Tonight on perspectives, pope Benedict XVI appeal for peace in Syria and Iraq, we look at the role of the Catholic Church in the AIDS treatment and we close our celebration of the 10th anniversary WYD 2002. ...read more

This post was written in 2010, just after Ontario hosted the G20 summit. Kris Dmytrenko reflects on how that event and the WYD2002 Way of the Cross changed the city. It takes a powerful force to interrupt the flow of a city like Toronto. If streets are closed for a parade, drivers find other routes ...read more

How John Paul II was close to me in WYD 2002 In 2002, I was 16 years old and had just finished grade 10. That summer was my first time attending World Youth Day. My parents raised me Catholic and every Sunday we went diligently to mass. I remember often resisting mass, and just felt ...read more

At first impact the phrase “the Cuban Church” sounds like an oxymoron, or a misnomer and thoughts of an underground catholic presence might spring to mind. That might have been true at some point. However, Pope Benedict XVI’s planned visit to the Island nation later this month shows that is not the case today, and ...read more

Tonight on Perspectives: John Paul II has a new, permanent presence in Canada — we tell you where. Plus, our current Pope sounds a new warning on stem-cell research, and Catholics and Anglicans celebrate a major milestone in Montreal. ...read more

World Youth Day 2011 is coming up soon! In August, an enormous group of people is going to travel to the beautiful city of Madrid.  Among the pilgrims we will see young people, priests, religious, pastoral ministers and, of course, Pope Benedict XVI. [singlepic id=51 w=320 h=240 float=right] Though I will not be going to ...read more

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

The following is an unofficial English translation of the Rite of Beatification of John Paul II, pronounced moments ago in St. Peter’s Square. RITE OF BEATIFICATION 1. CARDINAL AGOSTINO VALLINI, VICAR GENERAL OF ROME: Beatissimo Padre, il Vicario Generale di Vostra Santità per la Diocesi di Roma domanda umilmente alla Santità Vostra di voler iscrivere ...read more

Protecting the family and John Paul II’s beatification headline news out of the Vatican today. Catholic News Service’s Rome Bureau Chief John Thavis reports. To download Flash Player please click here ...read more

Ubuntu. Chances are many of you haven’t heard of this word until now. Pronounced “oo-boon-too”, this small African word represents big African philosophies. Derived from the Bantu languages of southern African (Swahili is one such language), ubuntu translates to “I am what I am because of who we all are.” This concept is especially foreign ...read more