Programming note: For the Mass with new Cardinals on Sunday, we will repeat the liturgy at 10:00am ET (not at 11:15am, as previously advertised). We have also added a repeat broadcast of the French translation of the Mass with New Cardinals at 4:00pm ET. The times of the live broadcast and evening repeats are unchanged. ...read more

“When Christ at a symbolic moment was establishing his great society, he chose for its corner-stone neither the brilliant Paul nor the mystic John, but a shuffler, a snob, a coward – in a word, a man.  And upon this rock he has built his Church, and the gates of hell have not prevailed against ...read more

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has dedicated a new page on its website to the Church and Indigenous Peoples of Canada. This special project was launched to coincide with the feast day of Canada’s first woman saint, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. In the Universal Church, St. Marguerite’s feast day is celebrated on Thursday, Jan. 11. ...read more

Pope Benedict gathered the faithful earlier today at St. Peter’s Square, where he proclaimed the Angelus. In a special announcement following the Angelus, he announced the appointment of 22 new Cardinals, including Toronto’s Archbishop Thomas Collins. A consistory will be held at the Vatican Feb. 18 and 19.   ...read more

Above is Pope Benedict’s homily, as delivered at Mass on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. ...read more

By now you’ve heard the great news for the Canadian Church: Toronto’s Archbishop has been named a Cardinal. All the local and national news outlets have been covering the story, including the CBC’s six minute phone interview with Archbishop Thomas Collins this morning. The Pope made the announcement following the celebration of Mass and the ...read more

Benedict XVI included a big announcement in his homily on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but it was hardly a surprise. For weeks, journalists had speculated that plans for a trip Mexico and Cuba would be unveiled at the special Mass for Latin America. The bishops of Cuba had essentially confirmed the trip ...read more

The feast of the Immaculate Conception is a public holiday in Italy and most of Europe. When I lived there as a student, December 8th was always a special day because it was a holiday, because it reminded me that Advent had indeed begun, and because it was also the day for a special gathering with ...read more

S+L’s Alicia Ambrosio had the opportunity to speak with Vatican spokesperson Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ yesterday. Despite his busy schedule, Fr. Lombardi took the time to share some experiences about his time in Benin. He also shared a remarkable story about a little girl the Pope met. You can watch their full interview, via phone, ...read more

It has been a whirlwind of a day for Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican officials. They are currently in the midst of the Holy Father’s 22nd apostolic voyage, which is taking place in the small West African nation of Benin. The Pope left Rome’s Fiumicino Airport around 9:00am (Rome time). During the six-hour flight, he ...read more