Pope Francis on Easter Sunday offered prayers for the hundreds killed and injured in a series of bombings in Sri Lanka earlier that morning, calling the attacks an act of “cruel violence.”

Jesus has risen and is alive today, not as a character from the past found in history books but in day-to-day life, Pope Francis said Saturday as he celebrated the Easter Vigil Mass in St. Peter’s...

On Good Friday, Pope Francis reminded the poor, immigrants and victims of human trafficking that the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection was for them.

The cross serves as a warning to the powerful and a message of hope for the poor and oppressed, said the preacher of the papal household.

For pilgrims flocking to Rome’s famed Scala Santa this week as they commemorate the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and death, the opportunity to climb the relic on the bare marble for the...