Addressing a symposium on the priesthood in the Vatican on Feb. 17, Pope Francis presented what he called the “four forms of closeness” that he considers fundamental to the life of a priest.

That morale is down for priests across the country is not exactly stop-the-presses material. But I wonder if it isn’t the canary in the coal mine of the Catholic Church today.

34 years as a priest allow for a perspective no 19-year-old G.I. can have.

The survey also found a perception that younger priests are “more theologically conservative or orthodox than their older counterparts.”

Angel Garcia tells the story of the Rev. Neil Connolly, a priest with a deep faith in his parishioners, who carried their faith from the mountains of Puerto Rico to the streets of the Bronx.

As vaccination rates permit the lifting of some Covid-19 restrictions, congregations are easing back into singing. Here’s what music ministers have learned over the past year.