As I begin writing this, one week has passed since the series of terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13. I currently live about 6 km from the scene of the worst of the bloodshed of November 13: the Bataclan concert hall where 89 of the 129 deaths occurred. At about 10:15 that evening, I ...read more

The Secretary of the Congregation for Worship at the Vatican discusses the new translation of the Mass and the various reactions to it. How are you going to spend the next five minutes of your time?  You could browse social media or check your email, but how about meeting a fascinating person and learning something ...read more

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, Pope Francis arrived in Kenya for the first leg of his first Apostolic Visit to Africa. He was welcomed at “Jomo Kenyatta” International Airport of Nairobi and led to the State House of Nairobi for the official welcoming ceremony. Below you will find the full text of his welcoming address to ...read more

Salt + Light’s new six-part groundbreaking documentary series Creation continues on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at 8:00 pm ET. Creation highlights stories from all over North America focused on Catholic environmental principles. Our stories draw attention to many issues – waste management, species conservation, urban and local farming, water shortages, contamination and waste water treatment– and offer the ...read more

This year marks 50 years since the end of the Second Vatican Council and the promulgation of several key documents that shaped the church. There is one document, not part of the official canon of Vatican II documents, that shaped the church just as much yet has been almost forgotten. It is called the Catacombs ...read more

The brutal attacks in Paris last Friday have sparked an impassioned conversation that has sadly, though necessarily, become part of our everyday lives, namely, what are we going to do about this? The draconian responses of the French government in pursuit of the perpetrators and against ISIS strongholds in Syria are understandable. So too is their ...read more

The Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday evening was freed of the brick wall which has hidden it since the Holy Year of 2000, And we take a look at today’s General Audience ...read more

The violent Paris attacks are not a sign of war, they are only proof of cowardly desperation. The criminals choose their victims at random from the streets, from a theatre, from the stadium… in some cases they choose them for their religious beliefs. How it is possible that young men became so disenfranchised from society and ...read more

“I ragazzi europei escano per strada e vadano ad ascoltare musica e a ballare, stasera, nelle nostre belle città autunnali. È il modo migliore di rendere omaggio a chi venerdì sera è entrato al Bataclan, e non è più uscito”. Mi sento di condividere appieno queste frasi finali con cui Beppe Severgnini ha chiuso il ...read more

Last week we learned that the Church loves the poor. We have what we call a “preferential option for the poor.” The Church has been very good at caring for the poor and the needy worldwide. So why did Cardinal Hummes of Brazil tell Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, to “remember the poor”? Perhaps because ...read more