This week, for the little corner of the church, Opus Dei, all roads lead to Madrid! With the Beatification of Bishop Alvaro Del Portillo, the first successor of St. Josemaria, happening in Spain, there is an estimated 100,000 people (according to the Catholic News Agency) coming to witness this momentous and God-glorifying moment. Every step of the way ...read more

During his final engagement of his one-day visit to Albania on Sunday, Pope Francis visited a residential centre for disabled and needy children, run by an Italian charity in the Albanian capital, Tirana. In his address at the Bethany Centre (full text found below), the pope spoke of how faith, working through charity, can dislodge ...read more

Pope Francis urges Albanian youth to say yes to acceptance and solidarity during his Angelus address. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Before concluding this celebration, I wish to greet each of you who have come from all over Albania and from nearby countries. I thank you for your presence and for the witness of your faith. ...read more

  Below you will find the full text of Pope Francis’ homily during his first trip to Albania. Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Holy Mass in Mother Teresa Square (Tirana, 21 September 2014) Today’s Gospel tells us that, as well as the Twelve Apostles, Jesus calls another seventy-two disciples and that he sends them ...read more

Pope Francis’ visit to Albania marks the first time a pontiff has visited the ‘Land of the Eagles’ since Pope John Paul II’s trip in 1993. His opening address, full text found below, focuses on a fruitful co-existence between people of different beliefs. “I am very happy to be here with you, in this noble land of Albania, a ...read more

The following is Pope Francis’ original speech during the celebration of Vespers in Albania.  Dear brothers and sisters, It is a great joy for me to meet with you in your beloved homeland; I thank God for the opportunity and I thank you for your hospitality! Here in your midst, I can better express my ...read more

“Today we have touched the martyrs.” – Pope Francis On Sunday, September 21, 2014, during his visit to Albania, Pope Francis met with priests, seminarians, religious men & women & lay leaders in Tirana Cathedral to celebrate Vespers. Upon hearing the very moving testimonies of a priest and sister who were imprisoned for many years under ...read more

Below you will find the complete transcript of Pope Francis’ hour-long Press Conference with journalists aboard the return flight from Korea to Rome earlier today. This text is published here with the permission and encouragement of Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ, Director of the Holy See Press Conference.  The text was meticulously prepared by senior Vatican ...read more

Address by His Eminence Cardinal Andrea Yeum Soo-jung Mass for Peace and Reconciliation Myeong-dong Cathedral in Seoul August 18, 2014 Holy Father, I wanted to thank you very much for visiting our country split in two, north and south and for praying for his peace by celebrating the Eucharist. Today is the last day of ...read more

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Mass For Peace And Reconciliation Seoul, Myeong-dong Cathedral 18 August 2014 Dear Brothers and Sisters, As my stay in Korea draws to a close, I thank God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon this beloved country, and in a special way, upon the Church in Korea.  Among ...read more