Mar

12

Boethius and Cassiodorus: Great Figures of Roman Culture

March 12, 2008 | 1 Comment

  Prior to this morning’s general audience, which was celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received a large group of Italian students in the Vatican Basilica.
  “Schools today”, the Pope told them, “face significant challenges in the field of educating new generations. For this reason, schools cannot just be places for imparting ideas […]

Mar

12

Exhibition of Masterpieces from Fabric of St. Peter’s

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

  “‘Magnificenze Vaticane’. Masterpieces of Art from the Collections of the Fabric of St. Peter’s” is the title of an exhibition due to be inaugurated this afternoon at Palazzo Incontro in Rome. It will remain open until 25 May.
  The exhibition is being promoted by the Province of Rome and by the European Centre for […]

Mar

12

The Military Order of Malta has Elected Englishman Fra Matthew Festing to be its 79th Grand Master

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Festing, 58, was elected today by the Council Complete of State — the order’s electoral body. He succeeds Fra Andrew Bertie, who died in February. Bertie served as the 78th grand master from 1988 to 2008. In accepting the role, the new grand master swore his oath before the Cardinal Patronus of the Order, Cardinal […]

Mar

12

Vatican Didn’t Publish List of 7 Modern Misdeeds

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Reports that the Vatican has published a new list of the seven deadly sins of modern times that includes littering and economic inequality is simply not true, affirmed the episcopal conference of England and Wales.
The conference released a statement today clarifying that an interview published Sunday by L’Osservatore Romano with Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, regent of […]

Mar

12

Thousands in U.S. to Join Church

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Many Feel They Have Found a Home
Tens of thousands of Americans will join the Catholic Church this Holy Saturday through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
Many of those in the RCIA program participated in the Rite of Election with their bishops at the beginning of Lent and will be baptized, confirmed and receive Communion […]

Mar

12

Social Encyclical Won’t Be Ready for Summer

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Benedict XVI’s third encyclical on issues related to Catholic social teaching and globalization probably won’t be ready before summer, according to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
The Pope’s secretary of state told the ANSA news service Sunday during his visit to Azerbaijan that he doesn’t think it will be published before the summer holidays as the Holy Father […]

Mar

12

Communion and Liberation Superior Reelected

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Father Julián Carrón was “unanimously confirmed” as president of the ecclesial lay movement Communion and Liberation for another six years, according to the Italian bishops’ SIR news agency.
Monsignor Luigi Giussani, the movement’s founder, personally selected Father Carrón, a biblical scholar, to be his successor before his death in 2005.
The founder, known as “Don Giussani” by […]

Mar

12

Holy Land Patriarch: Christians Called to Enrich Society

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Retiring Archbishop Recalls Unique Role of the Faithful
Authentic Christians are called to enrich society with their spiritual energy, says Archbishop Michel Sabbah.Archbishop Sabbah, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, wrote this in a 38-page pastoral letter to commemorate his 20 years of service to the Church of Jerusalem upon his retirement. He will turn 75 on March […]

Mar

12

Church Must Remember Its Values, Says Pope

March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Addresses Culture Council on Counteracting Secularism
It’s urgent that the Church remember the “exalted values” that give meaning to life in the face of advanced secularization, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope said this Saturday upon receiving in audience members of Pontifical Council for Culture at the conclusion of its plenary session on “The Church and The Challenge […]