Pope Francis met with Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan and his wife in the Vatican. They discussed the Catholic Community in the country of Azerbaijan and initiatives for inter-religious and intercultural dialogue. They also discussed the nation’s regional and…

(Update: The Vatican denies that it gives VIP treatment for general audiences. All seats in the so-called VIP section are given to anyone on a first come first served basis. Apparently the AP and Reuters didn’t verify their information. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vip-treatment-for-lgbt-group-at-the-vatican-not-really-72364/.) For…

The Vatican has announced that a high-level delegation of leading women from Iran including Shahindokht Molaverdi, Iran’s vice-president for Woman and Family Affairs will join the pope in Philadelphia in September for the World Meeting of Families. The idea arose…

On the Papal charter plane to the Philippines, Pope Francis told media that there are “limits to freedom of speech, especially when it insults or ridicules someone’s faith.” The Pope was referring to the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo studios…

Faith leaders must work harder to prevent religiously motivated violence, says Jerry White, deputy assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. government’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. White was in Rome recently to promote a “Global Covenant of World…

On his return to the Vatican from Turkey in late November, Pope Francis urges Muslim leaders to condemn ISIS and other forms of religious extremism. Then, “in early December, a group of Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims, featuring Jordan’s Prince El…

“I want to thank His Holiness, Pope Francis, whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be, rather than simply settling for the world as it is,” Obama said Wednesday. The president was speaking…

Pope Francis recently traveled to Strasbourg to address the European Parliament. The European Union is a pet project of the Papacy. Calling for “a return to the convictions of the founders of the European Union,” the pope warned that Europe…

The European Union’s Ambassador to the Holy See says that the EU and the Vatican have “very good” relations. Laurence Argimon-Pistre said “There is a long-standing relationship between the European Union and the Vatican.” That relationship goes back thousands of…

Evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren and Southern Baptist Russell Moore urged Christians not to waver on Bible principles of sexuality and marriage at a Vatican colloquium held November 17-19. “Western culture now celebrates casual sexuality, cohabitation, no-fault divorce, family redefinition,…

Pope Francis said he will visit the U.S. in 2015. “I wish to confirm according to the wishes of the Lord, that in September of 2015, I will go to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families,” he said. His…

The Vatican is planning a special meeting, November 17-19, to discuss traditional marriage with a variety religious leaders and scholars from around the world including mega-church leader Rick Warren, Russell Moore, Jewish and Muslim leaders and others. Pope Francis will…