"Aware of the ongoing maneuvers, Kolvenbach, acting in contrast to his usual discreet and serene style, asked Benedict XVI for an audience and, in a firm and determined manner, as perhaps never in his life, asked him not to approve a decision of this type, which the Society this time would not tolerate."—Gianni La Bella, the [...]
#6 Kanye West A leading American musician converts to Christianity “Now that I’m in service to Christ, my job is to spread the Gospel, to let people know what Jesus has done for me” Kanye West, the American rapper, singer, song- writer, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer, has recently been acclaimed by Catholics and Christians [...]
#1 Svetlana Kasyan Opera Star from Moscow, Russia “Love and Art Should Reign Again” Thirty-five year old Russian opera star Svetlana Kasyan celebrated her birthday this year at the Vatican with Pope Francis. Kasyan was born and raised in Georgia, and now resides with her husband and young daughter in Moscow. As an opera singer, Kasyan [...]
#5 Father Csaba Böjte A Hungarian Franciscan who helps abandoned children "To free my fellows from the chains of fear and little faith..." “Every child is a message for humanity: God loves us. Raising a child is an encounter with God. Jesus said: if someone adopts one of the smallest, receive myself,” says Father Csaba Böjte, [...]
#3 Alexander Tschugguel The Austrian who tossed the Pachamama images in the Tiber “I only had one reason to do it: to defend the glory of God” On October 4, 2019, during a ceremony at the Vatican Gardens, a group of people were filmed bowing down before two wooden statues representing Pachamama, the “Mother Earth” goddess of [...]
#4 Jakub Baryła A Polish hero though still a youth “I directed my prayer to the Mother of God. Policemen came and asked me to get out of the way. I said I couldn’t do it...” A 15-year-old Polish boy followed in the footsteps of his country’s noble ancestors when, crucifix and rosary held high, he [...]
#10 Emery Kabongo Kanundowi Former Personal Secretary of St. John Paul II “By Nature the African is a Very Spiritual and Believing Person" Emery Kabongo Kanundowi - Paul Chehade - Lysette Iglesias - Pauline Kashale Muanji - Solidary - Solidary Foundation To this day, in the midst of all of the politics, turmoil, and [...]
#2 Father Jean-Marc Fournier A Catholic priest in Paris, France “We Need Tangible Signs of Faith” Every year since 1803, even during the Nazi occupation, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has held a Christmas Mass — except for this Christmas, because of the historic fire that ravished the Cathedral in April 2019. The fire of Notre [...]
#7 Viktor Orbán The president of Hungary is controversial, but steadfast “Why haven’t we Hungarians disappeared?... The key to our survival was the adoption of the Christian faith.” “Hungarians account for 0.2 percent of the world’s population. Is there any point in a nation of this size taking a stance and standing up for a cause? [...]
Top Ten from 2019 We bring you in the January issue of Inside the Vatican the incredible story of a beautiful Russian opera soprano, Svetlana Kasyan. (To obtain a copy of the print edition, call our US office at 1-800-789-9494). We have come to know Svetlana personally since she sang at a Concert for Peace in [...]
