While most of us here in Toronto were still tucked in our beds, Pope Benedict XVI’s schedule for his second day in Cyprus had already kicked into high gear and thus the day for the S+L Cyprus crew began at 2:30 am ET. The Holy Father’s itinerary and the groups with whom he will be ...read more

This morning, Pope Benedict XVI landed on Cyprus, a Mediterranean island located south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon. Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, welcomed the Holy Father at 2pm local time. The country’s president, Orthodox clergy, politicians and select Roman Catholic faithful were among those present for the ...read more

At the Wednesday General Audience Pope Benedict sent a greeting to those gathered in New Orleans for the Catholic Media Convention.  What he said is a great reminder for call Catholic communicators: The theme of your meeting, “Spreading the Good News — Byte by Byte,” highlights the extraordinary potential of the new media to bring ...read more

Pope Benedict’s four day Apostolic Visit to Portugal has come to an end.  The trip was comprised of 13 major events, three open-air Masses and an estimated one million participants overall. The Holy Father set forth on his visit to promote the evangelization and missionary work that needs to be done on behalf of the ...read more

The city of Porto was the last stop on Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Voyage to Portugal. Porto is located in the north of Portugal and is the  country’s second largest metropolitan city  after Lisbon. The Holy Father arrived at the airport via helicopter this morning from Fatima where he was greeted by the Bishop of ...read more

At a meeting at Fatima’s “Casa Nossa Senhora do Carmo” today, Pope Benedict encouraged his brother bishops to be “first evangelizers.” This role calls on Bishops to: … understand the diverse social and cultural factors, to evaluate their spiritual deficiencies and to utilize effectively your pastoral resources; what is decisive, however, is the ability to ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI has told 9000 representatives of pastoral and social organizations in Portugal that defending life and marriage is essential to building the civilization of love. The groups gathered at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Fatima today. The Holy Father expressed his “deep appreciation” for the initiatives that combat the: … ...read more

An estimated 500,000 pilgrims were present this morning for Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. It was a sunny and warm morning there, despite the forecast of possible rain.  163 different pilgrim groups from 33 different countries were confirmed as participants for today’s Mass. Thousands of others arrived on foot, ...read more

As many as 40-thousand pilgrims gathered at the Esplanade of the Shrine of Fatima to pray the rosary with Pope Benedict XVI.  A sea of candles pierced the dark Fatima sky as the Holy Father led in the recitation of the glorious mysteries.  He was providing an excellent witness of prayer; an act that he ...read more

Pope Benedict arrived in Fatima by helicopter this afternoon where he was received by the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima and other local Catholic authorities and dignitaries. He then proceeded to the Shrine of Fatima in his Popemobile. An estimated 40,000 pilgrims greeted the Pope upon his arrival. His first stop was to the Chapel of Apparitions, ...read more