News, analysis, and documents on the Catholic Church, by Sandro Magister, Rome
30.12.2013
> Islam and Christianity. Where Dialogue Stumbles
In "Evangelii Gaudium," Pope Francis dictates the rules for the relationship with Muslims. The Jesuit Islamologist Samir Khalil Samir examines them one by one. And he criticizes their limitations
23.12.2013
> Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Puer natus"
It is the introit of Christmas Day. In a brand-new performance presented by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their Maestro
21.12.2013
> Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Rorate caeli"
It is the introit of the fourth Sunday of Advent. In a brand-new performance presented by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their Maestro
20.12.2013
> Vatican Diary / How the bishop factory is changing
Among the cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation, Pope Francis has replaced half of them. With glaring exclusions. And surprising promotions
18.12.2013
> Highly Centralizing and Hardly Collegial. That's How the Bishops See Him
In spite of the promises to strengthen their role, for the episcopal conferences these are difficult times. Francis decides by his own lights. The Jesuit De Lubac is his instructor of ecclesiology
13.12.2013
> Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Gaudete in Domino"
It is the introit of the third Sunday of Advent. In a brand-new performance presented by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their Maestro
11.12.2013
> Vatican Diary / Confirmed, promoted, removed
Tremors in the congregation for Catholic education, from which Pope Francis has removed nine cardinals. And meanwhile the new secretary of state has chosen his personal secretary, the Englishman Robert D. Murphy, fresh from four years of service in Buenos Aires
9.12.2013
> Liturgical Reform, a History to Rewrite
Half a century after “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” all of the preparatory texts are being made available to the general public for the first time. For a new comparison with the ways in which that document has been put into practice
6.12.2013
> Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Populus Sion"
It is the introit of the second Sunday of Advent. In a brand-new performance presented to us by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their Maestro
3.12.2013
> The Federalist Option of the Bishop of Rome
More autonomy for the national episcopal conferences. And more room for different cultures. The two points on which “Evangelii Gaudium" most distinguishes itself from the magisterium of the previous popes
30.11.2013
> Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Ad te levavi"
It is the introit of the first Sunday of Advent. In a brand-new performance presented to us by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their Maestro
29.11.2013
> Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / A New Release in Six Tracks
The introits of the Sundays of Advent, Christmas, and the Epiphany presented on www.chiesa in a brand-new performance by one of the most distinguished choirs in the world
26.11.2013
> The "Pastoral Rule" of Francis
It is entitled "Evangelii Gaudium," the joy of the Gospel. It is vast and encyclopedic. But with a precise scale of priorities. Here are the key paragraphs, with one passage concerning abortion
25.11.2013
> Vatican Diary / The "Bergoglio effect" on the bishops of Italy and Spain
The change has begun with the secretaries general of the two episcopates. In Madrid the new one has been elected. And in Rome Paul Francis has deposed the old. With even bigger innovations in the works
22.11.2013
> Even the Pope Critiques Himself. And Corrects Three Errors
He is lowering the “rating” of his interview with Scalfari. Rectifying his judgments on Vatican Council II. Distancing himself from the progressive currents that have applauded him until now. But the media are silent on this change of pace
19.11.2013
> Vatican Diary / In the United States everybody with Francis, rightly or wrongly
In the leadership of the episcopal conference the men are changing but the stance remains the same, highly combative against the attacks on life and the family. Among Catholic politicians, however, there are some who are enlisting the pope himself in favor of gay marriage
15.11.2013
> Against Gay Marriage, General Bergoglio Sent the Nuns in to Fight
Instead of challenging the powers head-on, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires wrote a fiery letter to cloistered nuns. It was his way of "conducting politics." The account of a direct witness of that battle
12.11.2013
> A Synod As Francis Commands
Innovations and unknowns of the first synod of this pontificate. The same that characterize the method with which pope Bergoglio governs the Church
8.11.2013
> Vatican Diary / A ticket to Argentina for the pope, but no hurry
Plus more news and leaks on the Chaouqui case, on the Mass in the ancient rite, and on the growing number of focolarini among the diplomats and in the secretariat of state
5.11.2013
> The Unfinished Symphony of the Composer Francis
The conversation begun by the pope in "La Civiltà Cattolica" continues in many voices. Here are two examples: an authoritative clarification on Bergoglio the "mystic" and the open letter of a New York theologian
1.11.2013
> Vatican Diary / Bishops under fire in Italy, the United States, and Spain
They were the most combative on questions that Pope Francis has relegated to second place. And now they find themselves under pressure to change their agenda and their leaders
29.10.2013
> The Knots of the Pastor Bergoglio
He was the one who imported from Germany to Argentina the devotion to the Blessed Mother “untier of knots.” To his studies he preferred the care of souls. And today he is doing the same: he is leaving to others the exposition of doctrine. As in the case of communion for the divorced and remarried
23.10.2013
> Divorced and Remarried. Müller Writes, Francis Dictates
A document from the prefect for doctrine reconfirms the 'no' to communion and brings clarification on "conscience" and "mercy." Freezes the expectations of change. But is a "Ratzinger hypothesis" returning to the field?
