VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "Being ordained is not an ascent but a descent, whereby we make ourselves small, lower ourselves and divest ourselves," Pope Francis said in a message to 23 men from eight countries,

Crowds are gathering in Vatican City and Rome to pray for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff has shown slight signs of improvement since he was diagnosed with pneumonia last week,

State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) filed a bill last week that would make it easier for owners of office and commercial properties to convert those spaces to apartments. The bill would prevent cities and counties from requiring those owners to go through a rezoning process. Dallas man sentenced in insurance fraud scheme. Jordan Ford was sentenced to 13 years in prison for a $5 million insurance fraud scheme involving eight other people. Federal authorities say Ford was the scheme’s mastermind, which involved obtaining clients’ personal information and changing their accounts to direct payments to his bank accounts. Former Dallas bishop is the Vatican’s Camerlengo. Cardinal Kevin Farrell was the bishop of the Diocese of Dallas from 2007 to 2016 before becoming a cardinal. Pope Francis appointed Farrell the Camerlengo in 2019. Should Pope Francis die, Farrell would be responsible for notifying the College of Cardinals. He would also act as the Vatican City head of state until a new pope is selected. The weather won’t suck this week. Remember how it was super cold last week, and we had to let our faucets drip? This week will bring highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s, more sun, and a good chance that your office thermostat will render your work environment extremely toasty after finally being adjusted for last week’s shenanigans.

Another woman is taking over a top management job in the Vatican : Sister Raffaella Petrini, an Italian nun, was named Saturday as president of the Vatican City State, making her essentially the governor of the 44-hectare (108-acre) territory in Rome that is home to the Catholic Church.

The Holy See Press Office has not released granular details of the pope's health but said he has shown "slight improvement over the past 24 hours."

Pope Francis attends the consistory ceremony to elevate Roman Catholic prelates to the rank of cardinal, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, September 30, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Before he was hospitalized for double pneumonia,

VATICAN CITY >> Pope Francis had an “isolated breathing crisis” in hospital today, the Vatican said, in a setback as the 88-year-old pontiff battles double pneumonia.

VATICAN CITY >> Pope Francis’ health has deteriorated over the past 24 hours, the Vatican said in a statement today, adding that he had suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” and had needed blood transfusions.

Vatican City • After six days in the hospital, Pope Francis asked that his doctors give a news conference Friday to explain his medical condition. While the doctors said they are optimistic about the pontiff returning home to the Vatican in the coming weeks,

After spending nearly a week in the hospital, the Vatican now says Pope Francis is in critical condition. "It's up to God to take him or have him continue doing a good job," one Rhode Islander said. It was another day of Holy Year celebrations,

Pope Francis admitted himself to the hospital on Friday after struggling with a respiratory infection. VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis’ scheduled meetings and appointments have been canceled until Wednesday after doctors at the Gemelli hospital in Rome where he is being treated referred to his “complex clinical situation” in a Vatican statement on Monday (Feb.