Ultimately, is an upstairs/downstairs exercise. Go up a number of steps and then come down a few and meet in the middle. Tawadros II, the new Coptic-Orthodox Patriarch of Egypt, had to go up three steps during his enthronement ceremony. At every step, one of his titles was proclaimed: bishop of bishops, [...]
Does the reorganization of the Vatican media amount to Father Federico Lombardi’s soft demise? The director of the Holy See Press Office has lost the direction of the Vatican Television Centre (CTV), and has been assigned a second deputy at the Holy See Press Office. The new Vatican appointments are in addition [...]
In four points, the Holy See has presented «the Catholic Church’s freedom and institutional autonomy» to the European Court of Human Rights. Four paragraphs to underline that «the Church is in no way to be confused with the political community and is not bound to any political system»; that «the distinction between [...]
What will be the agenda of the four bishops the Pope ordained in the solemnity of the Epiphany? Benedict XVI outlined it with these words: «The humility of faith, of sharing the faith of the Church of every age, will constantly be in conflict with the prevailing wisdom of those who cling to [...]
With two changes to the anti-money laundering law, the Holy See has made its financial system even more open and transparent. The changes – approved by the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State on December 14 and in effect since December 17 – allow the Vatican Authority for Financial Information to reach Memorandums [...]
Saint Stephen, first martyr, is an example of new evangelization. Because his story «shows that the news of the proclamation does not primarily consist in practising original methods or technics (which can of course be useful), but in being full of Holy Spirit and being guided by him». These words the Pope proclaimed [...]
«Dear Child Jesus, soon you will descend on earth. You will bring joy to children, and I will be joyful, too». This is the beginning of a 1934 Christmas letter, as reported by the web site korazym.org. The author was a 7 years old child. It was scripted in Sütterlinschrift, the typical italic [...]
The food crisis, «which is more grave than the financial crisis». The promotion of human life, because «those who insufficiently value human life perhaps do not realize that in this way they are proposing the pursuit of a false peace». And then, the affirmation of social rights, beginning with the right to work; [...]
The appointment of Benedict XVI’s personal secretary, Georg Gaenswein, as Prefect of the Pontifical Household fills the last vacant post of the Pontifical family’s organization chart, and at the same time gives more weight and importance within the Sacred Walls to Msgr. Gaenswein. This takes place notwithstanding the fact that he [...]
When John Finnis decided to dedicate to Thomas Aquinas the first of the Oxford University Press book series about the founders of modern thought, it was sort of a revolution. Modern thought has been – since the French Revolution – attributed to the Enlightenment. It begins – according to history of philosophy books [...]