Pope Francis greets the crowd during his Easter message and blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 1.

Urbi et orbi: Death, fear do not have the last word, Pope says

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VATICAN – Easter makes it clear that in the life of Jesus, but also in the lives of modern men and women, "death, solitude and fear" do not have the last word, Pope Francis said before giving his Easter blessing.
Pope Francis carries a candle as he arrives in procession to celebrate the Easter vigil in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican March 31.

Easter Vigil: Hope breaks routine, unleashes creativity, Pope says

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VATICAN – Truly celebrating Easter means allowing Jesus to triumph over personal fears and give life to hope, creativity and care for others, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis leads the Way of the Cross outside the Colosseum in Rome March 30.

Pope on Good Friday: Jesus' church offers truth, comfort despite efforts to discredit it

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ROME – Leading a prayer to God for the grace to feel ashamed and repentant for so many sins in the world, Pope Francis highlighted the hope that always comes from Jesus.
Capuchin Franciscan Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, gives the homily during the Good Friday service led by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican April 2017.

Youth have a mission to rescue human love, papal preacher says

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VATICAN – Papal preacher Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa dedicated his Good Friday homily to young people, comparing them to the apostle John and urging them to have the courage to go in the opposite direction of the selfishness of the world, running instead toward the sacrificial love of Jesus on the cross.
Pope Francis delivers his talk during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 28.

Christians may be sinners, but they can't be corrupt, Pope says

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VATICAN – Though they may go to church and say they are people of faith, the corrupt and "mafioso" have absolutely nothing Christian about them, Pope Francis said.
Bishop Lionel Gendron of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Quebec, looks through a fence at the Cremisan Valley from the Salesian Sisters' convent in Beit Jalla, West Bank 2015.

Canadian bishops: Let Easter be our call to reconciliation

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The following is the Easter message from Bishop Lionel Gendron, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The Pentecost, Waldburg-Wolfegg Collection at Wolfegg Castle, end of 15th century

Mary, Mother of the Church should be celebrated this year, Cardinal Sarah says

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VATICAN – Reminding bishops, pastors and Catholics around the world that all Latin-rite Catholics should celebrate the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church on the Monday after Pentecost this year, Cardinal Robert Sarah said the celebration should take precedence over any other possible liturgy that day.
"The Resurrection" by Peter Paul Rubens, 1640

The Easter Triduum leads to understanding of Passion

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On Ash Wednesday, the mark of ashes on our foreheads led us into our journey of faith in the Holy Season of Lent. Throughout this journey, we have tried to make some progress in our spiritual lives so we can be ready to celebrate Easter. 

Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, left, preacher of the papal household, prepares to give the last of his Friday Lenten meditations for Pope Francis and members of the Roman Curia in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel at the Vatican March 23.

If you cannot say 'no' to yourself, you cannot say 'yes' to serving others, papal preacher says

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VATICAN – If Catholic morality in the past seemed so obsessed with preventing sexual sin that it ignored sins of injustice, today "we have gone to the opposite extreme," seemingly concerned only with how people treat others, not with how they treat the gift of their bodies, the papal preacher said.
St. Francis kissing the feet of Christ, from a painting of a crucifix in Arezzo, Italy.

Five wounds of Christ: Pope urges recovery of traditional devotion

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VATICAN – Pope Francis seems to be fixated on the wounds of Christ. And he has suggested that other Catholics might want to be as well.
Pope Francis' zucchetto is blown away by a gust of wind during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 21.

Present in the Eucharist, Jesus transforms those who receive him, Pope says

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VATICAN – Despite the chill and gusts of wind in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis welcomed the beginning of spring with an impromptu lesson about gardening and how to grow into being better Christians.
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