The Pope gave yet another display of his remarkable sense of humour on Wednesday when he put on a clown's red nose at the wedding of members of a charity that uses clown to cheer up children with cancer in hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages. Read More

Late Saturday afternoon Pope Francis went to the Vatican grottos to pray in private for the souls of the deceased pontiffs interred there. Read More

The head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says he does not expect any major change, at the 2014 synod of bishops, over the Church’s refusal to allow Catholics who are divorced and re-married to receive Communion. Read More

Making his first pilgrimage as pope to the birthplace of his papal namesake, Pope Francis called on the whole church to imitate St. Francis of Assisi, embracing poverty and stripping itself of the "spirit of world." Read More

Pope Francis arrived in the Italian city of Assisi this morning, ahead of schedule, despite slightly inclement weather and cloud cover. Read More

In his latest wide-ranging interview, Pope Francis said that he aimed to make the Catholic Church less "Vatican-centric" and closer to the "people of God," as well as more socially conscious and open to modern culture. Read More

Peace is so difficult to find because men and women struggle to stop focusing on their own interests long enough to listen to and learn from others, Pope Francis said. Read More

Pope Francis on Monday morning held the Public Ordinary Consistory for the forthcoming Canonisation of Blessed Pope John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Read More

In a lengthy and wide-ranging interview with one of his Jesuit confreres, Pope Francis spoke with characteristic frankness about the perils of overemphasizing Catholic teaching on sexual and medical ethics; the reasons for his deliberate and consultative governing style; and his highest priority for the church today. Read More

Pope Francis has said the Catholic Church is too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception and needs to become more merciful. Read More