An estimated 200,000 crammed St Peter’s Square and environs on Tuesday to participate in Pope Francis’ inauguration Mass. Before Mass, Pope Francis toured St. Peter’s Square unprotected in a simple open white jeep, stopping frequently to greet those in the sprawling square, kissing babies and getting out at one point to bless a disabled person. The Read more
For the last month or so I’ve been glued to Twitter, Zite (an app on my phone,) or just my computer browser, trying to gather a range of current perspectives on the events in Rome, the need to elect a new pope. Global news cycles unfold at different times, and sometimes I found myself finishing Read more
Maria Elena Bergoglio was in her home west of Buenos Aires last week when she heard her brother Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the new pope. Confessing to being a little selfish she admitted to praying during the 2005 conclave that he not to be elected, she told CNN, Monday. Last week, soon after the white Read more
People flocked to St Peter’s Square earlier today in anticipation of yet another huge crowd, for Pope Francis’ Inauguration Mass, among them were pilgrims from New Zealand and the South Pacific. At 10pm the streets were blocked and cafes and restaurants were closed, leaving just security personnel, who shared food and coffee with a handful of Read more
Vatican Spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi has insisted Pope Francis’ bodyguards show flexibility when the pope embarks on impromptu walkabouts. “If the pope says, ‘I want to go greet these people’, the pope goes ahead, and the security people go along,” said Lombardi “This is something brand new.” “You have to respect the pope’s personal style,” Read more
While often quiet, there is no evidence that Argentina Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio played a role in covering up abuse cases, reports the Washington Post. Several prominent rights groups in Argentina say the archbishop went out of his way in recent years to stand with secular organizations against crimes such as sex trafficking and child Read more
Dear Brothers and Sisters, I thank the Lord that I can celebrate this Holy Mass for the inauguration of my Petrine ministry on the solemnity of Saint Joseph, the spouse of the Virgin Mary and the patron of the universal Church. It is a significant coincidence, and it is also the name-day of my venerable Read more
Aljazeera Friday, discredited media reports that former Buenos Aires Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio played a major role, if any in Argentina’s brutal military dictatorship. Aljazera reports claims suggesting that Bergoglio was friendly with the military dictatorship seem less credible because Bergoglio was a young priest at the time of the Dirty War. Media have released a Read more
A yellow Labrador Retriever was among the firsts privileged to receive a physical blessing from Pope Francis’s hands this weekend. Belonging to a visually impaired radio journalist, Asia entered the Vatican’s vast Paul VI audience hall on Saturday and quietly sat down close to his owner as the pontiff thanked thousands of journalists from all Read more
The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Borgiglio was a surprising outcome, and even if Bergoglio suspected something was up, few others did, including many of the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel with him. “I think it all came together in an extraordinary fashion,” Chicago Cardinal Francis George told the Chicago Tribune. George said Bergoglio’s name Read more