Pope Francis First Pope To Tour Area Around St Peters Tomb ?

According to the Vatican he is . I thought that was interesting. I think if I was Pope that would be one of the first areas I would like to ...

2013 Way of the Cross Meditations For the Colosseum Prepard By Lebanese Youth Released By Vatican

The text and nice art work is here .

Pope Francis Speaks of Two Kinds of Poverty & Did Not Speak French - Address to Diplomatic Corps

I got very early to see Pope Francis speak to the Diplomatic Corp this morning  since it was a key address. Vatican Radio got a the English ...

Is The Holy See Really In An " Unholy Alliance " With Iran Against Women

Robert John Araujo, SJ has some experience this affairs has a response to a New York Times editorial. See The Grey Lady’s “Unholy Alliance”

Pope Francis' First Address 'Urbi et Orbi'' With L' Osservatore Romano Front Page

Brothers and sisters, good evening! You know that it was the duty of the Conclave to give Rome a Bishop. It seems that my brother Cardinals...

Papal Estate Castel Gandolfo - Refuge For Popes and Also For World War II Refuges and Jews

A very good post at First Thoughts. See Castel Gandolfo: Home of Popes, Refuge for Jews

From Rome Cardinal Dolan Blogs On A Few Major Misconceptions of the Papacy

See   A few “bloopers”

Italian Law & Religion Scholar Annicchino On Why Italy's Media Is Giving U.S.A Cardinals So Much Press

I have really noted how the Italians press is giving some Americans Cardinals a more serious look as the Pope "Sweepstakes " conti...

When Pundits Talk About Reform of the Church What They Leave Out

Father Robert John Araujo, SJ talks about what pundits mean when they talk reform of the CHurch and what they are leaving out at Reform—leg...

Post Pope Benedict - Vatican Releases Four Sede Vacante Stamps ( PICS ) ( Updated )

Here are the four Sede Vacante stamps released by the Vatican today.  They become very valuable if they are postmarked on the first day the ...

Sede Vacante - Farewell Pope Benedict XVI

A day with dramatic images that started in USA time early in the morning and continued to just minutes ago as the final ceremony marked an e...

AP Article " Pope enjoys swansong " Fails to Deliver

Many  Americans , like I did this morning,  woke up to this AP article in their morning newspapers. Pope enjoys swansong; future still a que...

Baton Rouge Public High School Choir Sings Itself Into Pope Benedict Abdication Catholic History Today

A pretty cool Louisiana connection to Catholic history happening before our eyes happened today. An eventful week for the very talented Bato...

Pope Benedict Turns To Opus Dei To Help Clean Up The Vatican

An interesting article from Vatican Insider. See The Opus Dei and Benedict XVI’s “silent clean-up" operation

John Allen - Italian Political Situation Shows Catholic Church Neither Left Nor Right

Johna Allen has his always interesting Friday column up at National Catholic Reporter. He says that by looking at current Italian politics a...

Vatican Newspaper L'Osservatore Romano Strikes Back At UK Guardian on Tales of Getting Rich Off Of Mussolini's Money ( English Translation )

Nice to see that the Vatican Newspaper finally respond. Below is a translation I have gotten from this page . History should not be mistreat...

Tell The Vatican & Bishops We 're Printing Guns - 3-D Printing to Make Church Gun Policy Obsolete ?

I guess one can do that after you tell your mom. One has to be living under a rock not to have heard the so called " National Discussi...

Media's Strange Disinterest On Pope's Remarks on Marriage & Annulments ( Full Text of Remarks to Roman Rota )

I am always interested in what the media finds interesting or noteworthy about Papal remarks and what it does not. Usually hot button sensat...

As United States Prepares For Immigration Reform Debate Pope Benedict Release Annual Message On The Topic

See the full text here at MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI FOR THE WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES (2013) .

Obama Should Choose Former Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco As Envoy To Holy See ( Vatican )

Lots of discussion over perhaps the limited choices that Obama might have in an acceptable pick to all sides to replace the outgoing  Vatica...