MERCOGLIANO, Italy (RNS) — Inside a church just outside Naples, people known as femminielli gathered for La Juta, a centuries ...

BALTIMORE -- The Rev. Maurice Blackwell was beloved by many of Baltimore's black Catholics for infusing the religion with African-American rituals, such as hanging kente cloths and having couples ...

The pope is a global icon whose influence extends beyond the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion members. Correction & clarification: This story has been updated to correct the first name of Frederic ...

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. Pope Francis opened the first of five Holy Doors, signifying spiritual portals, on Christmas Eve ...

Pope Francis is only opening one "sacred portal" on this year's Christmas Eve. The other four will be opened over the following days and weeks, up until Jan. 5, 2025. Also, the ritual of opening "Holy ...

The carpet was threadbare, the pews worn, in this cavernous Catholic church. Yellow tape blocked off an area of seating where the ceiling plaster had given way. My husband and I were attending a ...