By Vatican News The Holy See released a declaration on Wednesday in which the Cardinals preparing for the upcoming conclave ask the faithful to pray for them. “The College of Cardinals gathered in Rome, engaged in the General Congregations in preparation for the Conclave, wishes to invite the People of God to live this ecclesial moment as an event of grace and spiritual discernment, listening to the will of God,” read the statement. The Cardinals said they feel “the need to be supported by the prayers of all the faithful,” since they are aware of their responsibility in choosing the next Successor of Peter. Prayer, they added, “is the true force that in the Church promotes the unity of all the members of the one Body of Christ.” Read More

www.BlackCatholicMessenger.com: VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’ funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Square was expectedly international in character, featuring the new-look College of Cardinals and more than 400,000 mourners from around the world. Among the lay participants in the liturgy was a Black American in 28-year-old Kielce Gussie, an employee with Vatican News. Read More

From BlackCatholicMessenger.org: An African American and a Haitian are expected to join 15 Black African electors in the papal conclave, which could choose one from their number. Read More

The Holy See Press Office announced on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe. Read More

This Holy Week, Pope Francis has shown his gratitude to physicians and staff at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he received medical care for 38 days for a polymicrobial respiratory infection that resulted in bilateral pneumonia. The Holy Father was released from the Hospital with "protected discharge" on Sunday, 23 March. Read More

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTRY: I discovered the Eucharist in my college chapel during my senior year. The chapel is small and relatively simple, a huge difference from the stone Gothic parish church in town, with its deep organ and bell tower. The post-Vatican II chapel is in a semicircle around the altar, with a metal tabernacle in a small alcove on the side. Red carpet lines the chapel, and stained-glass windows with semi-accurate paintings of saints (St. Therese of Lisieux looks about sixty years old) fill the church. On the last day of every term, right before finals, the Catholic student center hosts an all-night adoration, where the monstrance is illuminated at the center of the darkened chapel, and students filter in and out for prayer and worship. It was there I realized the goodness of the Eucharist. Read More

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY: A parish church in St. Louis that primarily serves the African American community was announced Feb. 24 as a recipient of a preservation grant to support the restoration of the historic building’s stained-glass windows. St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, known in the community as “The Rock” because of the church building’s rock-hewn appearance, was one of 30 Black churches throughout the country chosen to receive a grant this year from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, an independent nonprofit organization. Read More

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY - A fourth-century monk who became a revered saint in both the east and west will be the subject of a new film told through the lens of a modern-day gangland drama. “Moses the Black” is scheduled to start production later this year, according to Simeon Faith, an equity film fund managed by Simeon Entertainment that focuses on financing and producing faith-based films with worldwide studio-level distribution. The announcement was made March 13 that Omar Epps, Chukwudi Iwuji, and rappers Wiz Khalifa and Quavo will star in the film. Read More