One of the benefits of living in the craziest city in America is meeting some of the craziest people in America. A memorable example was a couple years ago at a friend of a friend’s birthday party. Making small talk with a woman I just met, “So what do you do for a living?” “Oh, ...read more

“The Name of God is Mercy” is the title of a new book set to be released in 86 countries on Tuesday (12 Jan), in which Pope Francis reveals his vision of God’s mercy in a series of interviews with Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli. Several extracts were made available by the publisher, Piemme, ahead of ...read more

Pope Francis delivered an address to the Corps of Diplomats Accredited to the Holy See on Monday morning, during the course of his traditional exchange of New Year’s greetings with the diplomats at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Below, please find the full text of the official English translation of the Holy Father’s prepared ...read more

Two weeks ago we looked at why we need mercy and last week we reflected on Don Francisco’s beautiful song, “Adam, Where Are You?” Last week  we also saw what the Church teaches about Original Sin: Once we were in a state of Original Grace. Original Sin is the state of deprivation of that state, ...read more

History On November 16, 1989 on the campus of the Central American University in San Salvador, six Jesuit priests were pulled from their beds in the middle of the night and executed. The military officers who carried out the killing went unpunished for decades. Five of six Jesuits were Spanish citizens. In 2008 the Spanish ...read more

Among the many topics discussed in our recent 2015 Year in Review program was the highly anticipated and much debated Synod of Bishops part two, on the vocation and mission of the family today. It was easily the biggest news story in the Catholic world last year, and could very well carry over into 2016. That’s ...read more

Join us in prayer for the intentions entrusted to us by Pope Francis. For January 2016, we join the Holy Father in praying for: Interreligious Dialogue – That sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice. Christian Unity –That by means of dialogue and fraternal charity and with the ...read more

On Wednesday morning, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Francis presided over the Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican Basilica. Below is the text of the homily the Pope pronounced after the proclamation of the Holy Gospel and the proclamation of the day of Easter, which this year is celebrated on March 27: The words of the ...read more

Last week we saw that the reason why we need mercy is because we are sinners. St. Paul tells the Ephesians, “we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead ...read more

Pope Francis delivered the homily at Mass on New Year’s Day, the Solemnity of the Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica. Below, please find the full text of the official English translation of his prepared remarks. Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – World Day of Peace, 1 ...read more