Read & Reflect

[Daily Rosary Meditations] Deliver Us From Evil

‘You are home’: Pope Leo XIV meets with sick, disabled residents at Rimini

Pope Leo XIV met with sick and disabled residents of the city of Rimini, Italy on Aug. 22, urging them to “follow the Lord by taking an active part in the life of the Church.” The meeting came at the end of a whirlwind day of travel for the pope, who visited the tiny landlocked country of San Marino...

Pope Leo XIV remembers victims of Ebola and mining disaster in Central Africa

During his Aug. 23 Angelus address at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV remembered the victims of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of a deadly mining landslide in the Central African Republic.“In my prayers, I often remember the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in light...

Pope Leo XIV visits San Marino, the oldest republic in the world and a ‘laboratory’ of good policies

Pope Leo XIV on Aug. 22 arrived in San Marino, launching a pastoral visit on the occasion of the country’s 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The Holy Father was also scheduled to visit the Italian city of Rimini, where the Meeting for Friendship Between Peoples takes place...

In San Marino, Pope Leo XIV tells young people: 'We only find authentic freedom in Jesus Christ'

In the small landlocked country of San Marino on Aug. 22, Pope Leo XIV called on young people to open "the door of their heart" to God, assuring them that the faithful “only find authentic freedom in Jesus Christ."After his arrival in San Marino, one of the smallest and oldest republics in the world...

At friendship meeting in Italy, Pope Leo calls for fraternity: ‘Love is the law of life’

Pope Leo XIV arrived in the Italian city of Rimini on Aug. 22 to visit the 47th Meeting for Friendship Among the Peoples, telling about 60,000 attendees that “love is the force that can transform the world.”Upon arrival after a brief visit to the country of San Marino, Leo addressed a spontaneous gr...

What’s at stake in Nigeria’s Church-state clash?

August is normally a quiet month for Catholic news. But not in Nigeria, which has just witnessed a significant clash between Church and state.Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, pictured in 2011. Credit: Chatham House/wikimedia CC BY 2.0.The dispute began, ironically, with a relatively cordial July 28...

Vatican delegate makes changes for troubled IVE

The pontifical delegate to the beleaguered Institute of the Incarnate Word has announced a new general council, as part of Vatican efforts to reform the congregation, and a new website for the group, largely because Vatican-appointed officials had been unable to determine who was actually running th...

German bishop is latest to step down early over ‘psychological strain’

A German diocesan bishop stepped down Wednesday at the age of 66, citing the “psychological strain” of office. He is the latest in a string of German prelates to offer their resignations well ahead of the customary age, suggesting the burdens of episcopal office are taking an increased toll in the c...

Dear Piggy

One of the more pleasant accounts I follow on social media is by a “mudlark” -- someone who scavenges for lost and discarded items in a riverbank, especially on the river Thames.I enjoy the tidbits of information about history, culture, industry and fashion she shares along with photos of her finds;...

What awaits Archbishop Gallagher in Russia?

The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States is expected to embark next week on a highly sensitive foreign trip.Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, pictured in 2017. Credit: U.S. Department of State/wikimedia Public Domain.Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, often described as the Vatican’s “fore...