One of my good friends in the Vatican was Archbishop Antonio Riberi. He was born in Monaco in the Diocese of Monte Carlo in 1922 and was appointed Apostolic Nuncio … Continued
Is Father Jacques Hamel, murdered in France by a fanatical Muslim, a martyr? The theological question is: What makes a martyr? To the secular mind, it may seem perverse to … Continued
As soon as the Berlin Wall was destroyed and Mikhail Gorbachev declared an end to the Bolshevik system, Vladimir Putin tried to open friendly relations with the Vatican. Full diplomatic … Continued
The joy of the entire Christian world touched its summit on March 3, 2013, when the cardinal camerlengo (the highest prelate in charge of the papal household) proclaimed “Habemus Papam!” … Continued
Rarely has a Catholic inhabited the White House, and not since John and Jackie Kennedy have we had one as President or First Lady. When I visited the Vatican last … Continued
Old age is a sickness, incurable since it ends in death. In the Catholic faith to pray for a happy death is a tradition. My mother taught me to pray … Continued
A century ago, on May 13, 1917, two key events happened in the Catholic Church. First, and during the First World War, Pope Benedict XV, in the Sistine Chapel, consecrated … Continued
The theological controversies within the College of Cardinals are so dramatic that they could lead to one of the most schismatic and heretical crises the Catholic Church has ever had. … Continued
It is well known that as soon as a new Pope is presented to the world from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica there is speculation on the length of … Continued
Piñatas, posadas, mariachis … these are part of the Christmas heritage of the Aztecs, the aboriginal Indians of Old Mexico, whose culture was completely pantheistic. For them, the moon, water, … Continued