July 29, 2016, Friday — Again, Russia… Earthen Vessels…. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and ...
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· At the Angelus the Pope denounces the powerful for their lack of will for peace · “It is unacceptable that so many defenseless people — even many children — must pay the price of the conflict” in Syria. The Pope chose strong words at the Angelus on Sunday, 7 August, again denouncing the tragedy […]
Pope Francis renewed his condemnation of the holocaust on Wednesday, and decried once again the persistent violence in the world as a “piecemeal” world war. The Holy Father’s remarks came during the course of the General Audience on Wednesday – the first since suspending the weekly appointment with pilgrims and tourists for the month of […]
· The Pope’s prayer in the Basilica of St Francis in Krakow · On his way from the Archbishopric of Krakow to the Campus Misericordiae for the Vigil on Saturday afternoon, 30 July, the Holy Father paid a brief visit to the Church of St. Francis, near the archbishop’s residence, where it is possible to […]
During these days in Poland, the simple words and gestures of Pope Francis have won the hearts not only of those gathered for World Youth Day in Krakow, but of millions of people across the globe. The Polish media has made this clear by highlighting the positive tone and new conciliatory spirit with which this […]
On Saturday morning, at the Sanctuary of St John Paul II in Krakow, Pope Francis offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for priests, religious men and women, consecrated persons, and seminarians. The words of the Gospel we have just heard (cf. Jn 20:19-31) speak to us of a place, a disciple and a book. […]
July 29, 2016, Friday — Again, Russia… Earthen Vessels…. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves.” —2 Corinthians 4:7 “As light was the beginning of the first creation; so, in the new creation, the light of the Spirit is […]
Pope Francis on Thursday morning celebrated Mass at the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa, Poland, to mark the 1050th anniversary of the ‘Baptism of Poland.’ A sea of people stretching 7 kilometres lined the route from Czestochowa all the way to the hilltop monastery of Jasna Góra, Poland’s national shrine. Young and old had been […]
“Such a step splits the Church” and “leads her toward schism” Robert Spaemann is a professor emeritus of philosophy at the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Monaco of Bavaria. He is one of the leading Catholic philosophers and theologians in Germany. This following is my own translation of the interview on Amoris Laetitia, extensively excerpted, that […]
“Does the Pope say the divorced and civilly remarried may now be readmitted to Holy Communion? No.” The Bishop of Portsmouth, England, Philip Egan, has described the Pope’s exhortation Amoris Laetitia as a “magnificent” document, “breathtaking in scope,” and has urged everyone, “clergy and people,” to read and study it. Below we reprint excerpts from […]
The official response of Bishop Athanasius Schneider to Amoris Laetitia Following are excerpts from the text published on April 24, by His Excellency Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan, on the Italian website Corrispondenza Romana. It was the first public statement by a Catholic bishop calling for an […]
The Pope sees it “not as a place to solve every problem,” but to “discover first that there is a problem to be solved” The ink of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”) is not even dry, and already various commentators, particularly in the secular press, have decreed that Pope Francis […]
With a double article about the history of books in this issue’s “Of Books, Art, and People,” what more appropriate time to suggest a visit to Rome’s Caffè Greco! Here for more than 200 years the great minds of art, literature, and music have been meeting around its tiny, marble-topped tables. The café was opened […]
Fr. Harrison: “May we believe Francis alone is right, and all his predecessors wrong?” A proper understanding, appreciation and evaluation of Amoris Laetitia will require considerable time, study and prayerful reflection. But it is already quite clear from certain key passages that, with carefully crafted language, plausible arguments and persuasive rhetoric, the Holy Father is […]
Pope Francis made an important point during his Morning Meditation on May 9 when he emphasized the unique impact of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who makes the difference, who sets souls on fire and breathes life into the actions of the Christian. Often the Holy Spirit is either forgotten or […]
A message of hope and rebirth released on the 75th anniversary of St. Maximilian Kolbe’s martyrdom at Auschwitz “Faith means deciding to stay with the Lord, to live with Him.” So Father Raffaele Di Muro concludes in his study of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Maximilian Kolbe: The Triumph of Love (Vatican Publishing House, 2016). The book […]
“My name is Julius: what do you like best about being Pope?” “What I like, sincerely, is being a parish pastor.” Julius’ question, and Pope Francis’ response, were taken from the pontiff’s dialogue with some members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Rome, Sunday, November 15, 2015; from it we can see, as if it […]
Two splendid exhibitions this spring concern the history of the book in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance and its impact on European and thus world culture: I Libri Che Hanno Fatto l’Europa (The Books That Made Europe) on at Palazzo Corsini in Trastevere, Rome, until July 22 (Via della Lungara 10, Rome, entrance […]
“Are You Ready To Move Mountains?” Interview with Eduardo Verastegui, Mexican Actor and Hollywood Producer From a little town in Northern Mexico, Eduardo Verastegui has made the American dream a reality: he became a Hollywood star, rich, famous and successful. Then one day he realized he didn’t want to be part of the negative stereotype […]
Saints Peter and Paul are considered pillars of the Orthodox Church, and thus share a special feast day which is celebrated on June 29. This feast is preceded by one of the main periods of fasting in the liturgical calendar, a time of fasting that is unique to the Orthodox calendar. It is called the […]
