It’s hard to forget the evening of March 2013 when the “new pope” — Franciscus — appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica just after being elected Bishop of Rome. After a few brief words in Italian, he was about to bless the massive crowd in the square below. But he paused and surprised Read more
Pope Francis’ recent three-day visit to Kazakhstan seemed not to have been widely reported in the general media, including here in Italy where there’s news about him almost every day on TV and in the press. Most people around the world, including most Catholics, probably don’t even know that the pope made the September 13-15 Read more
Recently, I called attention to an article by Robert Mickens about Pope Francis’ recent address at a theological symposium in Naples. A few days ago, my colleague Joshua McElwee reported on the pope’s homily at the Mass celebrating the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Monday, the pope marked the sixth anniversary of his trip Read more
While she was head of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa kept a list of ways to be humble for the sisters in her care. Speak as little as possible about yourself. Keep busy with your own affairs and not those of others. Avoid curiosity (she is referring to wanting to know things that should Read more
Singing the sermon is one way of making sure people remember the point. Take last Sunday’s 9am Mass for Wellington’s St Mary of the Angels’ parish for example. The celebrant, Father Joe Savesi, is well known for including jokes in his sermons. They catch people’s attention and underline his main points. To recap -the sermon Read more
In a recent speech full of allusions to Bible verses and Christian hymns at the National Baptist Convention in Kansas City, Hillary Clinton focused on Christian humility. She acknowledged that “Humility is not something you hear much about in politics.” But, she said, it should be. Those who truly understand “the awesomeness of power and the Read more
Some people seem to think that humility is being self-effacing, self-critical, even self-despising. But humility simply means being real. It’s a lovely grounding word, from ‘humus’ meaning earth, and it should make us feel comfortable with who and what we are. All that self-abnegation stuff can be another product of the annoying ego, the I, Read more
By sheer coincidence, I was in Rome on Feb. 11, 2013. My wife and I had already moved back to the United States from Rome, but on that date I had returned to give a talk on religious freedom at the Italian Foreign Ministry, which is why I happened to be in town when the Read more
“Where’s my briefcase?” asked Pope Francis. The papal entourage had arrived at Fiumicino Airport in Rome for the pontiff’s first trip abroad. Jorge Mario Bergoglio had been pope for just four months and was now bound for Rio de Janeiro, where 3.5 million young people from 178 countries were waiting to greet him at World Read more
I needed Pope Francis. And not only because I’m part of the Catholic Church and we were without a shepherd . . . I mean I needed him because I’m sinful, and broken, and I need a constant reminder of how to be like Christ. I have been awestruck by him from the first moment Read more