A candlelight Stations of the Cross in St. Peter's Square on Good Friday 2021. / Credit: Vatican MediaCNA Newsroom, Feb 24, 2025 / 07:32 am (CNA).The Vatican announced Monday that cardinals will lead a nightly rosary in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis' recovery, with the first prayer service scheduled for 9 p.m. Rome time on Monday evening.Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will preside over the inaugural gathering, which will be broadcast live across EWTN's television networks and digital platforms."Starting this evening, the cardinals residing in Rome, along with all collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, responding to the sentiments of the people of God, will gather in St. Peter's Square at 9 p.m. to recite the holy rosary for the health of the Holy Father," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.The prayer initiative comes as the 88-year-old pontiff continues his recovery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on Feb....
A candlelight Stations of the Cross in St. Peter's Square on Good Friday 2021. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Newsroom, Feb 24, 2025 / 07:32 am (CNA).
The Vatican announced Monday that cardinals will lead a nightly rosary in St. Peter's Square for Pope Francis' recovery, with the first prayer service scheduled for 9 p.m. Rome time on Monday evening.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin will preside over the inaugural gathering, which will be broadcast live across EWTN's television networks and digital platforms.
"Starting this evening, the cardinals residing in Rome, along with all collaborators of the Roman Curia and the Diocese of Rome, responding to the sentiments of the people of God, will gather in St. Peter's Square at 9 p.m. to recite the holy rosary for the health of the Holy Father," the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.
The prayer initiative comes as the 88-year-old pontiff continues his recovery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he was admitted on Feb. 14 for what the Vatican then described as a mild flu condition.
During his Sunday Angelus message, which was read on his behalf, the pope expressed gratitude for the "closeness and prayers" he has received during his hospitalization.
The Vatican reported Monday that Pope Francis had a "peaceful night" at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he continues to receive medical treatment.
While Vatican sources said the pope was "in good spirits" and following his prescribed therapies, his condition remains critical, with the Holy Father receiving supplemental oxygen through nasal tubes and being monitored for mild early-stage kidney insufficiency.
The pope has been hospitalized since Feb. 14 and experienced a concerning respiratory episode on Saturday that required a blood transfusion due to anemia. The Vatican said both conditions are currently under control, with an additional medical update expected Monday evening.
The rosary will be available on EWTN's television channels worldwide and through the network's digital platforms, including its mobile app and YouTube channel.
St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio. / Credit: LO Kin-hei/ShutterstockWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).As federal budget cuts halt programs for people in need, Catholic Social Services (CSS) in Columbus, Ohio, is encouraging volunteers to step up and become community heroes. Modeling the good Samaritan, people are being invited to join the new "Super Neighbor" initiative to lend a hand to others in need, beginning with seniors who need help."You don't have to wear a cape to show up and be a super neighbor," president and CEO of CSS, Kelley Henderson, told CNA. As the program kicks off, the organization is calling on people who want to "make an impact by being present, showing up, and serving with the love of Christ."CSS is a Catholic Charities member agency for the Diocese of Columbus. It works with 168 other agencies across the country to support the needs of the local ordinary but also works on national policy issues, national funding, and advocacy ...
Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska in St. Peter's Square, a day before the canonization Mass of St. John Henry Newman, Oct. 12, 2019. / Daniel Ibanez/CNACNA Staff, Aug 23, 2025 / 11:15 am (CNA).Lincoln, Nebraska Bishop James Conley this week said a proposed federal immigrant detention facility in the state must allow Catholic ministers to provide sacramental and pastoral care.The bishop made the announcement after Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announced the repurposing of the state Work Ethic Camp in McCook to house immigrants in the country illegally. The state website says the camp presently offers "an integrated program that combines evidence-based practices with treatment and educational opportunities" for prisoners. Pillen told local media this week that the facility "would be converted and provide capacity for 300 migrants," according to the Nebraska Examiner. In his own statement this week, Conley said the Diocese of Lincoln has been allowed to administer the sacra...
The Monument to Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. In early August 2025, President Luis Abinader promulgated the Dominican Republic's new penal code, one of the most significant aspects of which is that it maintains an absolute ban on abortion. / Credit: Soto.Creativo/ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Aug 22, 2025 / 15:42 pm (CNA).In early August, President Luis Abinader promulgated the Dominican Republic's new penal code, a law that replaces legislation more than a century old and will come into effect in August 2026.The approved text incorporates crimes such as "femicide," contract killings, cyberbullying, economic violence, pyramid schemes, kidnapping, crimes against humanity, and genocide. It also increases maximum prison sentences up to 60 years for serious crimes.However, one of the most significant aspects is that it maintains the absolute ban on abortion, a milestone for the Dominican pro-life movement.'A code that enshrines the inviolability of life'Fath...
A candlelight Stations of the Cross in St. Peter's Square on Good Friday 2021. / Credit: Vatican Media
