There is probably no pope in all of history — certainly not in the last 400 some years — who served so briefly as Bishop of Rome and yet had such an immense impact on the Catholic Church as John XXIII. [That’s leaving aside Sixtus V. He’s the hard-nosed pope who, in just five years Read more
Pope Francis’ desire for synodality will be a vehicle for changing the life of the church, according to Cardinal Joseph Tobin of New Jersey, USA. The pope has made repeated calls for mercy and for the church to hear voices from the peripheries. This is an invitation to accept that the Holy Spirit speaks not Read more
Already plans are well underway inNew Zealand’s cathedral churches to mark the canonisation of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II . The canonisations will take place at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome at 10am on 27 April, the Second Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy Sunday). The corresponding time here in New Zealand will Read more
Pope John XXIII used to make secret unscheduled trips out of the Vatican, driving around Rome and the surrounding area, a former papal aide has revealed. “Good Pope John” would occasionally say he needed to “escape”. Continue reading
This week we celebrate the first anniversary (13 March) of the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. But it is next month that we will witness an event that says more about what to make of him and what to expect in his Pontificate. In April, Pope Francis will beatify on the same day Read more
Pope Francis will declare Popes John Paul II and John XXIII saints on April 27 next year. The announcement was made on Monday during a meeting with cardinals. The Associated Press reported that analysts have said the decision to canonize the two popes together was aimed at unifying the church because each has his own Read more
The Vatican this week said Pope Francis will host a meeting of cardinals on September 30 to formally approve the canonization of Blesseds John Paul II and John XXIII. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said the date for the canonization will be announced after the meeting. He said only Pope Read more
Who could have imagined what has happened in the last weeks? When I decided, months ago, to resign all of my official duties on the occasion of my 85th birthday, I assumed I would never see fulfilled my dream that — after all the setbacks following the Second Vatican Council — the Catholic church would Read more
The future Blessed Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli’s vision stretched far, very far. Vatican II had to return to its evangelical roots and get rid of the shell that had built up around it over the centuries, driving it further and further away from its Master. “There will never be a Pius XIII”: to Read more
The Vatican II council, which began 50 years ago next month, was the most momentous religious event in 450 years. On January 25, 1959, the newly elected Pope John XXIII invited 18 cardinals from the Vatican bureaucracy to attend a service at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. He told them Read more