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.
The Catholic bishops in Nigeria's Onitsha ecclesiastical province have condemned recent attacks in Benue state that reportedly resulted in the death of some 200 people and called for fasting and prayer in honor of the victims. / Credit: Nigeria Catholic NetworkACI Africa, Jun 20, 2025 / 13:41 pm (CNA).The Catholic bishops in Nigeria's Onitsha ecclesiastical province have condemned recent attacks in Benue state, which reportedly resulted in the death of some 200 people, and called for fasting and prayer in honor of the victims.In a statement issued June 18, the bishops denounced the "almost daily bloodshed" in the West African nation, including the recent gruesome killing of civilians by suspected herdsmen on June 13 and similar attacks on June 15."We are deeply anguished and shocked by this relentless shedding of innocent blood in different parts of our beloved country, Nigeria. We describe these acts as inhuman, barbaric, and a gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of hu...
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, chair of the United States' recently created Religious Liberty Commission, talks with Raymond Arroyo on "The World Over" on June 19, 2025. / Credit: "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo"/ScreenshotWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 20, 2025 / 14:11 pm (CNA).As the work of the presidential Religious Liberty Commission gets underway, the commission's chairman, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, said he sees two major sets of domestic threats to religious liberty in the United States.The first set of threats, he said, has its origins in several mid-20th-century court decisions, while the second set of threats is due to apathy by people of faith, "because if you don't fight for it, you can lose it."Patrick made these observations during a June 19 interview on "The World Over with Raymond Arroyo" following the commission's opening June 16 hearing in Washington, D.C.Patrick said the commission's inaugural convocation addressed a range of topics including the intent of...
The childhood home of Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, in Dolton, Illinois. / Credit: Michael Howie, Attribution, via Wikimedia CommonsCNA Staff, Jun 20, 2025 / 14:41 pm (CNA).The auction for the childhood home of Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, has been extended by a month and will now close on July 17, according to the auction house selling the home. The extension comes as the village of Dolton, Illinois, continues its efforts to acquire the 1,050-square-foot home located at 212 E. 141st Place in Dolton.Dolton village attorney Burt Odelson told CNA on June 19 that the auction has been extended because the city has not finalized negotiations with the home's owner, Pawel Radzik, to purchase the home but expects to close the deal "very soon."Odelson told CNA that on the chance the deal falls through, however, the village of Dolton is still prepared to seek ownership of the house through eminent domain.Steve Budzik, the house's listing agent, told the Chicago Trib...
A candlelight Stations of the Cross in St. Peter's Square on Good Friday 2021. / Credit: Vatican Media
