The Vatican, Friday, pushed back hard, suggestions that 40 years ago John Paul II may have been involved in the disappearance of a 15-year-old girl and went out on the town with Vatican monsignors, looking for young girls to molest. Pietro Orlandi, the brother of a missing 15 girl, Emanuela Orlandi, made the allegation. However, Read more
It is not new for Catholics to wield the authority of pope as a weapon against their perceived ideological opponents — as long as the pope is in their corner. For decades the Catholic right referred to the positions of Popes St John Paul II and Benedict XVI; now the Catholic left points to Pope Read more
Pope Francis was hospitalised in Rome last week with a respiratory infection. Yet according to the internet, the entire incident could’ve been avoided had he worn the AI-generated puffer coat that took the digital world by storm last week. With the Pope’s illness happening shortly after the image was posted online, internet users quipped that Read more
Recently a photo of Pope Francis looking dapper in a white puffer jacket went mega-viral on social media. But there was just one problem: The image was not real. It was made using an AI art tool. The image’s creator has shared the story of how he generated the photograph that fooled the world. Read Read more
It happened to me: I thought the image of the pope in a coat was real. Here’s my first excuse: I don’t really know much about popes. His holiness can be out there doing his things, and I can be over here doing mine, and our ecosystems never really cross. I think I just idly Read more
The Pope was admitted to hospital on Wednesday after having breathing difficulties. However, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni says after having routine tests Pope Francis is expected to be in hospital for several days. “Time has been allocated in the schedule to allow for the tests to continue for as long as necessary,” a Vatican source Read more
Not long ago, every U.S. cleric — bishop, priest and deacon — received a reprint of Cardinal Raymond Burke’s 2007 essay from Periodica de Re Canonica, the annual 700-page canon law journal of the Gregorian University in Rome. Burke documents the church’s history of legislating against giving Communion to persons “obstinately persevering in manifest grave Read more
The Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation each year on March 25. The date was chosen from the very beginning for two reasons: it falls nine months before we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and it conforms to an ancient belief that God became incarnate during the spring equinox. However, our liturgical texts Read more
If Pope Francis continues to serve as bishop of Rome for another two years, he may have a notable opportunity to refashion the U.S. Catholic hierarchy. Dozens of bishops, several in historically significant archdioceses, will be required by canon law to submit resignation letters upon turning 75. At least 13 archdioceses and 21 dioceses could Read more
We should treat other people’s physical and social differences as a chance to love better, not as an inconvenience, Pope Francis said on Sunday. After leading the Angelus with the 25,000-strong crowd in St Peter’s Square, he reflected on the day’s Gospel, which recounts Jesus’s miraculous healing of the blind man. Pointing out the different Read more