22.10.2013
> Vatican Diary / How the new curia is taking shape
The comprehensive reform is yet to come. But meanwhile Pope Francis is moving forward by his own lights. Sowing terror among the many directors still awaiting confirmation. The developments of the Chaouqui case
18.10.2013
> No to Proselytism. Yes to Mission
The former is "a solemn foolishness," Pope Francis has said. But the latter is the priority of his pontificate. After decades of decline of the missionary expansion of the Church, now recounted with new background by an exceptional witness
15.10.2013
> Martini Pope. The Dream Come True
Jesuit, archbishop of Milan and cardinal, he was the most authoritative and highly praised antagonist of the pontificates of Wojtyla and Ratzinger. His supporters see today in Francis the one who has inherited his legacy. And is putting it into practice
11.10.2013
> Alms and Liturgy. How Francis Wants Them
He has sent his almoner to Lampedusa, among the refugees. He has plunged into dismay the lovers of tradition. The call of alarm of a "Ratzingerian" liturgist
7.10.2013
> Encyclicals Have a New Format: The Interview
It is the modality preferred by Pope Francis for speaking to the faithful and to the world. With all of the risks of the instance. Pietro De Marco analyzes critically the first acts of this “magisterium”
3.10.2013
> The Francis Transformation
He has unveiled the true program of his pontificate in two interviews and a letter to an atheist intellectual. With respect to the popes who preceded him the separation appears ever more clear. In words and in deeds
1.10.2013
> When Bergoglio Defeated the Liberation Theologians
A bishop who was a direct witness of the conflict recalls its unfolding and what was at stake. If Francis was later elected pope, he owes this in part to what happened in 2007 at Aparecida
27.9.2013
> The Jesuit Who Humiliated the Generals
The story never told before of the clandestine network with which the young Bergoglio saved dozens of "subversives" from the ferocity of the Argentine dictators
25.9.2013
> Vatican Diary / Confirmed, promoted, demoted
Cardinal Piacenza is the most illustrious victim of the first shake-up of Pope Francis in the Roman curia. Diplomats are advancing. The Italians are resisting. "Ratzingerians" to the sidelines
23.9.2013
> Vatican Diary / Francis is also in charge at the CEI. Replacement in view
The secretary general of the Italian bishops is at the end of his mandate, and it will be the pope who decides whether to confirm him or not. On the calendar the first episcopal ordination done by the current pontiff. And also his is the strange about-face after the appointment of Camaldo as canon
20.9.2013
> The Confession of the Pope Who Came From Afar
In an interview with the magazine of the Jesuits of Rome, Jorge Mario Bergoglio unravels the enigma of his silence on the anthropological revolution taking place. Which involves birth, death, procreation, the entire nature of man
17.9.2013
> In Defense of the Franciscans Punished by Pope Francis
Four scholars have sent to the Vatican a petition against the ban on the Friars of the Immaculate celebrating the Mass in the ancient rite. "It is a sanction in clear contrast with the motu proprio 'Summorum pontificum' of Benedict XVI"
12.9.2013
> Francis and the Miracle of the Icon
Why the pope placed at the center of the vigil for peace the most venerated image of the Mother of God preserved in Rome. A history of faith that goes back to Gregory the Great. The commentary of Father Innocenzo Gargano
10.9.2013
> Eight Stories of New Converts
From atheism, from Judaism, from Islam. Arriving at the Christian faith sometimes from distant and hostile shores. The last of the series: a Turkish Muslim who has become a doctor in Catholic theology
6.9.2013
> Vatican Diary / From Washington the first "no" to Francis
The Catholics in the cabinet of the Obama administration are all in favor of the military intervention in Syria. And also in the American Catholic world as a whole the pope's appeal has met with a tepid reaction
5.9.2013
> Peace Made Between Müller and Gutiérrez. But Bergoglio Isn't Falling For It
The prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith and the founder of liberation theology are trying to conclude twenty years of polemics. But one of the most severe critics of this theological current has been precisely the current pope
