Dear brethren in the Episcopal ministry! The lifting of the excommunication of the four bishops ordained by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988 without a mandate of the Holy See has led, both within and outside the Catholic Church, for a variety of reasons, to a discussion of such vehemence as we had not ex...

Writing from the Philippines, Lode Wostyn situates the Pope’s book within the development of Christology after Vatican II (East Asian Pastoral Review 45.1, 2008). “Ratzinger’s Christology goes beyond the Councils of Nicaea-Chalcedon by simply erasing all the disagreements and ambiguities that ...

In an unusually personal letter, Benedict XVI admits mistakes in the handling of a Holocaust-denying bishop....

In today's General Audience, Pope Benedict taught about St. Boniface (one of my favorite saints).  The Vatican Press Office's Daily Bulletin has the Italian text and summaries in several languages.  Vatican Information Service has a press release, and Asia News has an article.  Zenit has a full t...

Dear brethren in Episcopal service!The lifting of the excommunication of the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988 without a mandate from the Holy See has led to a violent discussion both within and outside the Catholic Church for a variety of reasons as we have never experienced. ...

“Freedom of Worship” from The Four Freedoms by Norman Rockwell Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petit...

In his Sunday Angelus, Pope Benedict underlined the importance of Prayer, fasting and forgiveness in our spiritual life. The Holy Father also made reference to the Spiritual Exercises he completed on Saturday in the Vatican, saying that this week of silence and prayer follows the example of Jesus wh...

On Thursday 27 February, Pope Benedict met with priests of the Rome diocese and engaged in a Pope's Question and Answer session in the Vatican’s Hall of Blessings. One of the priests asked about work with young people. (In this quotation from the Holy Father's reply, bear in mind that in Italy, yo...

In his words at today's midday Angelus, Pope Benedict mentioned the spiritual exercises of the past week as "a week of silence and prayer," a little bit like the Transfiguration, which is the subject of today's Gospel reading for Mass.  Jesus wanted His disciples to have a direct experience of His ...

The sermons are by a priest whose books and talks are often mentioned on this site--Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa: LENTEN SERMONS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY FATHER[Emphasis added by me] VATICAN CITY, 6 MAR 2009 (VIS) - At 9.00 a.m. on Friday 13 March in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel of the Apostolic Pala...