Pope Francis

July 8, 2026

Ideas

The Most Urgent Issue for the U.S. Catholic Church Isn’t Abortion Anymore

Francis X. Rocca

March 24, 2026

Illustration of a stained glass window with a blue-tinted left side and a red-tinted right side. An arrow is pointing to the left side.

Ideas

Pope Leo’s Quiet Provocation

Randy Boyagoda

November 11, 2025

Ideas

The Fraught Relationship Between a Pope and His Home

Randy Boyagoda

May 21, 2025

In a crowd of Catholics, one holds up an American flag.

Ideas

The Pope’s Most Revealing Choice So Far

Randy Boyagoda

May 9, 2025

A photo of a crowd watching a screen as the newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican

Time-Travel Thursdays

The Papacy Is No Ordinary Succession

Luis Parrales

May 8, 2025

Three sets of hands lifted in prayer and holding a homily

Ideas

This Conclave Will Be Different

Francis X. Rocca

May 6, 2025

Three rows of cardinals facing away from the camera, wearing red robes and zucchettos

Photography

Photos of the Week: May Day, Fire Festival, Finger Wrestling

Alan Taylor

May 2, 2025

Two musicians perform onstage, with the one on the left playing a gigantic 17-string bass guitar.

The Atlantic Daily

Six Stories for Your Weekend

Stephanie Bai

April 27, 2025

White empty magazine on green velvet sofa

Ideas

The Real Legacy of Pope Francis

Matthew Walther

April 21, 2025

Ideas

The Papacy Is Forever Changed

Francis X. Rocca

April 21, 2025

Ideas

The Catholics Who Have to Worship Somewhere Else

Francis X. Rocca

April 9, 2025

A black-and-white photo of Saint Peter's Basilica from a low angle

Ideas

What the Border-Hawk Catholics Get Wrong

Luis Parrales

March 18, 2025

A photo of Pope Francis superimposed on Catholic art

Ideas

‘Dumbed-Down Catholicism Was a Disaster’

Molly Worthen

December 11, 2024

A photo-illustration in which Bishop Robert Barron overlays Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Ideas

The Vatican’s Gamble With Beijing Is Costing China’s Catholics

Francis X. Rocca

May 14, 2024

Pope Francis set against a red background

Ideas

Why Pope Francis’s Recent Decree Shook the Catholic Church

Michael J. O’Loughlin

February 6, 2024

A rainbow-colored light shining down into a dark space

Ideas

Why Pope Francis Isn’t With the West on Ukraine

John L. Allen Jr.

May 5, 2023

An illustration depicting an isolated Pope Francis in yellow against a blue background

Ideas

Pope Francis Is Right About My Profession

Conor Friedersdorf

November 20, 2021

A photo illustration of Pope Francis on top of a stack of newspapers.

Politics

Biden the Sinner

Peter Nicholas

October 29, 2021

President Joe Biden faces criticism from conservative Catholic bishops over his stance on abortion rights.

Politics

The Catholics Who Hate Joe Biden—And Pope Francis

Tish Durkin

October 21, 2020

joe biden and donald trump's faces in stained glass

Culture

How The Two Popes Condemns Current-Day Authoritarianism

Vincent Bevins

January 24, 2020

Culture

The New Pope’s Old Magic

Spencer Kornhaber

January 8, 2020

Culture

The Two Popes Is Entertaining to a Fault

David Sims

November 29, 2019

Global

Pope Francis, the Revolutionary, Takes On the Traditionalists

Rachel Donadio

October 27, 2019

Pope Francis leads a Mass to close a three-week synod with Amazonian bishops.

Global

Catholics Are Desperate for Tangible Reforms on Clergy Sex Abuse

Emma Green

August 22, 2018

Politics

A Cassandra Cry Against Pope Francis

Emma Green

April 22, 2018

Global

Pope Francis, Trump Whisperer?

Emma Green

May 24, 2017

Pope Francis solemnly standing next to Donald Trump and family

U.S.

The Pope of the Poor in Ciudad Juarez

J. Weston Phippen

February 17, 2016

Pope Francis arriving in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez

News

A Papal Message of Peace

Krishnadev Calamur

December 25, 2015

Pope Francis addressing the crowd at the Vatican from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica

Global

Raised Catholic

Chimamanda Adichie

October 14, 2015

The Church of the Holy Trinity in Onitsha, Nigeria

Global

What Pope Francis and Xi Jinping Have in Common

Moisés Naím

September 30, 2015

image of Chinese President Xi Jinping next to image of Pope Francis

Politics

Why Did Pope Francis Meet With Kim Davis?

Emma Green

September 30, 2015

a black and white rosary beads side by side

Global

The Pope’s Meeting with Sex-Abuse Victims

Marina Koren

September 27, 2015

Politics

Why Pope Francis Sounds Like a Democrat

Molly Ball

September 24, 2015

the back of Barack Obama standing next to Pope Francis

Politics

How the White House Welcomed Pope Francis

Priscilla Alvarez

September 23, 2015

Pope Francis smiling, looking at smiling President Barack Obama

Politics

Pope Francis Has Landed in the United States

Emma Green

September 22, 2015

Sections

The Print Edition

Atlantic Trivia: Weddings (You Know Which One)

The Most Urgent Issue for the U.S. Catholic Church Isn’t Abortion Anymore

Pope Leo’s Quiet Provocation

The Fraught Relationship Between a Pope and His Home

The Pope’s Most Revealing Choice So Far

The Papacy Is No Ordinary Succession

This Conclave Will Be Different

Photos of the Week: May Day, Fire Festival, Finger Wrestling

Six Stories for Your Weekend

The Real Legacy of Pope Francis

The Papacy Is Forever Changed

The Catholics Who Have to Worship Somewhere Else

What the Border-Hawk Catholics Get Wrong

‘Dumbed-Down Catholicism Was a Disaster’

The Vatican’s Gamble With Beijing Is Costing China’s Catholics

Why Pope Francis’s Recent Decree Shook the Catholic Church

Why Pope Francis Isn’t With the West on Ukraine

Pope Francis Is Right About My Profession

Biden the Sinner

The Catholics Who Hate Joe Biden—And Pope Francis

How The Two Popes Condemns Current-Day Authoritarianism

The New Pope’s Old Magic

The Two Popes Is Entertaining to a Fault

Pope Francis, the Revolutionary, Takes On the Traditionalists

Catholics Are Desperate for Tangible Reforms on Clergy Sex Abuse

A Cassandra Cry Against Pope Francis

Pope Francis, Trump Whisperer?

The Pope of the Poor in Ciudad Juarez

A Papal Message of Peace

Raised Catholic

What Pope Francis and Xi Jinping Have in Common

Why Did Pope Francis Meet With Kim Davis?

The Pope’s Meeting with Sex-Abuse Victims

Why Pope Francis Sounds Like a Democrat

How the White House Welcomed Pope Francis

Pope Francis Has Landed in the United States