2.9.2013
> Vatican Diary / Another Venetian at the top, after more than three centuries
Similarities and differences between the only two Venetian secretaries of state in history: Pietro Parolin and the cardinal nephew of Alexander VIII. Both at the center of proposals of reform of the curia, but on opposite banks
30.8.2013
> Vatican Diary / Even the Foundations Are Being Put Through the Wringer
Among the organizations with offices inside the Leonine Walls, only the Foundations escaped the controls of the Financial Information Authority and the Vatican magistracy. Not any more. Moneyval has requested it, and the Holy See has obeyed. Here they are, one by one
26.8.2013
> Ricca and Chaouqui, Two Enemies in the House
He the prelate of the IOR, she a commissioner for the reorganization of the Vatican administration. Two appointments desired and decided by Pope Francis. Which however are the living negation of his program of housecleaning and reform
22.8.2013
> Vatican Diary / Pope Benedict's Parting Shot
It concerns the rite of baptism. He wanted "Church of God" to be said instead of "Christian community." The order to change was issued a few days before his resignation. And it went into effect after the election of Francis
20.8.2013
> In Cairo the Lecture of Regensburg Is Relevant Again
Never has a pope been so clear and courageous in unveiling the roots of violence in Islam, before Benedict XVI. And not afterward, either. Two obligatory rereadings, to decipher the Egyptian crisis
13.8.2013
> Groundbreaking: The Last Warning to the Pope's Electors
The official bulletin of the Holy See has lifted the secrecy from the meditation dictated to the cardinals at the beginning of the last conclave, with the doors already closed. Here are the essential passages
8.8.2013
> The "Segretariola" of Francis, the Pope Who Wants To Do It All Himself
Name by name, Bergoglio's personal team. A miniscule but highly active parallel curia in which he makes all the decisions. Including the mishaps of the appointments of Monsignor Ricca and Francesca Chaouqui
5.8.2013
> Vatican Diary / The first saint of North Korea
He was the bishop of Pyongyang. For more than sixty years he was considered "missing." But now the Holy See has made his death official, at the age of 106. To permit the opening of his cause of beatification
31.7.2013
> From Rio de Janeiro to Rome, from Poetry to Prose
In Brazil, even though between lights and shadows, Pope Francis has given a formidable missionary impetus to the Church. But in the Vatican he finds again all the already known obstacles, from the curia to the lobbies. In the offing, a "Ratzinger solution" for the communion of divorced and remarried persons
29.7.2013
> For the First Time, Francis Contradicts Benedict
He has touched upon the sore spot of the Mass in the ancient rite. Ratzinger permitted its celebration for all. Bergoglio has prohibited it for one religious order that favored it
25.7.2013
> The Deception Unveiled, Francis "Will Know What To Do"
Statement of the nuncio in Montevideo. Confirmations and new background on the case of the prelate of the IOR. But another storm is already approaching. On a strange appointment at the newly created commission for the reorganization of the Vatican administrations
22.7.2013
> Postcard from Rio, Where Catholics Are a Minority
Brazil remains the top country in the world for number of Catholics. But more than a third of the population has switched to other confessions, or abandoned faith altogether. In Rio de Janeiro the collapse is most noticeable
18.7.2013
> The Prelate of the Gay Lobby
Facts and personages of the scandalous past of the man whom Francis, unaware, delegated to represent him at the IOR. Here's how a parallel power lives and thrives at the Vatican, plotting to the harm of the pope
15.7.2013
> Vatican Diary / Those saints made as he commands
For Romero, Francis loosens the restraints of the Holy Office. For John XXIII and for a Jesuit to whom he is devoted, he goes ahead without waiting for the miracle required by the norms. In beatifications and canonizations, the pope is acting as an absolute monarch
11.7.2013
> A Pope Like None Before. Can He Do It?
