Msgr. Peter Wells High-Ranking American in Vatican “Humbled” by Appointment as Nuncio On Tuesday it was announced that Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Peter Bryan Wells (photo), the highest-ranking American in the Vatican Secretariat of State, as his new ambassador to South Africa and Botswana. “I am extremely humbled and honored by the faith [...]
In the Vatican Gardens, Pope Francis blesses two new statues by Argentine artist Alejandro Marmo (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano) “Art must not discard anything or anybody. It’s like mercy.” Pope Francis, May 29, 2015 During a recent conversation with Monsignor Jacobone, he mentioned that on Saturday, February 18, 1984, in Rome’s Dominican church, Santa Maria [...]
Dompok named as first Malaysian Ambassador to Vatican Ambassador Dompok and his wife, Diana, being blessed by Pope Francis in 2013 Former Chief Minister of Malaysia Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has been appointed the first Malaysian ambassador to the Vatican. His appointment is expected to begin on January 1, 2016. Dompok was in the [...]
NOMINATIONS Bernardito Auza. Pope Francis has named a Filipino archbishop who helped rebuild the church in Haiti after its devastating January 2010 earthquake, as the Holy See’s representative to the United Nations in New York. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, 55 the nuncio to Haiti, was appointed permanent observer of the Holy See to the United [...]
AWARDS TIME; the cover of the December 2013 issue. POPE FRANCIS has been named Time magazine’s “PERSON OF THE YEAR” for 2013. He is the third Roman Pontiff to receive this honor after John XXIII in 1962 and John Paul II in 1994. The Head of the Holy See’s Press Office, Jesuit FATHER FEDERICO [...]
ANNIVERSARIES Pope John XXIII. On October 3, Pope Francis attended a commemorative conference marking the 50th anniversary of Blessed John XXIII’s encyclical PACEM IN TERRIS (“Peace on Earth”). The Pacem in Terris conference was organized by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in Rome Oct. 2-4. Pacem in Terris, published in 1963, was [...]
“I wanted to be a priest like our parish priest. It wasn’t until I was 23 years old, after I’d graduated from seminary in Nancy, that I decided to become a Franciscan...” You were born in 1941. Do you have any memories of the Second World War? Archbishop Jean-Pierre Grallet: My first memory dates [...]
LITURGY: TWO EVENTS IN ROME The last week of June was marked by two events focused on the liturgy: the “SACRA LITURGIA” international symposium at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce (Holy Cross) from June 25 to 28, 2013, formally ending with participation in the Mass celebrated by Pope Francis the following day for the Feast [...]