On the occasion of the beatification of Paul VI, Goya Productions launches a new documentary that rediscovers the figure of the pope unfairly criticized and forgotten. To him do we credit, among other things, the famous encyclical Humanae Vitae. This is a one of the themes being discussed on the Synod of the Family that ...read more

Pope Paul VI greets a girl as he visits the Church of St. Leo the Great in Rome March 31, 1968. Pope Francis will beatify Pope Paul Oct. 19 during the closing Mass of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family. (CNS photo/Giancarlo Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo) To learn more about the Pope Paul ...read more

Tonight on Inside the Synod, Sebastian Gomes brings us news of reactions to the Synod’s midterm report and some pointers on how to keep things in perspective. ...read more

Pope Paul VI waves the starting flag for the Tour of Italy cycling race from the St. Damasus courtyard at the Vatican in this May 16, 1974, file photo. (CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano)  To learn more about the Pope Paul VI and the documents he promulgated, watch The Church Alive series.   ...read more

Pope Paul VI and Cardinal Albino Luciani, the future Pope John Paul I, are pictured in Venice in 1972. Pope Francis will beatify Pope Paul Oct. 19 during the closing Mass of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family.  (CNS photo/Giancarlo Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo)  To learn more about the contributions of these great ...read more

Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis Mass of Thanksgiving for the Equivalent Canonizationof Saints François de Laval and Marie de l’Incarnation Sunday, 12 October 2014 We have heard Isaiah’s prophecy: “The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces…” (Is 25:8).  These words, full of hope in God, point us to the goal, ...read more

So far in part 1  and part 2, we looked at how natural law is usually defined and how some of these definitions cause confusion. I also offered a definition that has always worked well for me. It helps to repeat it: Natural law is the law that says that all things work best or ...read more

Pope Paul VI, right, greets Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople during the pontiff’s 1964 trip to the Holy Land. Pope Paul inaugurated many of the bilateral and multilateral ecumenical dialogues that continue today. (CNS file photo) Want to learn more about the Church’s work to promote Christian Unity? Check out episode 8 of The ...read more

Last week I explained that I was surprised to see how much confusion there is surrounding the topic of natural law. If the Church needs to use the natural law argument in order to explain morality and especially sexual morality, we need to find a better way to explain it. Here’s my contribution: If you type ...read more

President John F. Kennedy shakes hands with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican July 2, 1963. The White House called Kennedy’s meeting with Paul VI an “unofficial” visit, although the pope spoke to the president about race relations, space exploration, world peace and U.S. aid to developing nations. (CNS file photo) Curious about the role ...read more