Last Sunday during the Angelus, Pope Francis announced thirteen new cardinals from eleven different nations, plus four non-electors. The consistory, where they will be made cardinals, will be held on November 19th, the day before the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. “I will choose the Cardinals a little everywhere, because the Church is ...read more

Last Tuesday, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy, Pope Francis made a surprise visit to the areas affected by the earthquake last August. The Holy Father arrived in Amatrice, before going to Arquata, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto, explaining his visit with these words: “I thought long and hard ...read more

A year has passed since Pope Francis trip to Cuba and the United States. In the 4 days spent on the island, the pontiff visited several cities: Havana, Holguin and Santiago, leaving a message of hope everywhere. The contribution the Holy Father made to the re-establishment of relations between Cuba and the United States after 50 ...read more

It was October 27, 1986 when St. John Paul II gathered in the same place with the religious leaders of the world to promote peace in the name of dialogue. No more than 100 people gathered, a number which today has multiplied by five. The meeting was attended by 50 representatives of Christian Churches, including ...read more

There are many ways to live a World Youth Day. Of these, the classic one is to be a faithful attendant of the special occurrence. Another one is to tell what’s happening, instead, and bring others into the event. This is the role I’ll be covering in 360 degrees over the next few days, and ...read more

“Apart from God’s Mercy, there is no other source of hope for human beings.” - Pope John Paul II ...read more

I have many memories of April 2, 2005, when St. John Paul II died after a lengthy illness and much suffering. I remember the succession of news reports the evening before his death,  people praying in St. Peter’s Square and the shared sense of concern and sadness that most people felt; this was not limited just ...read more

During our fifth day in the Holy Land, on our way to Jerusalem, we stopped by to Mount Tabor (or Mount Hermon), the place where the Transfiguration of Jesus occurred.  The mountain is mentioned for the first time in the Bible in the Book of Joshua (19:22) and now houses a three-aisled basilica, built on the design ...read more

It’s never easy collect your thoughts and talk about a trip like the one we just had the opportunity to experience. It is not easy simply because there is so much to say that we risk confusing and mixing thoughts and memories, days and visits. In situations like this, I think the only thing to do is truly ...read more

Among the many beautiful and significant places of Jerusalem is undoubtedly the Via Dolorosa, or Way of the Cross, the way that Jesus walked, carrying his cross, and headed for Golgotha, the place of his crucifixion. This route starts from the Fortress Antonia, a building that once stood at the north side of the Temple of Jerusalem, considered ...read more