Benedict XVI will be like a Moses for the Church. Moses went to a mountain and interceded for the People of Israel while the latter were combating against Amalek.  So will the Pope do after his retirement – the President of Pontifical Council for Culture, Card. Gianfranco Ravasi, said in a Lent meditation [...]

In front of the Roman clergy, he spoke for one hour off-the-cuff, with no hesitation and with a certain serenity. And he denounced one of the “issues” with the Church, probably for him the pivotal one. Which is that there had been two Second Vatican Councils: one of the Fathers [...]

Just one day after the death of Pope Pius XI, on February 10, 1939, Msgr. Angelo Pomata stood in front of a cahier’s window at Religious Works (the “ancestor” of the Institute for Religious Works). The cashier was Massimo Spada. Pomata was dispatched there by Eugenio Pacelli – who, after the death of the [...]

Ultimately, is an upstairs/downstairs exercise. Go up a number of  steps and then come down a few and meet in the middle.  Tawadros II, the new Coptic-Orthodox Patriarch of Egypt, had to go up three steps during his enthronement ceremony. At every step, one of his titles was proclaimed: bishop of bishops, [...]

Does the reorganization of the Vatican media amount to Father Federico Lombardi’s soft demise? The director of the Holy See Press Office has lost the direction of the Vatican Television Centre (CTV), and has been assigned a second deputy at the Holy See Press Office. The new Vatican appointments are in addition [...]

In four points, the Holy See has presented «the Catholic Church’s freedom and institutional autonomy» to the European Court of Human Rights. Four paragraphs to underline that «the Church is in no way to be confused with the political community and is not bound to any political system»; that «the distinction between [...]

What will be the agenda of the four bishops the Pope ordained in the solemnity of the Epiphany? Benedict XVI outlined it with these words: «The humility of faith, of sharing the faith of the Church of every age, will constantly be in conflict with the prevailing wisdom of those who cling to [...]

With two changes to the anti-money laundering law, the Holy See has made its financial system even more open and transparent. The changes – approved by the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State on December 14 and in effect since December 17 – allow the Vatican Authority for Financial Information to reach Memorandums [...]

Saint Stephen, first martyr, is an example of new evangelization. Because his story «shows that the news of the proclamation does not primarily consist in practising original methods or technics (which can of course be useful), but in being full of Holy Spirit and being guided by him». These words the Pope proclaimed [...]

«Dear Child Jesus, soon you will descend on earth. You will bring joy to children, and I will be joyful, too». This is the beginning of a 1934 Christmas letter, as reported by the web site korazym.org. The author was a 7 years old child. It was scripted in Sütterlinschrift, the typical italic [...]