Retired Pope Benedict XVI is seen in a file photo praying with his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, 96, in his private chapel at the Vatican. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters) Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, traveled to Regensburg today to be alongside his brother Georg, accompanied by Archbishop Gänswein, the vice commander of the Vatican [...]
By Becky Derks with G. Galazka, CNA and CNS photos Archbishop Paglia: Priests can be present at assisted suicide Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said that he would be willing to hold the hand of someone dying from assisted suicide, and that he does not see that as lending implicit support [...]
Five years have passed since Pope Benedict XVI posted the first Tweet on the official papal Twitter account: @Pontifex. That historic Tweet read: "Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart." Pope Francis in turn took up the [...]
May 1, 2017, Monday Reading today, I came across a brief passage from the conversation between Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and German writer Peter Seewald, part of a book which was published in September 2016 as Last Testament. (Here is a link to the book, the passage in question is from pages 240-241.) It is a [...]
January 26, 2017, Wednesday -- Knights of Malta and Freemasonry, #2 "One of the difficulties with the Order (of Malta) is that there is a split between those like Matthew Festing who regard the Order as a religious institution doing charitable work in the light of the teachings of the Church and others who would like [...]
January 25, 2017, Wednesday -- Knights of Malta and Freemasonry "Charybdis was a sea monster in Greek mythology, which dwelt in the Strait of Messina. It was later rationalized as a whirlpool. It was believed that Charybdis lived under a rock on one side of the strait. Opposite Charybdis, Ancient Greeks believed there was another sea [...]
March 23, 2013, Saturday -- Two Popes -- First Video "Very beautiful" embrace between Pope Francis and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo in the Vatican Gardens upon Pope Francis' arrival.--Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., today. Lombardi took the helicopter with Pope Francis from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo Update: At this link, there are the [...]
March 23, 2013, Saturday -- Two Popes -- First Photos "Very beautiful" embrace between Pope Francis and Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo in the Vatican Gardens upon Pope Francis' arrival.--Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., today. Lombardi took the helicopter with Pope Francis from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo (The first embrace of Pope Francis and [...]
March 7, 2013, Thursday -- A Living Stone "A righteous man falling down before the wicked [is as] a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring." —Proverbs 25:26 "By concentrating our relationship with the Eucharistic Christ only on Mass we run the risk that the rest of time and space is emptied of His presence. Thus our [...]
A Frosty Reception, Then Standing Ovation On the eve of the Pope's visit to England and Scotland, it is worth recalling that Joseph Ratzinger visited Cambridge 22 years ago to deliver a major address. As he began, the crowd was cold. His reputation had preceded him. As he spoke, the crowd listened. When he fell silent, [...]
