Pope Leo XIV has baptized 20 babies in the Sistine Chapel, continuing an annual tradition marking the end of the Christmas holiday at the Vatican.

Pope Leo warned against a spreading "zeal for war" following U.S. attacks on Venezuela and Trump's ensuing threats.

Pope Leo XIV, the Catholic Church's first ever American leader, appears to signal a more inclusive leadership style than his predecessor.

Pope Leo decried the use of military force as a means of achieving diplomatic goals on Friday, delivering an unusually fiery annual foreign policy speech in which he also called for human rights to be protected in Venezuela.

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday closed out the Vatican’s 2025 Holy Year by denouncing today's consumerist and anti-foreigner sentiment, capping a Jubilee that saw some 33 million pilgrims flock to Rome and a historic transition from one American pontiff to another.

Close to 3 million pilgrims and visitors attended audiences, liturgies or meetings at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV from the time of his election in May through December, according to the Prefecture of the Papal Household.

Pope Leo XIV is planning to travel to Spain this year. The archbishop of Madrid says he's planning to make stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands to fulfil Pope Francis’ wish of visiting a key migration entry point to Europe.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The teachings of the Second Vatican Council are still “the guiding star” the Catholic Church is meant to follow, Pope Leo XIV said.

War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading,” Pope Leo XIV said in a forceful address on Jan. 9 to ambassadors from the 184 countries that have full diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

In his most explicitly pro-life speech to date, Pope Leo demands an end to abortion and surrogacy globally. Editor's Note: Pope Leo XIV offered his 'State of the World' speech on Jan. 9, 2026. Please read the full transcript below.