Pope Francis poses with youths during a meeting with young people from the northern Italian diocese of Piacenza-Bobbio in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Aug. 28.  CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano ...read more

Most people know Brazil to be the home of the Amazon river and the home of the Amazon rainforest. Brazil is also known for its samba music, their soccer teams, Copacaba beach, the Christ the Redeemer Statue, the favela slums and the annual Carnival celebrations. Brazil is also the fifth largest country in the world ...read more

On May 22, 2013, Pope Francis’ daily homily in the Chapel of Domus Sanctae Marthae was inspired by the passage from the 9th chapter of Mark in which the disciples tell Jesus that they tried to stop someone who was not one of their party from driving out demons. In one section of his homily, ...read more

While pro-choice activists often describe their cause as a “settled question”, a majority of Canadians remain decidedly unsettled by certain abortion practices. According to a 2011 poll, 92% of Canadians disapprove of sex-selective abortion, also known as female gendercide. And yet, as the Canadian Medical Association Journal has reported, it’s happening right here in Canada. While ...read more

> Many people have asked what the world would look like without the Catholic Church. Well, one obvious difference would be the absence of all the Catholic charity agencies and the wonderful and important work that they do. In many cases, there would be no charity agencies at all, had the Catholic Church not first ...read more

Are pilgrimages necessary? That’s the question we’re asking this week on Perspectives: The Weekly Edition. Deacon Pedro speaks with two alumni of the Camino de Santiago walking pilgrimage, Gillian Kantor and Kris Dmytrenko. They discuss whether we need sacrifice, time for reflection, and being taken out of our comfort zone in order to encounter God. ...read more

What does it mean to the universal church that we have an Argentinean pope? Deacon Pedro explores this question with two Argentineans: in the studio is Fr. Ervens Mengelle of the Institute of the Incarnate Word and via Skype from Buenos Aires is Valeria Vitale. Send us your comments: What do you think it means ...read more

Pope Francis has taken the world by storm. But will he be able to evangelize young people? Host Kris Dmytrenko asks Fr. Frank Portelli and Oriana Bertucci what the youth think of the new pontiff. Also on the panel, Auravelia Colomer shares what it was like to be in St. Peter’s Square when the new ...read more

As anyone following newspapers, blogs, newscasts, and social media will know, media coverage of the papal transition can range from the minute to the absurd. What are the issues the media should be talking about? How does a Catholic spokesperson inform an often misinformed society? On today’s episode of “Perspectives Conclave Special”, S+L Producer Kris ...read more

What can we expect from a new pope? That’s been the question on everyone’s mind, and has featured prominently in recent media coverage of the upcoming papal election. Kris Dmytrenko and guests Dr. Josephine Lombardi, Fr. Frank Portelli, and Matthew Sanders discuss what the real story is behind the pope, what his office entails, and ...read more