Full USA TODAY news coverage of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and the first pope of the Americas.

Pope Leo XIV marked his first Good Friday by becoming the first pontiff in decades to personally carry the wooden cross for ...

Last week, when asked if he had a message about the war in Iran for President Trump, Pope Leo XIV said, “Hopefully, he’s ...

Just war is not a Christian s compromise with evil; it is a Christian s duty and refusal to let evil go unpunished ...

Pope Leo XIV washed the feet of 12 priests in the traditional Holy Thursday ritual, restoring a tradition his predecessor had ...

As a child, I looked forward to the Easter holiday with unbridled excitement and joy. I have vivid memories of colorful ...

The Holy Father carried the cross at the Roman amphitheater on Good Friday, the first time a pope has done so in several ...

As Pope Leo approaches the anniversary of his election as Pope, we look at the biggest moments of his first year, and how he plans to celebrate Easter in Rome.

Inside the ancient arena of the Roman Empire that crucified Christ, Pope Leo XIV carried the cross through the darkness of ...

Pope Paul VI revived in 1965 but which goes back to the early centuries of Christianity when pilgrims went to Jerusalem to ...