The Chair of Saint Peter, the Rock
There is only one rock on which it is worthwhile to place everything. This rock is the one to whom Christ said: ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.’ — Pope Benedict XVI Meeting with...
Tagged: Pope Francis
Truth and Reconciliation
Nowadays, it is easy to be tempted to turn the page, to say that all these things happened long ago and we should look to the future. For God’s sake, no! We can never move forward without remembering the past;...
Staying Online this Lent? 10 Tips from Pope Francis
Lent is a time that many Catholics choose to give up social media, but for those of us who stay active, Lent is a good time to rethink our online behavior. In the spirit of Pope Francis’s encyclical Fratelli Tutti,...
Is Conversion Ever a Phone Call Away?
In our desire for justice, to be more holy, or to bring about the conversion of others, how do we respond when the results we desire are slow in coming? Are we patient, or do we act recklessly and hope...
Meeting Pope Francis: Memories of an Encounter
Meeting Pope Francis was an unforgettable experience. In the winter of 2017, my wife and I planned a “babymoon” trip to Italy and France. We planned to spend the beginning of our trip in Rome around Christmastime. Through our parish,...
Responding to Charles Camosy’s open letter to the pope
Two weeks ago Charles Camosy, a professor of ethics at Fordham University, published an open letter to Pope Francis in which he asks the Holy Father to give defense of the unborn a “more central place” in his formal teaching....
‘Come and See’: The encounter that becomes news
An experienced Vatican journalist texted me when the Pope’s World Communications Day message was released over the weekend. She was bowled over by it and wanted to know if I knew who had had a hand in it (I didn’t)....
Pope Francis Calls for Healing after Extremist Attack at US Capitol
Pope Francis has weighed in on the violence at the US Capitol on Wednesday, January 6. This violence has been condoned or even incited by some of Francis’s critics within the Church, many of whom see loyalty to outgoing President...
The Christian Anthropology of The Queen’s Gambit
A few weeks ago my wife and I joined the millions of people who watched Netflix’s new original series, The Queen’s Gambit. While I wasn’t sold on it at first, by the final episode I was completely invested. Although religion...
“Everything Is Grace” at Christmas with Pope Francis
We sat in the car, my husband and I, still stunned, trying to eat a quick dinner before we drove to the hospital. I was avoiding looking at the medical building we had left earlier, the one with the unfamiliar...
Pope to Curia: A time of crisis is a time of the Spirit
Once again, Pope Francis delivered his annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia. In the first several years of his papacy, particularly in response to his 2014, 2017, and 2018 addresses, the media widely interpreted the annual speech as a...
Happy 84th Birthday, Pope Francis
Being pope carries no age requirement. Pope John XII is believed to have been 18 years old when he ascended to the papacy in 955. On his 84th birthday, our current pope wears orthopedic shoes and uses a cane at...
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