Here are three questions for news consumers who are paying attention to pre-conclave news. These questions play a crucial role in this week’s “Crossroads” podcast, which focuses on some elite mainstream press coverage of the unfolding drama in Rome.
Read MorePizzaballa’s name has been included in almost every list == in secular and Catholic media — of “papabile,” or “pope able” candidates to fill the Chair of Saint Peter. Thus, journalists and church insiders have dissected sermons and addresses by Pizzaballa and other popular “papabile,” searching for clues about their stands on doctrine, worship and pastoral issues in the wake of the tumultuous Francis papacy.
Read MoreThe cardinals present in Rome have agreed to begin the conclave on May 7. They made the decision at the Fifth General Congregation, held on Monday morning in the Vatican’s Synod Hall.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Here’s a religion and politics story from the 2024 election that I hadn’t really thought about until recently: J.D. Vance, Trump’s pick for vice president, converted to Catholicism in 2019.
Read More(ANALYSIS) With Pope Francis’ funeral in the rearview mirror, the focus at the Vatican shifts to the forthcoming papal conclave and the process of electing the next pontiff. The Catholic Church is bigger than one single pope, but talk of Francis’ legacy lingers as the church finds itself at a crossroads. It is also something the next pope will have to contend with.
Read MoreSaturday’s majestic open-air funeral for Pope Francis is now followed by election of the next pope by the College of Cardinals in a process shrouded in secrecy. Indeed, the Latin root for “conclave” means “locked room”). Its legendary status was underscored in January when the fictionalized movie thriller “Conclave” was nominated for Best Picture and other Oscars.
Read MoreUna multitud de 250,000 personas se congregó el sábado en una soleada Plaza de San Pedro para dar el último adiós al Papa Francisco, quien fue recordado por tener “un corazón abierto hacia todos”.
Read MoreThe Basilica of St. Mary Major is one of the four major papal basilicas located in Rome and the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the city. Its artistic splendor, architectural grandeur and storied past make it one of the most significant houses of worship in all of Christianity. It will now also serve as Pope Francis’ final resting spot.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Truth is, many parishes in Europe are growing. But others are dying. As one theologian noted in a 1969 German radio interview, Catholicism was entering a time of painful decline in the modern world. But that was not the end of the story. Easter follows Good Friday.
Read MoreOver the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass through St. Peter’s Basilica to bid farewell to Pope Francis. His funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday.
Read MoreEl escritor peruano Mario Vargas Llosa, laureado con el Premio Nobel de Literatura en 2010, falleció en Lima el 13 de abril. Críticos y seguidores han dedicado los últimos días y semanas a analizar la obra y el legado de este renombrado intelectual, político, novelista y ensayista —considerado por muchos como una de las figuras más importantes de la literatura mundial contemporánea.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, 2010 Nobel Laureate in Literature, died in Lima on April 13. His critics and followers have spent the last few days and weeks analyzing the work and legacy of this renowned intellectual, politician, novelist and essayist — arguably one of the most important figures in contemporary world literature. Vargas Llosa is often regarded as the last of the great writers from the Latin American “Boom of the 1960s.”
Read MorePope Francis’ funeral will be held this Saturday in a ceremony to be held in St. Peter’s Square. The funeral Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. The decision was announced after cardinals met at the Vatican to plan the events of the coming days.
Read More(EXCERPT) This is why I said earlier that these are pages born “from the thought and the affection” of Cardinal Scola: not only from thought, but also from the emotional dimension, which is the one to which Christian faith points, since Christianity is not so much an intellectual act or a moral choice, but rather the affection for a person — that Christ who came to meet us and decided to call us friends.
Read More(EXPLAINER) The funeral rites take place in three parts, called stations. The first takes place in the pope’s private chapel, after medical professionals have certified his death. Until recently, this stage had taken place at the pope’s bedside. After the body lies in rest in the chapel, the cardinal serving as the pope’s camerlengo — the pope’s chief of staff — will make the arrangements for the funeral.
Read More(REVIEW) The university system is under attack. Professors risk careers by publicly speaking out on issues of intellectual freedom. Campuses have become tinderboxes. Meanwhile, the lines between church and state are blurring, imperiling the independence of the former while power-hungry political rulers seek to expand their iron-fisted grip over both. Welcome to the age of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Read MoreThe Catholic Church’s next leader will likely be chosen from a group of cardinals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in both spiritual and organizational capacities. The process of choosing the next pope is known as a papal conclave. This occurs following the death or resignation of a sitting pope.
Read MorePolitical and religious leaders from around the world offered condolences and tributes following the death of Pope Francis on Monday. The White House’s official X account posted two photos of the pope, one with President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, and the other with Vice President J.D. Vance, with a caption that read: “Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) I was not planning on writing about Francis this morning or tomorrow. Instead, I was planning on writing about the signs pointing to what I believe is the biggest religion story in Christianity around the world.
Read MoreFive cases addressing religious liberty ranging from parental rights to age verification on pornographic sites will be decided when the Supreme Court announces its decisions in the coming months.
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