Starting in the 19th century, popes began to use their encyclicals to address hot-button social issues of their time. Each pope addressed a different issue, but built upon the legacy that the previous pontiffs created. Rerum Novarum On May 15, 1891, Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum, deploring the inhumane working conditions of the working class. Quadragesimo... Continue Reading →
Seeing Beyond: The Call to Love
What do you see when you look behind the jail bars? What do you think when you pass by the drug user strung out on the sidewalk? What about the man who commits suicide leaving behind his kids and mother? Do we think about how repulsive the criminal is? Or how the drug user has... Continue Reading →
Homily of Pope Francis at Pope Benedict XVI Funeral Mass – YouTube
“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46). These were the final words spoken by the Lord on the cross; his last breath, as it were, which summed up what had been his entire life: a ceaseless self-entrustment into the hands of his Father. His were hands of forgiveness and compassion, healing and... Continue Reading →
Benedict XVI will be buried about 100 feet from St. Peter
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be buried under St. Peter’s Basilica, in the former tomb of John Paul II, Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, confirmed January 2, 2023. This location in the Vatican grottoes, near the tomb of the Apostle Peter, has been empty since the Polish Pontiff’s remains were transferred to... Continue Reading →
Benedict XVI: ‘Humble worker in vineyard of the Lord’
The 95-year-old Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passed away on Saturday at 9:34 AM in his residence at the Vatican’s Mater Ecclesiae MonasteryBenedict XVI: ‘Humble worker in vineyard of the Lord’
World mourns following the death of Pope Benedict XVI
His eight years serving the papacy capped a long ministry as teacher of the faith By Cindy Wooden/Catholic News Service Retired Pope Benedict XVI, who had an impressive record as a teacher and defender of the basics of Catholic faith, is likely to go down in history books as the first pope in almost 600... Continue Reading →
The most frequently asked questions about Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict was born in the city of Marktl, in Bavaria, southern Germany. How many trips did Benedict make? During his pontificate, Benedict visited 24 countries on six continents. Antarctica was the only continent he didn’t travel to as pope. Did Benedict have siblings? Yes, Benedict was the youngest of three siblings. His siblings were Georg... Continue Reading →
Priests for Life’s Frank Pavone: ‘The next pope can reinstate me’ to the priesthood
Pavone, 63, who was ordained in the Archdiocese of New York, is known for his sometimes profanity-laced social media posts and provocative pro-life activism, which included a live-streamed endorsement of Trump in 2016 during which Pavone placed an aborted baby on a table he also used for Mass. Pavone hosted the television show “Defending Life”... Continue Reading →
Pope Francis honors people who care for ‘poorest of the poor’ on his 86th birthday
By Courtney Mares Vatican City, Dec 17, 2022 / 04:40 am Pope Francis celebrated his 86th birthday on Saturday with the Missionaries of Charity, honoring three people who care for “the poorest of the poor” with the Mother Teresa Award. On Dec. 17, the pope presented Gian Piero, Father Hanna Jallouf, and Silvano Pedrollo with…Pope... Continue Reading →
Vatican urges ‘moratorium’ on German church reform process | Crux
62 German bishops were in Rome this week for their ad limina visit, which bishops’ conferences make every few yearsContinue readingVatican urges ‘moratorium’ on German church reform process | Crux