The symbolic voyage to Lampedusa. His great popularity. The reform of the curia. The calculated silence on ethical issues. But also his first error over an IOR appointment. The challenge of Francis in changing the Church is meeting with obstacles and enemies. Including at the Vatican
8.7.2013
> In Lampedusa, Europe Is Also Emigrating. To the South
Algeria now has the same birth rate as Norway. Tunisia that of France. Demographics is reversing the scenario of an Islamized Europe. Philip Jenkins explains how and why
5.7.2013
> The Encyclical of the Two Popes
Conceived and almost entirely written by Joseph Ratzinger. Completed and signed by Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Four extracts from "Lumen Fidei," published on July 5, 2013
3.7.2013
> Double Storm for the IOR
Not only the resignation of its highest-ranking operational directors, but also the revelations about the new "prelate" appointed by Francis. Having been made aware of them, the pope could revoke his appointment soon
1.7.2013
> The Cardinal Who Opposes the Supreme Court
For Camillo Ruini, the American decision against marriage only between man and woman is illusion that presumes to negate reality. The future belongs to those who are able to defend the authentic human being. Civil unions between homosexuals: a "useless and harmful" compromise
27.6.2013
> Vatican Diary / Carrot-and-Stick Diplomacy
Toward the pontifical representatives in the world, Francis has no prejudices. One day he rebukes them, another he encourages them. Some he esteems, others no. Above all he expects them to select future bishops well. Here's how
24.6.2013
> The Hundred Days of Francis and the Enigma of the Empty Chair
His sudden refusal to listen to the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven offered for the Year of Faith is the seal on the beginning of a pontificate that is difficult to decipher. The success that he enjoys in the media has a reason and a cost: his silence on the crucial political questions of abortion, euthanasia, homosexual marriage
20.6.2013
> Kiko Argüello, Painter, Musician, Architect
While at the Biannual of Venice the Vatican is in dialogue with contemporary art, in thousands of parishes all over the world a very particular aesthetic model has already been installed, conceived by the founder of the Neocatechumenal Way
17.6.2013
> Benedict Wanted a "Poor" Church, Too
The encyclical of Francis conceived and written by his predecessor is not the only sign of continuity between the two most recent popes. On the "poverty" of the Church as well there is harmony. It is enough to reread what Ratzinger said in Freiburg in 2011, in one of the capital discourses of his pontificate
13.6.2013
> Bergoglio, the "Black Pope" Dressed in White
He governs the Church like a superior general of the Jesuits. He listens, but decides on his own. Even a McKinsey man has been called in to study the reform of the curia. Which Francis wants to purify from corruption and from the "gay lobby"
10.6.2013
> Vatican Diary / Six more votes for "gay" unions
Three Cardinals and two archbishops, plus the Vatican spokesman: support is increasing for the legalization of unions between homosexuals. When only ten years ago the official magisterium of the Church was for an absolute no. The Bergoglio enigma
6.6.2013
> Vatican Diary / The scourge of divorce between bishop and diocese
Pope Francis blasts career ambitions. Including that of wanting to go from one episcopal see to another and then to another still. But the proposal to bind a bishop indissolubly to his diocese has so far fallen into the void. The résumés of the cardinals are proof of this
3.6.2013
> "This is how I will rebuild the reputation of the IOR"
The president of the "bank" of the Holy See, in this interview with Vatican Radio, opens his campaign to restore credibility to the controversial institution. With more integrity, more transparency, more communication
31.5.2013
> Francis's First Visit to the Peripheryhttp://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350527?eng=y
He hears confession, he gives first communion, he teaches the children their catechism… The five innovations of the first Sunday spent by the pope in a parish of Rome
27.5.2013
> Even Peter Puts His Money in the Bank
The objectives of the Holy See in the financial field and the future of the IOR, in an address by Pope Francis and in a report by the Vatican supervisory authority
