[The following is the keynote Address of Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. to the Catholic Media Convention, Toronto, May 29, 2008.] “When the Pope speaks to the World: Working with Modern Media” Your Eminence, Cardinal Foley, Your Excellencies, Archbishop Celli, Archbishop Prendergast, Dear Friends, I am delighted to be here in Toronto for the 2008 Catholic ...read more

Though the attendees are predominantly from North America, there’s a number of representatives from the Vatican, one of them is the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, Archbishop Claudio Celli. Archbishop Celli brought with him to Toronto greetings from Pope Benedict XVI, who hoped the conference “will be a fruitful time of spiritual ...read more

Besides drawing some 475 delegates, the Catholic Media Convention in Toronto brought a number of representatives from the Vatican. The president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, John Cardinal Foley was in attendance (for those keeping track, he’s now the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem). His ...read more

We’re less than 24 hours away from the official start of the Catholic Media Convention here in Toronto, but Salt + Light has already experienced a flurry of activity. Today we welcomed Cardinal John Foley, the former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication and the current Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of ...read more

You’ve followed the portageurs as they endured snowstorms, health problems and leadership changes. You’ve watched as they crossed into Quebec and past the half-way mark. And you’ve met the personalities leading the Ark of the New Covenant, such as Dominic, 60, whose has returned to the practice of his faith during the course of the ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the United States last month evoked many comparisons between the current Pontiff, and that of his predecessor, John Paul II. It was unavoidable — John Paul II was much beloved, was Pope for nearly thirty years, and touched the hearts of millions. But it’s also not fair to compare the ...read more

[This blog entry comes from Michael L. Knox, a Jesuit Scholastic in Toronto. He has helped Salt + Light with our short interstitials “Moments in Church History,” and offers this reflection on Sunday’s solemnity.] In recent weeks, Christian communities around the world gathered during the Easter Triduum to celebrate the passion, the death, and the ...read more

Last night, I slept at the house belonging to the aunt and uncle of Sylvain Cossette, Quebecois rock star. The previous morning at a parish rectory, I was treated to a lovely breakfast that included cretons, a traditional toast spread made of pork butt. I present these two occurrences as evidence that Quebec, indeed, is ...read more

After 10 episodes of Mothering… we have finally found the secret… the secret source of strength, inspiration, and support for moms. Wait for it…. The Sacraments. Moms are so blessed in their vocation to have a few tools of the faith to help them out along the way… specifically, I’m thinking of the Holy Eucharist ...read more

As my bus left Montreal Island, it struck me how different this location shoot would be from the last one. Two weeks ago I was in the “world’s capital” covering the U.S. papal visit; tomorrow I’m embarking on a walking pilgrimage into the Quebec hinterland. It’s hardly rural right now, however, as we’re spending two ...read more