“Building bridges to build peace” is the main theme of the book The American Pope (Vatican Press, 2016), a collection of speeches, in Italian and English, made by Pope Francis during his 2015 apostolic journey to Cuba, the U.S. and the U.N., together with analysis by journalists Lara Jakes, Paolo Messa and Massimo Milone. The […]
Vatican Paper Lauds Spotlight as Brave, Not Anti-Catholic The film Spotlight, which won the Oscar for best picture on February 28, is a courageous movie that is not anti-Catholic, the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano said in two articles commenting on the Oscars. Italian historian and journalist Lucetta Scaraffia (photo), in an op-ed titled “It is […]
Our immortal souls are joined to mortal bodies. How can this be? A thought-provoking philosophical reflection on human nature by the great Belgian philosopher Dr. Alice von Hildebrand At age eleven, I was privileged to discover Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), one of the very great names in French literature, and I started reading his Pensées. I […]
We all know that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Indeed, Rome is a layer-cake of history built on seven hills, and it is appropriately nicknamed “The Eternal City” because visitors can see monuments and art from almost every period of her c. 2,700-year history: Ancient Greek, Republican Rome, Imperial Rome, Medieval (if not so […]
Trusting without understanding, especially in the face of tragedy, is often the hardest act of faith. Yet this is exactly what Pope Francis calls us to do in the face of suffering. To call out to God in the midst of the pain, confusion, and loneliness, saying, “I don’t understand, but I trust you,” is […]
FEBRUARY SATURDAY 27 How a Change in Vatican Protocol Reflects Outreach to the Divorced-and-Remarried With an eye toward divorced-and-remarried Catholics, Pope Francis has recently changed protocol for heads of state who are visiting the Pope at the Vatican. Catholic heads of state who are in an irregular marital situation may now take part in an […]
On Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”) Thank you for forwarding by email “The Joy of Love” by Pope Francis, published on April 8. I have read it and think it is one of the finest pieces ever written. I’m hoping our community will do a study of it. God bless you. Eva D. Madison […]
