Photos: Pope Francis through the years
The National Prayer Breakfast is one of the most visible and long-standing events that brings religion and politics together in Washington. But due to concerns the gathering had become too divisive, it's now splitting from the private religious group that had overseen it for decades.
Catholic women have long complained of a second-class status in an institution that reserves the priesthood for men.
History's first Latin American pope already made his mark and could have even more impact in the years to come.
Tens of thousands of faithful joined Pope Francis on Sunday to celebrate Christianity's most joyful day at Mass in a flower-adorned St. Peter's Square. Francis delivered a traditional speech about the world's troubled places.
Pope Francis is recovering after undergoing surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the latest maladies to befall the 86-year-old pontiff.
As the Vatican prepares for an unprecedented gathering of Catholic clergy from around the world, ideological rifts are mounting around the role of women in the church and LGBTQ inclusion.
Verdicts are expected Saturday for a cardinal and nine other defendants in the most complicated financial trial in the Vatican's modern history: a case featuring a Hollywood-worthy cast of characters, unseemly revelations about the Holy See and questions about Pope Francis ' own role in the deals.Â
 The Vatican issued a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral analysis" to receive it.
Pope Francis formally approved letting Catholic priests bless same-sex couples, the Vatican announced Monday, a radical shift in policy that aimed at making the church more inclusive while maintaining its strict ban on gay marriage.
Pope in major policy address calls for universal ban on surrogacy, says it exploits mother and child
Pope Francis is calling for a universal ban on what he calls the "despicable" practice of surrogate motherhood. He included what he called the "commercialization" of pregnancy in an annual speech to ambassadors.
Pope Francis expressed himself in stark terms when asked to weigh in on their positions on two hot-button issues in the U.S. election — abortion and migration.
