Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI sent a commentary to Pope Francis on the major interview the new pontiff gave last year to La Civilta Catholica. The prefect of the Pontifical Household for both popes, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, said this to a German television station. Archbishop Ganswein, who is also Benedict’s secretary, said the retired Pope wrote Read more
In 1971 the document Justice in the World, issued by the Synod of Bishops, represented a major step in the development of Catholic teaching on the environment. Barbara Ward-Jackson was a consultant before and during the synod and undoubtedly had a considerable influence on its outcome. This document emphasised the close link between ecology and Read more
Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI have appeared together at a major public service for the first time since the former Pope’s retirement. The former and present pontiffs were at a ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica to formally install 19 new cardinals on February 22. Benedict entered the basilica discreetly from a side entrance Read more
Pope Francis is shaking things up in the Catholic Church to such an extent that many talk about a “Francis revolution.” Yet the single most revolutionary act committed by any pope in at least the last 600 years fell one year ago, and it wasn’t Francis who did it. On Feb. 11, 2013, Pope Benedict Read more
One year on from his shock resignation, Pope Emeritis Benedict has no regrets. Archbishop Georg Ganswein, who as well as being head of Pope Francis’ household also works for the former pope told Reuters that as well as having no regrets he holds no resentment against his critics. “It’s clear that humanly speaking, many times, Read more
Former Ireland president Mary McAleese, says the Catholic Church has been in denial over homosexuality for decades. That so many priests are gay, “isn’t so much the elephant in the room but a herd of elephants. “I don’t like my church’s attitude to gay people. I don’t like ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’. If Read more
“every person is immensely holy and deserves our love. Consequently, if I can help at least one person to have a better life, that already justifies the offering of my life. It is a wonderful thing to be God’s faithful people. We achieve fulfilment when we break down walls and our heart is filled with faces Read more
The other night I was drinking with an American Catholic nun and her daughter.The mother had been married twice, once to a former priest. She had entered a convent straight out of high school and left to marry her high school sweetheart eight years later. Some time after the second marriage broke down and her Read more
The effort of some of our Catholic friends on the right to question or object or contextualize to the point of gutting the obvious import or even to demean Pope Francis’ happy penchant for speaking frankly continues. They rightly perceive that something different is happening in the church under the leadership of our new Holy Read more
Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the longtime personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, has disclosed that he tried to dissuade the Pope Emeritus from resigning. The archbishop said he was aware of Benedict’s intentions well in advance of the public announcement of his resignation. He said that he argued against resignation, but the Pontiff “was not to Read more