John Paul II biographer George Weigel called him “the best English-language Vatican reporter in history.” His objectivity has even been described as “maddening.” John Allen Jr. will be in Toronto on Tuesday, September 28th, to offer the lecture: Covering the Vatican and the Church — A Vaticanista Reflects on Challenges Facing the Church Today. An ...read more

Ten days ago you may have seen a note on our Facebook page congratulating and offering prayers for Bishop Bergie as the new Bishop of St. Catharines.  Bishop Bergie had been serving as the Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the Diocese of Hamilton. But that wasn’t the only change to take place in Hamilton. ...read more

It’s hard to believe that Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United Kingdom has come and gone. After months of speculation and negative media, the trip unfolded smoothly and the Holy Father was warmly received by the majority of people. In this week’s Catholic News Service Vatican Report, Cindy Wooden and John Thavis review the ...read more

I remember speaking to Fr. David or Fr. Martin of The Priests sometime last year about the 2012 Eucharistic Congress that would be held in Ireland.  I was wondering out loud if Pope Benedict might visit the Emerald Isle for the event, and if the The Priests might be participating in some capacity.  They were ...read more

On Thursday, Salt + Light CEO Father Thomas Rosica, CSB will be speaking at the University of Toronto’s Newman Centre. Three very special and great men are the reasons behind the event.  One was just beatified this past weekend in England by Pope Benedict XVI, the other a Venerable Pope whose life and legacy will ...read more

What a whirlwind trip! After four days spent in Scotland and in England the Holy Father is bidding farewell to the faithful of the UK. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Right Honourable David Cameron, told the Holy Father that his messages were not only heard by the Catholics of the country but ...read more

This afternoon, Salt + Light aired exclusive coverage of Pope Benedict’s meeting with the bishops of England, Scotland and Wales. At the meeting, the head of the bishop’s conference in Scotland, Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien addressed the Holy Father and bestowed upon him the title of “honourary Scotsman”. In his address, the Holy Father acknowledged ...read more

After a moving prayer vigil in London’s Hyde Park Pope Benedict XVI boarded a helicopter to Birmingham this morning to celebrate the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman. Blessed John Henry Newman is an important figure for both British Catholics and Anglicans. He began his adult life as an Anglican priest and during that time ...read more

It was a moving scene as thousands of candles glittered in the descending dusk in London’s Hyde park this evening during the vigil for the eve of Cardinal Newman’s beatification. The Holy Father’s transit took nearly an hour as the popemobile snaked leisurely through the streets amid the cheering faithful; many of whom were bearing ...read more

The Successor of St. Peter visited the residents of St. Peter today — a home for the elderly run by the Little Sisters of the Poor in the London borough of Lambeth. The Pope greeted some of the elderly and offered a beautiful address. He noted that “care for the elderly should be considered not ...read more