23.5.2013
> Vatican Diary / The identity cards of the last two popes
The 2013 edition of the Annuario Pontificio highlights for Francis the title of "bishop of Rome." But it calls his predecessor "supreme pontiff emeritus." And these are not the only innovations
20.5.2013
> On the Case of Shanghai, a Letter from Cardinal Zen
The bishop emeritus of Hong Kong corrects and clarifies some passages of the last article from www.chiesa on China. The difficult relationship between official and underground bishops. The disputes in the Vatican curia. The unknowns of the new pontificate
16.5.2013
> Bergoglio, a Revolutionary His Own Way
Liberation theologians extol him, but between him and them there is a chasm. The progressives enlist him, but he keeps himself far from them. The true Francis is very different from the one that some imagine
13.5.2013
> Francis and the Devil
He refers to him continually. He combats him without respite. He does not believe him to be a myth, but a real person, the most insidious enemy of the Church
9.5.2013
> Why Pope Francis Doesn't Give Communion
Because, he says, unrepentant public sinners could slip in among the faithful, and he does not want to back up their hypocrisy. The case of Catholic politicians who support abortion
7.5.2013
> Vatican Diary / "The Holy Father told me…"
On the future of the IOR and on the reform of the curia, Francis is calling prelates and cardinals back to silence. He will be the one to decide the how and the when. The pope's rebukes made public through an interview with the substitute secretary of state
3.5.2013
> Shanghai, a Strong and Hard-pressed Diocese
A state funeral for the bishop Jin Luxian, and house arrest for his successor, Ma Daqin. The former honored by the regime, the latter accused of rebellion against his country. When it comes to China, what will the new pope do?
29.4.2013
> The Spell of Pope Francis
His popularity is to a large extent due to the artfulness with which he speaks. Everything is forgiven him, even when he says things that if said by others would be hammered with criticism. But the first protests are beginning to appear
25.4.2013
> Vatican Diary / Future curia, old project
The document is from 1931. Its author may have been a Dutch cardinal. The reforms that are awaited were already all there. And the criticisms were also the same as today, if not tougher
23.4.2013
> Blessed Are the Persecuted. The Story of a Modern Martyr
Fifteen years in the prisons of Romania, amid inhuman suffering. The witness of Bishop Ioan Ploscaru, presented for the first time to the general public
18.4.2013
> The Most Beautiful "Credo" in the World Is in Monreale
There the Christian faith is in full light, in 7,000 square meters of wonderful mosaics from the 12th century. A series of broadcasts on TV 2000 recounts them and presents them to the viewer as never before
16.4.2013
> Vatican Diary / Collegiality yes, democracy no
For the first time in history, eight cardinals from the five continents will advise the pope "in the governance of the universal Church." But they have not been elected. They have been chosen by Pope Francis, and he will be the one to make the decisions
11.4.2013
> The Unprecedented "Presumption" of Changing the World
A homily and a Mass of Pope Francis. An essay by the sociologist Luca Diotallevi. Convergent in seeing in the Eucharist the genesis of the new world
8.4.2013
> Vatican Diary / The reform of the curia has already begun
This can be understood from the first actions undertaken by Pope Francis. All of rupture, including his decision not to reside in the pontifical apartment
3.4.2013
> Few Surprises. Francis Is Just That Way
The first actions of the new pope reviewed in the light of his autobiography. The reasons for his silence on issues that most set the Church against worldly powers: birth, death, family, religious freedom
1.4.2013
> First Holy Week for Francis
Powerful gestures. Simplified rituals. A week that has revealed the style of the new pope. But has also raised some questions that have gone unanswered
28.3.2013
> Vatican Diary / Rapid succession in Buenos Aires
But over the past century four pontiffs have been even more rapid than Francis in selecting their respective successors. And the new secretary of state? Pius XII appointed him just eight days after his election as pope
