Pope Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88 gave new energy to millions of Catholics -- and caused concern for some -- as he transformed the image of the papacy into a pastoral ministry based on personal encounters and strong convictions about mission, poverty, immigration and dialogue.
Pope Francis is going without supplemental oxygen for longer periods and is continuing therapy to recover his voice and to recover his physical strength, the Vatican press office said, but he also is increasing the number of private meetings he is holding with the heads of Vatican offices.
As Pope Francis continues his recovery at the Vatican, he is very slowly beginning to get back to his old routine of meeting with top Vatican officials, the Vatican press office said.
Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonizations of three blesseds: an Armenian Catholic archbishop martyred during the Armenian genocide, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea killed during World War II and a Venezuelan religious sister who dedicated her life to education and the poor.
On March 25, the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the International Day of the Unborn Child is celebrated in more than a dozen countries.
Imagine being able to explore all of St. Peter's Basilica, its artistic masterpieces and the saint's underground tomb as well as interact with its caretakers and archeologists to learn more about the world's largest church and even have a go at restoring it -- virtually, that is, and in the 3-D blocky world of Minecraft.
As Pope Francis prepared to spend the 12th anniversary of his election at Rome's Gemelli hospital, people at the Vatican and around the world were responding to his most frequent personal request.
Pope Francis is no longer considered in imminent danger from his lung infection, but he will remain in Rome's Gemelli hospital for several more days to continue receiving medical treatment, the Vatican said.
In a prerecorded message, Pope Francis thanked those gathered for the rosary prayer service in St. Peter’s Square on Thursday night.
As he continues to receive treatment in Rome's Gemelli hospital, Pope Francis sent written thanks for people's prayers, but he did not go to his hospital window as some people had hoped.
