From the eighth century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of state of the Papal States, and since 1929 of the much smaller Vatican City state. [4][5] From a Catholic viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who ...

4 days ago · Pope Francis has warned of the “scourge of anti-semitism” in his prayer on the eve of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, noting it marks 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

2 days ago · These are the latest news about Pope Francis, the Vatican, and the Catholic Church, provided by the Vatican staff of Catholic News Agency, a service of EWTN News.

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; [b] 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.

5 days ago · Follow Vatican News for updates and information on the daily activities of Pope Francis.

The term pope (Latin: papa, lit. 'father') is used in several churches to denote their high spiritual leaders (for example Coptic pope). This title in English usage usually refers to the head of the Catholic Church.

Jan 11, 2025 · Pope is the title, since about the 9th century, of the bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is regarded as the successor of St. Peter and has supreme power of jurisdiction over the Catholic Church in matters of faith and morals, as well as in church discipline and government.

Dec 27, 2024 · Pope Francis, who celebrated his 88th birthday Dec. 17, mostly uses a wheelchair instead of walking and presides over rather than concelebrates most public liturgies.

Visiting the official website of the Holy See one can browse: the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs (from Pope Leo XIII to Pope Francis); the fundamental texts of Catholicism in various languages (the Sacred Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Code of Canon Law); the documents of ...

Mar 13, 2013 · Francis (born December 17, 1936, Buenos Aires, Argentina) ushered in a new era of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church when he was elected pope in 2013. As the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, the first from South America, and the first from the Jesuit order, Francis has brought many reforms to the church and a reputation for humility.