Asked to reminisce about his life and where he was at key moments in history, the 87-year-old Pope Francis obliged, but also used the opportunity to talk about the lessons the events hold today and his hope for the future.
As soon as the liturgies of the Christmas season ended, the Vatican published the calendar of public liturgies Pope Francis will preside over in January and February.
First on the list released by the master of papal liturgical ceremonies is the celebration of
Born in Rome, Leo served as a deacon to Pope St. Celestine I and Pope St. Sixtus III. Leo was elected pope in 440 while on a diplomatic mission to Gaul, now France. He is one of three popes called "the Great."
Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda, a top adviser to Pope Francis on matters involving canon law, denied reports the pope had asked him to draft revisions to the rules governing the preparations for electing a new pope. "I confirm my denial and have nothing
Electing Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the papacy Oct. 16, 1978, sent shock waves across the world. In all corners of the globe, people struggled to pronounce the last name of the 68-year-old cardinal and shared the joy of electing a pope "from
Born Angelo Roncalli in Italy, Pope St. John XXIII was ordained a priest in 1904. During World War I, he served as a medic and chaplain. He represented the Church as a Vatican diplomat in Bulgaria, Turkey, and France, eventually becoming a
A reader asks: “Does the pope have the authority to overturn pronouncements of previous popes, for example, in matters of contraception and the ordination of women?” As Monsignor Charles Pope explains, we must distinguish between different types of law and teaching. There
When it comes to the pope, many Protestants might say, “Who needs a pope? We have Jesus and the Bible and don’t need some man to tell us what to do.” How should we respond? Monsignor Charles Pope shares that at the
In case you didn’t notice, writes Russell Shaw, the process of choosing the next pope has begun. He writes: “No, Pope Francis is still going strong and the cardinals didn’t slip back into the Vatican under cover of night and immediately convene
Columnist Russell Shaw explores the life and papacy of Pope St. Paul VI, who sensitively and conscientiously led the Church from 1963 to 1978. He is most famously known for his encyclical Humanae Vitae, which met much dissent, but the pope stood