money'

By Tom Huddleston, Jr. / Fortune September 14, 2015

California Assembly Passes Controversial Right-to-Die Bill

Senate likely to approve the measure

By Josh Sanburn September 9, 2015

What the Pope's Letter on Abortion Really Means

It fits his pastoral approach to the papacy

By Elizabeth Dias September 1, 2015

Warsaw's 'LGBT' Rainbow Sculpture Dismantled

The statue had already been burned down six times by right-wing groups

By Joanna Plucinska August 28, 2015

Pope Francis Rages Against Capitalism

The Pontiff slams the modern "dictatorship of an impersonal economy"

By Tanya Basu July 12, 2015

Why Obama Is Reaching Out to Catholics

President Obama's decision to speak before the Catholic Health Association on Tuesday about the morality of caring for society's vulnerable is politically strategic. Coming not long before an expected Supreme Court ruling on national subsidies...

By Elizabeth Dias June 9, 2015

George R.R. Martin Says This Religion Inspired the Game of Thrones Faith Militant

"The Sparrows" are based on a real religion

By Alexandra Sifferlin May 25, 2015

Vatican to Host Summit on Climate Change

The move is part of Pope Francis's environmental strategy

By Sarah Begley April 16, 2015

Will the Francis Revolution Last?

Not every pope with a game-changing dream succeeds in transforming the Church

By John L. Allen, Jr. March 8, 2015

The Environment's Pope

Francis is making the environment a top concern and speaking out against the ‘sin’ of ‘exploiting the Earth’

March 7, 2015

Why Pope Francis Won’t Let Women Become Priests

The first pope of the Catholic Church to have had a woman as a boss is steadfast in his defense of the status quo when it comes to women and Church leadership

By John L. Allen, Jr. March 6, 2015

Pope Francis's Report Card

A veteran Vatican watcher sizes up Pope Francis

By John L. Allen, Jr./Rome March 5, 2015

How Pope Francis’s Vatican Got Its Political Swagger Back

The new leader of the Catholic Church has used personal ties and the element of surprise to try to make political change

By John L. Allen, Jr. March 5, 2015

4 Things to Know About Ash Wednesday

What to know about the start of Lent

February 18, 2015

Pope Francis Trades Doves for Balloons

After doves released last year were attacked

By Justin Worland January 25, 2015

Pope: Catholics Shouldn't Be Breeding 'Like Rabbits'

After hopping around Asia, the Pontiff condemns artificial contraception

By TIME Staff January 19, 2015

Pope Francis Praises Filipinos' 'Heroic Strength'

Tribute paid to the "heroic strength, faith and resilience" of Filipinos

By Charlie Campbell January 15, 2015

Pope Francis to Make American Missionary a Saint

The pope is scheduled to visit the U.S. in September

By NBC News January 15, 2015

Pope Francis' New Cardinals Reflect a 'Poor Church'

The appointees follow through on the Pope's desire to include those who have been excluded from governance and decision-making authority in both modern-day political and ecclesial structures

By Christopher J. Hale January 8, 2015

Catholic Colleges Tell Poor Kids to Go Elsewhere

Church-affiliated schools are among the nation's most expensive for low-income students

December 22, 2014

Vatican Report Finds U.S. Nuns are a Graying Workforce

Nuns express "great concern" about declining numbers, average age in mid-70s

By Dan Kedmey December 16, 2014

Pope Francis Says There’s a Place for Pets in Paradise

The head of the Catholic Church promises that some dogs, at least, do go to heaven

By David Stout December 12, 2014

Pope Francis Begins Turkey Visit

The 77-year-old will become only the fourth Pontiff to visit the Muslim-majority nation

By TIME Staff November 28, 2014

Pope Urges Europe to Accept Migrants and Reject Hunger

The Pontiff uses address to the European Parliament to argue that migrants need "acceptance and assistance"

By Catherine Mayer November 25, 2014

Pope Francis' Modern Family Evolution

Thorny issues surrounding family life, the LGBT community and divorced and remarried couples will be at the fore of the Pope's 2015 visit stateside

By Christopher J. Hale November 17, 2014

Vatican Official Calls Brittany Maynard's Assisted Suicide 'Reprehensible'

"The gesture in and of itself should be condemned"

By Dan Kedmey November 4, 2014

How Baptists Differ From Pope in Homosexuality Conference Tone

As Catholic bishops emphasized welcoming gays, Southern Baptists voiced more concern about mainstream acceptance of gay marriage

By Elizabeth Dias October 28, 2014

The Catholic Church Needs to Embrace Single Parents Like Me

What I’m simply proposing is a little more recognition

By Patheos October 22, 2014

Defining Extraordinary Synod: A Glossary for the Pope's Big Gathering

In a meeting about the future of the Catholic Church, the terminology is sometime ancient Greek

By Elizabeth Dias October 5, 2014

Pope's Presiding Over Marriages Hints at Changes

Pope Francis dropped a big hint this weekend. The Holy Father presided over the wedding of 20 couples Sunday in St. Peter’s Basilica. From a distance, the group seemed fairly typical: the couples ranged from...

By Elizabeth Dias September 15, 2014

Catholic Confession Needs to Stay Confidential

A Louisiana ruling on the seal of confession may find its way to the Supreme Court

By Patheos September 10, 2014

Catholic Church

Ireland's Abortion Debate Is No Longer About the Church

Pope Francis Wants Church to Change Doctrine on Death Penalty

Vatican Says No to Gluten-Free Communion Wafers

Pope Tells Youth to Resist 'False Reality' of Social Media