27.3.2013
> The Last Words of Bergoglio Before the Conclave
The handwritten notes of his remarks to the cardinals at the congregation of March 9. The intention of electing him pope was strengthened. The outcries against the "spiritual worldliness" that afflicts the Church
26.3.2013
> Vatican Diary / The strange case of the "half-cardinal"
He is Lorenzo Baldisseri, the secretary of the conclave. As soon as he was elected, Pope Francis put his own cardinal's zucchetto on his head. In obedience to the traditions? No. In the previous ten conclaves, this had been done only once
25.3.2013
> He's Pope But Doesn't Want To Say So
The reticence of Francis to highlight his powers as supreme head of the universal Church. The effects and the possible developments of this silence. The status of the question in an article from "La Civiltà Cattolica"
22.3.2013
> "There is no true peace without truth"
Material and spiritual poverty. Relativism. Islam. Nonbelievers. Care for creation. The speech by pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio to the ambassadors and to the world. Including to "those few countries that do not yet have diplomatic relations with the Holy See," like China
21.3.2013
> Pope, Bishops, Curia. The Reforms That Are Coming
A "council of the crown" around the pope, with cardinals from the five continents. A drastic trimming of offices. A shakeup for the IOR. Novelties and unknowns of the pontificate of Francis
16.3.2013
> The Name of Francis, the Rule of St. Ignatius, and the Example of Jonah
The new pope tells how and why he chose to go by the name of the saint of Assisi. But already he has recalled the founder of the Society of Jesus as well. And like the prophet, he wants to preach to the modern Nineveh the forgiveness of God. A revealing interview
14.3.2013
> "When we walk without the cross…"
"... we are worldly. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but not disciples of the Lord." The first homily of Pope Francis, Thursday, March 14, in the Sistine Chapel with the cardinals who elected him
13.3.2013
> The First Pope Named Francis
He is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He is Argentine and Jesuit. He leaves Buenos Aires for Rome. His appointment has upset all of the predictions. But he comes from far away
12.3.2013
> "Extra Omnes." But Michelangelo Will Be Voting, Too
The microculture typical of the conclave. The effect of the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel upon the cardinal electors. The mysterious sign of Jonah
11.3.2013
> The Church That the New Pope Will Govern
It will be a Church with two thirds of the faithful in the southern hemisphere. With more Catholics in Manila than in Holland. With the West in a decline of faith. And with the United States at the center of the new geography
9.3.2013
> Notice of Danger: A Church with Two Popes
The imminent conclave will elect the new pontiff. But it will not dismiss the uncertainties about the role of the so-called "pope emeritus." A great canonist reveals the risks of this title. And of other ambiguities that surround it
7.3.2013
> An American in Rome, Bound for the Chair of Peter
Perhaps the archbishop of New York. Or that of Boston. In the footsteps of Benedict XVI, moreover with the lash against mismanagement in hand. But the curia is resisting and counterattacking, bringing forward a Brazilian cardinal in its trust
5.3.2013
> Vatican Diary / The "who's who" of the new pope's electors
Name by name, nation by nation, role by role, all of the cardinals who will enter into conclave. An indispensable guide for the event
1.3.2013
> Toward the Conclave. The Pressure on the Cardinals
Yesterday the vetoes of the governments. Today the onslaught of the media. The turbulent run-up to the election of the new pope
27.2.2013
> The Testament of the Wise Helmsman
The central passages of the last address of pope Joseph Ratzinger, Wednesday, February 27, 2013. "I no longer bear the authority of the office, but I remain within the enclosure of Saint Peter"
26.2.2013
> Vatican Diary / The last appointments before the departure
From Gänswein to Balestrero, passing through the IOR. An analysis of the appointments decided by Benedict XVI in the final phase of his pontificate. Not all of them were obligatory. Will they be a hindrance or a help to the future pope?
