VM and CNA—Pope Francis has proposed celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea together with Orthodox leaders, in a personal letter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The letter, published by the Vatican on Saturday, was delivered by Cardinal Kurt Koch — who heads the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity — during…
VN, CNA—For the first time in more than a century, the historic Chair of St. Peter, a wooden throne symbolizing the pope’s magisterial authority, has been removed from its gilded bronze reliquary in St. Peter’s Basilica to be displayed for public veneration. Pilgrims and visitors can now behold this storied relic directly in front of…
CNA—The Catholic Church’s final session of the multi-year Synod on Synodality is finishing up its second week. Have you adopted a synod participant to pray for yet? Oct. 11: Pope Francis, synod pray where first Christian martyrs of Rome were killed Pope Francis and Synod on Synodality participants pray together at the site of the…
CNA—Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he will create 21 new cardinals, including the archbishops of Tehran, Tokyo, and Toronto, at a consistory on Dec. 8, 2024. The 87-year-old pope made the announcement from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square after reciting the Angelus prayer on Oct. 6. This is the full list: Archbishop Frank…
Pope Francis expressed in a letter Saturday a desire that each of the 21 new cardinals to be added in December will be more of a “servant” than an “eminence.” The pope’s brief letter, published Oct. 12, also welcomed the cardinals-designate to membership in the “Roman clergy,” which Francis called “an expression of the Church’s…
CNA—As the Church kicks off the second session of the Synod on Synodality this week, it’s helpful to understand some key terms and concepts. This glossary aims to clarify important vocabulary related to the synod. What is a synod? A synod is traditionally a meeting of bishops gathered to discuss a theological or pastorally significant…
CNA—The second Vatican assembly for the global Synod on Synodality will kick off on Oct. 2, bringing together clerics and laity alike for nearly one month of discussions. Here is what you need to know: What is the Synod on Synodality? The Synod on Synodality, initiated by Pope Francis in October 2021, is a multiyear,…
VN—At an event held at the Italian Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, the Vatican Secretary of State says Pope John XXIII’ Encyclical Letter ‘Pacem in Terris’ is a testament, and affirms that the concept of ‘just war’ needs to be reviewed. Even if sometimes diplomatic efforts seem to produce small results, “we must…
VN—The Vatican Secretary of State is in Ukraine from 19 – 24 July. The cardinal is to preside over Mass at the Marian Shrine of Berdychiv for the concluding celebration of the pilgrimage of Ukrainian Latin Rite Catholics. The visit of the Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to Ukraine, starting on Friday, July 19,…
VN—Excavation work in front of Vatican Radio’s main entrance continues with the dismantling of imperial-era fullonicas (ancient laundries), recently discovered during redevelopment efforts for the upcoming Jubilee. As work proceeds more hidden wonders are revealed. Vatican News—Careful excavations on Vatican Radio’s doorstep are being conducted alongside stratigraphic excavations that have uncovered significant remains, some dating…
Vatican News—Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former apostolic nuncio to the United States of America, has incurred the penalty of excommunication for having abandoned communion with the Bishop of Rome and the Catholic Church. A press release issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith states: “On 4 July 2024, the Congress of the…
CNA/Vatican Media—On the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Pope Francis invited the Catholic faithful — including the recently appointed metropolitan archbishops who received their blessed pallium today — to “open the doors” of the Church and follow the example of the two great apostles of Rome so that all people can know and experience…
On May 9, 2024, Pope Francis read the bull Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint) in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, convening the Ordinary Jubilee of Hope 2025, an event that occurs only once every 25 years in the Catholic Church. Basically, a “bull” is a document that outlines the spirit of the…
The official Logo of the upcoming Jubilee due to be held in 2025 has been unveiled. In a press conference held on Tuesday in the Sala Regia of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, the Vatican revealed the official Logo for the upcoming Jubilee year. The then-Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, now contained within the new…
CNA—New Bishop James Ruggieri became a Third Order Franciscan not long before his ordination in Portland, Maine, on Tuesday — a marker of why Pope Francis appointed him. Love for the poor and homeless Ruggieri, 56, profiled by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, in April, is known for driving a food truck…
OK, we admit it… We at Catholic Business Journal absolutely love this photo of the Pope on a boat to Venice. Viva Italia!! That said, this particular trip of Pope Francis is a good reminder that we as Catholic business leaders are living our vocation more fully– as Catholics– when we include serving others in…
The year was 1891. In the wake of the Industrial Revolution sweeping the Western world at the time, radical changes were taking place in society regarding working conditions, property ownership, government responsibility vs. individual responsibility, and most fundamentally regarding the critical importance of recognizing the dignity of each individual human person. Looking at these social…
Vatican News—Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, has released another critique of the Synod on Synodality, arguing that the ongoing discussion and discernment process offers “two opposing visions” of the nature, organization, and role of the Church. On the one hand “On the one hand, the Church is presented as founded…
Vatican City—According to the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, the Pope’s main concern is that the 2025 Jubilee Year be prepared in the best possible way. Speaking after an audience with Pope Francis on 3 January, Archbishop Rino Fisichella said that during the meeting the Pope approved the motto proposed…
CNA—UPDATED 01/17/23—The Permanent Council of the French Bishops’ Conference has expressed carefully delineated support for the Fiducia Supplicans declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on pastoral blessings. In a Jan. 10 statement, the French Bishops Council acknowledged that the declaration addresses a sensitive topic, namely “the accompaniment in the Church for…
