The Cistercian nuns of Our Lady of the Snows (Notre Dame des Neiges) have been selling snowmen to help support themselves. Since guaranteeing cold transportation is a challenge, the purchased snowmen are shipped in liquid form by mail in plastic bags similar to goldfish bags. Even if you don’t speak French, you can enjoy this Read more
A funny thing has happened as the story of a recent Vatican crackdown on a legendary monastery in Rome has made its way into the English-language press. I mean that literally — the story has been turned into a joke, thereby obscuring its real significance. For those with eyes to see, the suppression of the Read more
The profound changes, historical, are not always the most spectacular. What just happened this week in Rome is like a palace revolution unimportant but it is highly significant. Because it confirms the direction taken by the papacy of Benedict XVI and the entire Catholic Church. In a word, Rome has “taken over” a whole sector Read more
The Vatican has formally suppressed the famous Santa Croce, Cistercian abbey in Rome, where a community of monks has been based for more than five centuries. The basilica had become a hub for the Friends of Santa Croce, an aristocratic group, and had been criticised for some unorthodox practices including opening a hotel with a Read more