25.2.2013
> The Vaults of the Vatican and the Pope's Luminous Window
The Church of Rome is depicted by the media as a museum of horrors. In the past it was even worse. But five hundred years ago a pope performed a miracle, which today the whole world admires. A lesson for the imminent conclave
22.2.2013
> Vatican Diary / A German at the IOR, under Bertone's shadow
A countryman of pope Ratzinger at the head of the Vatican bank. But from the cardinalate commission of oversight out goes Nicora and in comes a protégé of the secretary of state. The appointment of the prelate postponed until the next pontificate
20.2.2013
> Last-Ditch Appeal: The Pope Should Withdraw His Resignation
The reactions of the traditionalists to the renunciation of Benedict XVI. Legitimate but inopportune, according to Roberto de Mattei. Impossible philosophically and theologically, according to Enrico Maria Radaelli
15.2.2013
> The War of the Two Councils: The True and the False
In the farewell address to the priests of Rome, the startling accusation of Benedict XVI against the political interpretation of Vatican II made by the media, during the assembly and afterward
14.2.2013
> Who Will Take Up the Keys of Peter
The resignation of Benedict XVI. His last actions. The imminent conclave and the candidates for succession. The new and the unknown of a decision without precedent in history
11.2.2013
> "I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome"
The complete text of the announcement of the resignation
10.2.2013
The Pope's Two "No's". To the Prophets of Disaster and to the False Optimists
The "lectio divina" of Benedict XVI to the aspiring priests of Rome. "If here and there the Church is dying because of the sins of men, at the same time it is being born anew and bears within itself eternity. The future is ours"
9.2.2013
> The Impossible "Road Map" of Peace with the Lefebvrists
A leading representative of the traditionalist camp lays down the conditions for healing the schism. There are four of them, but three appear impracticable. Fr. Divo Barsotti's criticisms of Vatican Council II
5.2.2013
> Between Rome and Dakar, the Machiavellianisms of Sant'Egidio
The electoral maneuvers of Andrea Riccardi in Italy. The diplomatic incident in Senegal, to the detriment of the Vatican. The awards bestowed in the curia for the sake of advancement
1.2.2013
> Christians and Muslims in Lebanon. An Analysis
The effects of the civil war in neighboring Syria. And the reasons why the pope has entrusted to two Lebanese young people the writing of the next Via Crucis at the Colosseum
29.1.2013
> "For Many" Defeats "For All." But Some Are Not Giving Up
The new translation of the words of the consecration backed by the pope is about to arrive in Italy as well. But protests and disobedience have already been announced
24.1.2013
> Vatican Diary / Those who preach to the pope
They are the chosen who preach the spiritual exercises to the pontiff and the curia. The next will be Cardinal Ravasi. Here is a detailed overview of all those who had this position before him
21.1.2013
> They Were Oases of Peace. But Now They Are the Most Dangerous Places in the World
Mali is one of these lost paradises. Another is the Pakistani city of Quetta. Here is a comparison between what they are and what they were, just a few years ago
18.1.2013
> Vatican Diary / The pope's guardian angels
This is what the gendarmes, received for the first time in audience by Benedict XVI, call themselves. But there are also those who administer justice. All of the surprises of an unprecedented judicial year, marked by Vatileaks
15.1.2013
> Vatican Diary / The chief rabbi of Rome is also against "gay" marriage
It is not only the chief rabbi of France who agrees with the pope in the defense of the family made up of father, mother, and children. Here is what has been written by Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the spiritual guide of the Jews of Italy
10.1.2013
> Between "Gay" Marriage and Elections. Can the Pope Trust Andrea Riccardi?
The founder of the Community of Sant'Egidio busies himself at the center of the Italian political scene, with the apparent blessing of Benedict XVI. But the performance has its disturbances offstage. The curtain is raised on them here
8.1.2013
> Glory to God, Peace on Earth. The Pope's Golden Rule
In the beginning-of-the-year address to the diplomatic corps, Benedict XVI points to forgetfulness of God as the ultimate origin of violence among men. And he defends freedom of conscience, threatened also in the West
4.1.2013
> A New Grammar for the Year of Faith
It is the grammar that has in Jesus son of God and son of man its ultimate and definitive center. This "mystical" dimension of Christianity is also the heart of Vatican Council II. A theologian from New York takes part in the discussion opened by www.chiesa
