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

A Jesuit Perspective on the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, July 31 There is an old story which passes from generation to generation within the Society of Jesus which quotes St. Ignatius of Loyola as having said that should the Society be disbanded he would need 15 minutes of prayer in order to reconcile ...read more

Worshipping God on Copacabana Beach: A Reflection on the Final Mass from World Youth Day Rio, 2013. ...read more

Homily of Pope Francis at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, July 24, 2013 My Brother Bishops and Priests, Dear Brothers and Sisters, What joy I feel as I come to the house of the Mother of every Brazilian, the Shrine of our Lady of Aparecida! The day after my election as Bishop of ...read more

Salt and Light Photo: The National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil By Sebastian Gomes World Youth Day Rio is about to begin and everyone is wondering what Pope Francis is going to say and do on his first trip back to South America.  Well, last week I may have uncovered a major clue. A ...read more

Today on Perspectives Pope Francis addresses life issues, a special delivery is made to Rio de Janeiro and a look at the Christ the Redeemer statue. ...read more

Tonight on Perspectives: A closer look at Pope Francis’ message from Lampedusa, prominent churchmen weigh in on Lumen Fidei, and the Pope sends a letter of condolence to the people of Lac-Megantic. ...read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters, This celebration has a very beautiful name: “Evangelium Vitae”, the Gospel of Life. In this Eucharist, in the Year of Faith, let us thank the Lord for the gift of life in all its forms, and at the same time let us proclaim the Gospel of Life.  On the basis of ...read more

This weekend, Catholics are gathering at the Vatican to celebrate John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae. Details about the festivities, titled “Believing May They Have Life”, were revealed at a press conference on May 28. “We have given it this name to testify to the grand theme that revolves around the Church’s commitment to the ...read more

Tonight on Perspectives Pope Francis urges us to proclaim the gospel generously and simply. ...read more