Following the mass in St. Francis Square yesterday, Pope Francis had lunch in the Caritas Soup Kitchen with a group of homeless persons and refugees living in the Caritas Centre, which aims to provide basic assistance to those who have nowhere else to go. He also spent a few moments of private prayer in the ...read more

“I give you thanks, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to babes” (Mt 11:25). Peace and all good to each and every one of you! With this Franciscan greeting I thank you for being here, in this Square so full of ...read more

Quebec’s government has stirred significant debate with its proposed Charter of Values. One of the major voices in the debate is the Catholic Church of Quebec, which held its annual bishop’s plenary in mid September where it devised an official response. One week later Salt and Light sat down with Archbishops Gérald Lacroix of Quebec ...read more

In a recent interview with ZENIT, Salt and Light’s Sebastian Gomes reflected on the significance of Pope John’s upcoming canonization in the context of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Vatican II.  What does “the Good Pope’s” canonization mean for a generation of Catholics who came of age long after the Council closed?  Read the full ...read more

“This discernment takes time. For example, many think that changes and reforms can take place in a short time. I believe that we always need time to lay the foundations for real, effective change. And this is the time of discernment. Sometimes discernment instead urges us to do precisely what you had at first thought ...read more

Excerpt from ADDRESS OF POPE FRANCIS TO RECENTLY APPOINTED BISHOPS TAKING PART IN A COURSE ORGANIZED BY THE CONGREGATION FOR BISHOPS AND BY THE CONGREGATION FOR THE EASTERN CHURCHES Clementine HallThursday, 19 September 2013 “What does tending and having the permanent and daily care of their sheep (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council Lumen Gentium, n. 27) ...read more

This post is part of a series of reflections by TJP writers on Pope Francis’s recent interview. Full Series List: The Papal Interview: Young Jesuits React and Reflect The Original Interview: At America Magazine By Ryan Duns, SJ “We must not reduce the bosom of the universal church to a nest protecting our mediocrity. And ...read more

By Peter Folan, SJ “In my experience as superior in the Society, to be honest, I have not always behaved in that way — that is, I did not always do the necessary consultation. And this was not a good thing. My style of government as a Jesuit at the beginning had many faults.” Like ...read more

This post is part of a series of reflections by TJP writers on Pope Francis’s recent interview. Full Series List: The Papal Interview: Young Jesuits React and Reflect The Original Interview: At America Magazine By Paul Lickteig, SJ We should not even think, therefore, that ‘thinking with the church’ means only thinking with the hierarchy ...read more

This post is part of a series of reflections by TJP writers on Pope Francis’s recent interview. Full Series List: The Papal Interview: Young Jesuits React and Reflect The Original Interview: At America Magazine By Quentin Dupont, SJ “I am a Sinner” This is Pope Francis’ first response–after a few moments of reflection–to the softball ...read more