The foreign visits of the last three popes illustrate how the Catholic church's diplomatic priorities have evolved in recent ...

Women now hold roles that shape the Church’s global mission —from selecting bishops to overseeing humanitarian initiatives.

While the Vatican has detailed laws and rituals to ensure the transfer of power when a pope dies or resigns, they do not apply if he is sick or even unconscious. And there are no specific norms ...

Doctors said Monday that Pope Francis is no longer in imminent danger of death as a result of pneumonia but have decided to keep him hospitalized for several more days to receive treatment. In the ...