Cindy Wooden

Although it took obvious effort to pronounce each word and sometimes his secretary repeated what he said to make it clear, retired Pope Benedict XVI spoke to an Italian newspaper recently about his retirement and about Pope Francis' planned trip to Iraq.

The Gospel story of Jesus healing the leper illustrates how nothing will stop God from tenderly and compassionately drawing close to people who want to be healed and saved, Pope Francis said.

As part of COVID-19 precautions, the Iraqi government has ordered the closure of mosques and churches "until further notice" ahead of Pope Francis' scheduled visit March 5-8.

As Christians pray, fast and give alms during Lent, they also should consider giving a smile and offering a kind word to people feeling alone or frightened because of the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis said.

Prayer makes every day better, even the most difficult days, Pope Francis said Feb. 10 during his weekly general audience.

While protocols to slow the COVID-19 pandemic have silenced many concert halls and restricted the use of congregational singing in many churches, Pope Francis prayed that musicians were using this time to listen.

Pope Francis said that unless there is a serious new wave of COVID-19 infections in Iraq, he has every intention of visiting the country in early March. "I am the pastor of people who are suffering," Pope Francis told Catholic News Service Feb. 1.

Citing "too much antagonism and competition" as well as an obvious "risk of severe injustices" in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the Pontifical Academy for Life called for international cooperation in setting up vaccine production sites around the world.

As the Vatican health service continued vaccinating Vatican residents and employees against COVID-19, it also began offering the vaccine to homeless people who live in Vatican-owned shelters.

For a variety of reasons, "especially in relation to the political situation" in the United States, the Legionaries of Christ university in Rome will not honor Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said the head of the university's bioethics faculty.

Australia's financial crime watchdog agency said it over-estimated by the equivalent of more than U.S. $1.5 billion the amount of money transferred from the Vatican to Australia between 2014 and 2020.

Pope Francis called on Christians to guarantee equal access to health care for all people. "The current pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in our health care systems and exposed inefficiencies in the care of the sick," he wrote in his message for the 2021 World Day of the Sick.

Pavone has said President Trump is the "greatest political leader" in U.S. history and that those who vote Democratic have blood on their hands.

Like everyone else, Pope Francis' 2020 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

iscalced Carmelite Fr. Reginald Foster — a world-renowned teacher of Latin, former longtime Vatican Latinist and colorful character — died in Milwaukee Dec. 25 at the age of 81.

Pope Francis appealed to world leaders in his Christmas Day message that new coronavirus vaccines be made available "to all the regions of the planet."

Banned from entering Belarus since late August, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk can return to the country to celebrate Christmas with his people, the country's nuncio said.

Most of Pope Francis' usual appointments will be livestreamed with few or no members of the public present.

Two top Vatican officials — Cardinal Konrad Krajewski and Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello — have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Italian media reported, and a Vatican source confirmed.

Joy should be the hallmark of a Christian's life, a reflection of knowing that one is loved by God, saved by Jesus Christ and committed to leading others to him, Pope Francis said.