What Francis Did: How Will the Pope Be Remembered?
How will Pope Francis be remembered? Pope Francis, 88, leader of the world’s more than one billion Catholics, died this morning at 7:35 a.m., after a brief rally from a long period of illness that began with a severe respiratory infection. Many things come next: a papal funeral, a conclave, and the announcement of a new Pope. But the question of the Argentinian pope’s legacy will linger...
The Best of Francis: 5 Unforgettable Moments ...
As the world absorbs the news of the death of Pope Francis — and before the ever-busy oddsmakers and deep insiders begin the game of papabile speculation that accompanies every papal death and conclave — let us rest for a moment and appreciate what were (arguably) the five most memorable moments of the Franciscan papacy:
Pope Francis oversaw a steep decline in the Vatican’s role as a global witness [Washington Post Subscribers Only]...
When Pope Francis was elected on March 13, 2013, the Vatican’s reputation as a forceful, effective global advocate for basic human rights and a humane world order was at its apogee, thanks to the work of Francis’s two papal predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Francis, who died Monday at age 88, does not leave a similar legacy. It will be up to his successor to rebuild a Catholic global witness now in disarray.
Sede Vacante: The See of Rome Is Vacant. What Happens Now, and Who Is in Charge?
Full Text: ‘Urbi et Orbi’ Message for Easter 2025...
Christ is risen, alleluia! Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter! Today at last, the singing of the “alleluia” is heard once more in the Church, passing from mouth to mouth, from heart to heart, and this makes the people of God throughout the world shed tears of joy. From the empty tomb in Jerusalem, we hear unexpected good news: Jesus, who was crucified, “is not here, he has risen.” Jesus is not in the tomb, he is alive...
The amazing story of how a stolen rosary led one young woman to the Catholic Church...
Will We Let Easter Work on Us This Time?
Pope Francis making snow angels. That was a cover of the New Yorker in December 2013. A coffee mug I picked up in Rome early in his pontificate shows him as a superhero, cape and all — you could trip over similar souvenirs in the Eternal City during his first years as pope. Georgetown University could have trademarked “the Francis Effect” by now; the phrase has been an ongoing theme on campus, guiding commentary on his impact on Rome and on the church globally. However you look at it, Pope Francis has gotten people’s attention.
They Were the First, We Are the Latest: 7 Easter Takeaways...
Vice President Vance Meets With Cardinal Parolin at Vatican on Holy Saturday...
How is Good Friday ... Good?
This time before we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter is a special time in the Church. So often, we get distracted by holiday plans and preparation that we let the week go by without reflecting on the magnitude of what really happened 2,000 years ago. I’m going to be honest, this was a tough talk for me to write, and it might be tough for you to hear. But that’s what this week is all about. Sit in those feelings and let the events that took place have that impact on you.
The Awe of Calvary...
There is something both awe-inspiring and ominous about the path Jesus Christ freely chose to free man from the destruction of sin and an unholy death. Jesus came to save the lost through a sacrificial death. This act of sacrificial love, I argue, should leave a person with a sense of awe and wonder why someone would choose to die for a humanity that at first would revere him, then in a short matter of time scream for his execution. Even more, why would a Father offer his son in death for the salvation of souls he created in his image and likeness?
What Good Friday Shows Us About Redemptive Struggle — and the Power of One More Step...
Here and Now, Avignon Again, and Just One Drink...
Welcome Home: Many Dioceses See Sharp Growth in Converts to Catholic Faith This Easter...
Good Friday: ‘Christ Became Obedient to the Point of Death, Even Death on a Cross’...
The Classical Girl's Top 10 Holy Works for Holy Week...
Roman Missal’s ‘Prayer for a Deceased Pope’ and 4 Other Prayers You Can Offer for Pope Francis...
With Pope’s Death, Vatican Announces Postponement of Blessed Cardinal Acutis’ Canonization This Sunday...
The Vatican announced Monday that the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis has been postponed following the death of Pope Francis. More than 80,000 teenagers were expected to gather in Rome for the April 27 canonization amid the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers, according to the Dicastery for Evangelization, with young people registered from the United States, Brazil, India, Spain, Portugal, France, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Germany, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Argentina, and Nigeria.
The Church After Francis...
I have personal memories of Pope Francis that I greatly value: a friendly and generous working relationship at the 1997 Synod on America when we were both newly appointed archbishops; his personal welcome and warmth at Rome’s 2014 Humanum conference; and the extraordinary success of his 2015 visit to Philadelphia for the Eighth World Meeting of Families. He devoted himself to serving the Church and her people in ways that he felt the times demanded...
Pope Francis in Easter Vigil Homily: Christ Is the ‘Turning Point’ in Human History...
4 converts share how they picked their Confirmation saints...
Half-Measures Or Full Devotion?
St. Peter the Apostle proclaimed: “We are witnesses of all that [Jesus] did... They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible...to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” Jesus went to his Passion and Cross after the Last Supper, and from death and his tomb to the Resurrection. His apostles witnessed these events and were willing to die to testify to them...
The Seven Falls of Christ...
I want to look at some key devotional art that I mentioned in passing in the post on the Stations. As I wrote there, the fourteen Stations of the Cross we know today came into being by a slow process, only emerging in their current form in the 16th century. The actual number of stations and falls of Christ varies considerably, from 3 up to 37, and their connection to actual locations in Jerusalem shifts over the centuries.
Who Were the Women at the Crucifixion?
Let’s turn our attention to identifying the different women named by the evangelists. This task is complicated by the ambiguity in John’s description: “But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” (Jn 19:25). John tells us that both the mother of Jesus and her sister were present at the crucifixion...
What's So Important About Blood and Water?
TLM Permissions Set to Expire in Detroit: A Reflection From the Pews...
Britain’s ‘Quiet Catholic Revival’ Is Lay-Driven, Mostly by Young Men...
Reports of a “quiet revival” within the Catholic Church in Britain have been drawing widespread attention over the past week as parishes up and down the country witness ahead of the Easter celebrations a steady growth in interest and attendance, especially among the young. At the vigil of the Lord’s Resurrection this Saturday, the London dioceses of Southwark and Westminster will be receiving higher numbers than usual into the Church...
9 Things You Need to Know About Good Friday...
Good Friday is the most somber day of the Christian year. It is the day our Savior died for us. It is the day we were redeemed from our sins by the voluntary death of God Himself at the hands of man. Here are 9 things you need to know. First, why is this day called “Good Friday?” It's not for the reason you might think. Despite the fact that "good" is a common English word, tempting us to say the name is based on...
New York Post: ‘Why Young People Are Converting to Catholicism En Masse’...
In Landmark Ruling, Uk’s Top Court Says Legal Definition of Woman Refers to Biological Sex...
Dutch floral gift for Vatican Easter a tradition ‘too beautiful to let go to waste’...
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