Courtney Mares

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.

Pope Leo XIV addresses cardinals in the Sistine Chapel during his first Mass as pope on Friday, May 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

In First Mass as Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV Urges Bearing "witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Savior”

Preaching in the Sistine Chapel on May 9 to the cardinals who elected him, the first pope born in the...

Cardinal Francis Arinze speaks to EWTN News on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Pope Francis’ Successor Should Be “full of fire for kingdom of Christ, spreading the gospel": Nigeria’s Cardinal Arinze

In an interview with EWTN earlier this year, 92-year-old Cardinal Francis Arinze reflected on the qualities needed in the next...

Cardinals celebrate the sixth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis on May 1, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Papal Conclave Set to Kick Off May 7 To Be the Largest in Catholic Church’s History

The unprecedented number of 133 cardinal electors surpasses all previous papal conclaves, breaking the previous record of 115 electors in...

Cardinals celebrate the Novendiales Masses on the fourth day of mourning for Pope Francis on April 29, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

College of Cardinals Asks for Prayers ahead of May 7 Papal Conclave

The appeal came as the cardinals concluded their seventh general congregation — the daily meetings leading up to the start...

Detail from St. Catherine of Siena from the circle of Baldassare Francheschini (17th century). / Credit: Baldassare Franceschini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Pope Francis’ Praise for St. Catherine of Siena, “great female figure of faith”

The late pope sent a telegram marking the 560th anniversary of the saint’s canonization in 2021 calling her “a great...

Blessed Carlo Acutis and the Four Popes

Carlo went on pilgrimage to see John Paul II, offered up his suffering from cancer for Benedict XVI, and was...

Pallbearers carry the wooden coffin of Pope Francis, marked with a cross, into St. Peter's Square for the funeral Mass on April 26, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Pope Francis’ Funeral: A Global Farewell to a Humble Shepherd

Under the bright Roman sun and amid crowds extending down the Via della Conciliazione, the funeral Mass unfolded within the...

Catholics Bid Final Farewell as Pope Francis Lies in State at St. Peter’s Basilica

Long lines of mourners, many waiting more than four hours under the hot Roman sun, wound around St. Peter’s Square...

A panoramic view of St. Peter’s Square filled with faithful attending Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican on April 20, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

What Happens during the Nine Days of Mourning for the Pope? CNA Explains

Rooted in ancient Christian and Roman customs, the Novendiales is a period of nine consecutive days dedicated to mourning the...

The body of Pope Francis lies in state at the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel, surrounded by Swiss Guards, cardinals, and Vatican officials paying their respects before his transfer to St. Peter's Basilica for public veneration on April 22, 2025. The mortal remains of Pope Francis will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday, April 23. / Vatican Media

Pope Francis to Be Buried at St. Mary Major Basilica Following Saturday Funeral

In accordance with his personal wishes, Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes but instead at the Basilica...

A reliquary containing relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis at the Church of Sant'Angela Merici in Rome, Oct 11, 2021. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican Postpones Carlo Acutis Canonization Following Pope Francis’ Death

The Vatican announced Monday that the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis has been postponed following the death of Pope Francis.

Catholics gather for Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday, April 19, 2025 / Credit: Zosia Czubak

Pope Francis in Easter Vigil homily: Christ is the "turning point" in Human History

“It falls to us to proclaim this Easter hope, this ‘turning point’ where darkness becomes light,” the pope wrote in...

Pope Francis meets with inmates in a surprise visit to the Regina Coeli Prison on Holy Thursday, April 17, 2025, in Rome. / Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis Makes Surprise Visit to Regina Coeli Prison on Holy Thursday, Meets with Some 70 Inmates

According to the Vatican, the pope met with approximately 70 inmates who regularly participate in activities and catechesis organized by...

More than 1,800 priests gathered with cardinals and bishops at St. Peter’s Basilica for the Holy Thursday chrism Mass, April 17, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

More than 1,800 Catholic Priests, Cardinals, Bishops Celebrate Holy Thursday Chrism Mass Inside St. Peter’s Basilica

On Holy Thursday, more than 1,880 priests, bishops, and cardinals renewed the promises made at their ordinations during the chrism...

Pope Francis appears at St. Peter’s Basilica absent his usual papal attire on Thursday, April 10, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News/screenshot

Vatican Offers Health Update after Pope Francis’ Surprise Visit to St. Peter's Basilica without Papal Attire

A Vatican spokesman told journalists the pope had wanted to get some air and then decided to extend his time...

Rosary beads and tributes are placed on the sculpture of St. John Paul II on March 13, 2025, at the main entrance of Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being cared for. Today marks the 28th day since Pope Francis was hospitalized in Rome on Feb. 14 and also 12 years since Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis. / Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Pope Francis Marks 12th Anniversary of Pontificate and Nearly 1 Month in the Hospital

On the occasion of the 12th anniversary of his election to the papacy, Pope Francis received hundreds of drawings, messages,...

Vatican Conference Examines Artificial Intelligence Implications for Democracy, Justice

The two-day workshop, titled “Artificial Intelligence, Justice, and Democracy,” was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Faithful gather to pray during a Holy Hour at St. John Paul II Chapel at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where Pope Francis is being treated for several medical conditions. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Daily Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Being Held in Hospital, Where Pope Francis is Receiving Treatment

Daily Holy Hours are bring held in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital where Pope Francis is being treated as well as at...

A statue of St. John Paul II is seen in front of the entrance to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 22, 2025, where Pope Francis continues to receive treatment for respiratory issues. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Pope Francis Shows "slight improvement" on Day 11 in Hospital: Vatican

The 88-year-old pontiff is still receiving oxygen therapy through his nose, though at a slightly reduced flow and concentration, according...

Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, where Bernini's gorgeous bronze monument to the Chair of Peter acts as a massive
bronze reliquary for the historic wooden chair. / Credit: Vatican Media

Why Church has Celebrated the Chair of St. Peter Feast for 1,600 Years

Every year on Feb. 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, a tradition that...