As far as I can tell in our day and age, only church councils and papal transitions can attract the kind of global attention for the Catholic Church that is both honest and positive.  While working in Rome in February and March of 2013, I was struck by this reality and by how the intrigue ...read more

Returning home after World Youth Day Rio 2013 there were several things I didn’t miss: the long walk from our accommodations to the media centre because traffic was closed, the language barrier, and the weather that fluctuated between hot beach weather, and damp, winter rain. One thing I discovered I really do miss the incredible ...read more

Tonight in San Antonio, Texas at the 131st Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston gave the following keynote to the over two thousand Knights, their wives, bishops, cardinals, and priests gathered for the States Dinner. The New Evangelization in the Pontificate of Pope Francis Keynote Address of His Eminence Seán ...read more

During his July 22-29 visit to Brazil, Pope Francis’ homilies and addresses had a simplicity and directness that inspired the faithful with confidence in God’s love, hope for reform and love of neighbor, especially the poor. But two of his speeches went beyond pastoral exhortations to lay out his vision and agenda for the church ...read more

In most respects, Alitalia flight 4001 from Rio de Janeiro to Rome on Sunday night was nothing to write home about. The seats in economy class were fairly uncomfortable, and the food was merely adequate. The main course was a lukewarm square of lasagna roughly the size of a Ritz cracker. I’ll say this for ...read more

For those who wanted to participate in WYD but were unable to come to Brazil, the opportunities to watch the events in the secular media were painfully few and far between. Although sound-bites were occasionally scattered throughout the news, it was clear that the global appetite to understand the context of the Pope’s trip to ...read more

In a press conference held on Tuesday, July 30th, Archbishop of Rio and Chairman of World Youth Day Rio2013 LOC, Orani Tempesta, gave a positive assessment of the event. According to him, Pope Francis wowed everyone with his simplicity and his desire to always be near the people. “It is God who makes things. We ...read more

(CNS) Highlights of Pope Francis’ visit to Rio, during WYD Rio 2013 World Youth Day 2013 Flash Mob More highlights of Pope Francis’ visit to Rio during World Youth Day 2013 Bishops at World Youth Day practicing the Flash Mob   ...read more

This great interview in Spanish with Portuguese subtitles aired on Brazilian Television Saturday evening, July 27, 2013.   ...read more

As Pope Francis was leaving the cathedral of St. Sebastian in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday following mass with the bishops and priests, he met a couple who presented to him their own newly-born daughter who was born anacephalic (without a brain). Normally the baby would have died at birth but she was still alive.  ...read more