The following is the full text of the homily of Pope Benedict XVI, preached today at the Mass of Beatification of John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square. Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Beatification of Pope John Paul II Sunday, 1 May 2011 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Six years ago we gathered in ...read more

To mark the beginning of Holy Week, Benedict XVI preached on the Lord’s ascent to Jerusalem, which was commemorated liturgically with the blessing of palm branches and the procession with them before Mass. In his homily, the Holy Father said that man seeks to follow Jesus “along the high road that leads to the living ...read more

A Vatican commission released a message on Thursday to the church in China, urging the faithful to stay strong in their faith and criticizing illicit ordinations. Catholic News Service’s Rome correspondent Carol Glatz has more.   To download Flash Player please click here   ...read more

At last Sunday’s Angelus, Pope Benedict expressed his concern for the safety of the civilian population in Libya. Catholic News Service’s Rome correspondent Carol Glatz and Rome Bureau Chief John Thavis report the Vatican is concerned about what is happening in that country on a number of levels. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

Reporting for S+L, I enjoy a unique vantage point of the subjects we cover. Only once did I feel uncomfortably close to the story. It was during my last assignment in Rome that I met journalist Matt Baglio, who had just released a book titled “The Rite”. Baglio documents his experiences accompanying a priest who ...read more

The Vatican is among those watching the crisis unfold in Egypt. Nearly 100 people have been killed in a week of political demonstrations. But Catholic News Service’s John Thavis explains the Holy See isn’t likely to offer any immediate comment on the situation: To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

In my hometown of Deep River, Ontario, my family was usually among the last to put up the Christmas tree. Likewise, we waited weeks before pitching our dessicated fir to the curb. It was not due to the liturgical calendar that we observed the custom later than our neighbhours. We just weren’t in much of ...read more

A gathering of the College of Cardinals and a new interview book with Pope Benedict highlight this week in Rome. Catholic News Service’s Carol Glatz and John Thavis have more. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

On Saturday November 27th the Vatican is uniting with Churches and religious communities around the world to pray for lives that are about to begin. Pope Benedict XVI will preside over the first Vespers of Advent at St. Peter’s Basilica. He will then hold a prayer vigil for nascent life. Salt + Light will bring ...read more

A few pages into “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times”, Peter Seewald disappeared. The German journalist had secured one of the world’s most elusive interviews—a one-on-one with the Pope. Since the start of his pontificate, Benedict XVI had until now given only a couple of interviews, apart ...read more