The Rome LGBTQ+ Pride parade celebrated its 30th anniversary on Saturday with tens of thousands marching through the Italian capital, many waving banners poking fun at Pope Francis. “Attention, from here on high levels of faggotry” read one sign on a motorcycle. A man dressed as Pope Francis held a sign stating “There is too Read more
Preparations for next year’s Jubilee in Rome are frantically gearing for a humungous rush to finish in time. The once-every-quarter-century event is likely to bring about 32 million pilgrims to Rome Last Thursday at St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis presided over a ceremony where the papal bull, or official edict, for the Jubilee was read. Read more
Nick Wilson and Jessica Jackman will represent New Zealand young people at the prestigious International Youth Ministry Congress. The Congress takes place from May 22 to 26 in Rome near Vatican City. A global event, the Youth Ministry Congress will focus on innovative leadership styles and strategies in youth ministry under the theme “Synodal Youth Read more
A man carrying a hammer and a meat cleaver attacked a high-profile anti-mafia priest in Rome during a march against organised crime this week. Father Antonio Coluccia is known for his efforts to rescue young people from the drug trade. Coluccia immediately vowed the assault won’t interrupt his work. “I will continue my fight which Read more
The relationship between the centre and the peripheries has always been critical in Church history. That’s even truer now in the context of the “synodal process”. A number of interesting decisions the Vatican has taken recently shows how delicate this moment is for Pope Francis’ pontificate. The first came on June 2 when Bishop Dominique Read more
A 350 metre long cavern has been discovered deep under the Monteverde neighbourhood in Rome. It is one of the hundreds that have been blamed for a growing number of sinkholes that have swallowed cars and threatened to topple buildings. Five years ago builders digging a garage realised that there was empty space beneath their Read more
The first international organ festival will be held under the nearly 2,000-year-old dome of Rome’s Pantheon and above the relics of early Christian martyrs. The melodies of Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers will be played on the organ this month in an effort to use beauty to reconnect people with the mystery of God. Read more
Public Masses have resumed in Rome, 10 weeks after they were closed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Although public worship is permitted, additional safety protocols have been instigated to ensure any remaining coronavirus infection does not continue to spread. “To receive Communion again as a family was the culmination of our every prayer and Read more
Since the fall of the fascist dictator Mussolini, the state in Italy has been a rather nebulous entity. Governments rise and fall — 61 since the end of the Second World War, but who’s counting? – yet things have kept on just fine. Where the state was for the most part invisible, the Catholic Church Read more
On average, the value of coins thrown into the Trevi fountain in Rome is about €2500 (about NZ$4346) That’s per day. Toss in a coin, so the story goes, and you’ll return to bella Roma The tradition of tossing a coin into the fountain goes back to time immemorial, later embedded in the 1950s film Three Coins Read more