Vatican clerics are adopting a new sobriety in dress, transport and manners in an attempt to be in step with Pope Francis. Breitbart reported priest-journalist Fr Filippo Di Giacomo saying that these days fewer cardinals show up willingly at fancy restaurants where they might get spotted by paparazzi. “Even the relatives of religious are now Read more
Yesterday I read through one or two suggestions for Lent that left me reeling. I really don’t think Lent is about giving up or taking on more, as such; rather, it’s about seeking God with more intensity of focus than we manage at other times. To do that we need simplicity— and we have become Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops have challenged people to live more simply this Christmas and find ways to share what they have with neighbours, friends and those in need. “Our preparation for Christmas in the season of Advent is a time of waiting for a child who was born in poverty, in a stable because there Read more
This week – even as the world mourns the tragic loss of life in the unprecedented Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippine Islands – political leaders have converged on Warsaw, Poland, in yet another anticipated meeting on climate change. Concerned citizens throughout the world are hoping and praying for prompt and practical results. The conference follows Read more
“Bishop Bling-Bling” – moniker of suspended bishop of LimburgFranz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, is just the tip of the iceberg according to Christian Weisner, spokesman for the German branch of “We Are Church”. “There is a real clash of cultures between Germany’s current cardinals and bishops, nominated under John Paul II or Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis,” Read more
Minutes after his election, Pope Francis began giving the world a foretaste of his pontificate, signalling that some change is likely. As he appeared for the first time, Francis’ choice of a simple white cassock made a very clear and immediate statement. BBC reports that soon after the election result was declared in the Sistine Read more