«The longer the congregations, the shorter the conclave will be,» Card. Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, stated at a media briefing on March 6. Now that the conclave has been set to begin tomorrow, March 12, and there have only been nine general congregations – while, in 2005, cardinals met 12 times – [...]
Benedict XVI will be like a Moses for the Church. Moses went to a mountain and interceded for the People of Israel while the latter were combating against Amalek. So will the Pope do after his retirement – the President of Pontifical Council for Culture, Card. Gianfranco Ravasi, said in a Lent meditation [...]
Just one day after the death of Pope Pius XI, on February 10, 1939, Msgr. Angelo Pomata stood in front of a cahier’s window at Religious Works (the “ancestor” of the Institute for Religious Works). The cashier was Massimo Spada. Pomata was dispatched there by Eugenio Pacelli – who, after the death of the [...]
At the end of the synod for the new evangelization, Benedict XVI personally announced that soon seminaries will be under the administration of the Congregation for the Clergy. Currently, seminaries are under the administration of the Congregation for Catholic Education. Soon, a Papal motu proprio will explain the motives leading to this decision. [...]
In order to understand the path the Holy See began and is staying on to achieve full -international financial transparency, one should look beyond the seven negative ratings (out of 16 core and key recommendations to combat money laundering) and beyond the 23 negative ratings on the general recommendations (out of 45, [...]
Strasbourg locuta, causa finita? (Strasbourg has spoken, the case is closed?). This expression is taken from Saint Augustine’s «Roma locuta, causa finita». In Saint Augustine’s times, two councils of African bishops had requested Rome (the Apostolic See) to concur with their conclusion on a particular matter, and Rome had replied in two reports (rescripts [...]
Perhaps, the first step that will revolutionize the world of Vatican communications is the appointment of Greg Burke, the 52 years old journalist coming from Fox News TV, as media advisor of the Secretariat of State. Greg Burke’s post is unprecedented in the Vatican. The Curia does not even have a media coordinator [...]
Will Ettore Gotti Tedeschi have to stand trial before a Vatican court? The possibility is rather remote. If he will, it would be because of the documents the former president of the IOR. Board of Superintendence took from his office in Torrione Niccolò IV. Gotti Tedeschi probably is not in possession of [...]
Reset and recommence from prayer. Prayer does not subtract us from the world. To the contrary, it gives people the sense of living. Benedict XVI, in his catechesis at the general audience of Wednesday, June 13, did not respond directly to the attacks levied against the Church. He is not interested in gossip, [...]
«All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one». In Benedict XVI’s Church, this passage from Matthew’s Gospel is ever more being followed. Proof of it is the release of the no confidence resolution of the Board of Superintendence of the IOR (Institute for [...]