Pope Benedict XV

American Cardinals and the Papacy: Historical Vignettes

Lesser-known stories of American cardinals at papal conclaves — before electing one of them Pope was imaginable By Donald McClarey* With the election of the first American-born cardinal, Robert Prevost, as Pope Leo XIV, the Church enters a new era. Yet American cardinals have been part of the papal conclaves since the dawn of the 20th [...]

Pontifical Oriental Institute: a bridge between East and West

Church leaders from the different Eastern Catholic rites have been gathered in Rome this week to mark the centenary of the foundation of the Pontifical Oriental Institute and the Congregation for Eastern Churches. Pope Francis visited the Institute on Thursday and issued a mesage praising its "high achievements" and reminding it to be always attentive to the "enormous challenges facing [...]

Archbishop Pietro Parolin Is the New Vatican Secretary of State

In this interview, the recently- appointed Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, outlines what he hopes to achieve in his new diplomatic role. From the Apostolic Nunciature in Caracas, where he was still working as the Holy See’s “ambassador” to Venezuela, Parolin talked about his view of the geopolitical situation in light of Pope Francis’ efforts [...]