Vatican Corner 12-20-2020
Everything known about Saint Joseph the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary comes from Scripture, and it is not a lot. The Gospels from Luke and Matthew both say Joseph was a descendant of David, the greatest king of Israel. The angel that first tells Joseph about...
Vatican Corner 12-13-2020
At the Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Dec.6, 2020, Pope Francis said there is no pandemic or crisis that can turn off the light of Christmas. Referencing the Vatican’s recently erected Christmas tree and the Nativity Scene that is soon to be assembled,...
Vatican Corner 12-06-2020
Knelling before Pope Francis, one by one, at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica on November 28, 2020, eleven of thirteen senior churchmen, including two U.S. citizens, received their red biretta hat, cardinal ring and scroll, becoming new members of the...
Vatican Corner 11-29-2020
The long awaited report, that was authorized by Pope Francis, about the defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, treated Francis rather lightly. The report explained that Francis assumed that his predecessors had made the correct judgments about McCarrick, and that...
Vatican Corner 11-22-2020
In 2018, the Vatican defrocked cardinal Theodore McCarrick who was eventually convicted of sexual abuse of minors and adults – aggravated by the abuse of power – and solicitation in the confessional. After two years of careful internal investigation, the report was...
Vatican Corner 11-15-2020
The Italian boy - Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age 15, was beatified onOctober 10, 2020 at a special Mass in the city of Assisi. Beatification is the last step before sainthood and it is the recognition by the Catholic Church of the deceased...
Vatican Corner 11-08-2020
Pope Francis at his Angelus address on March 1, 2020 told the faithful to “never engage in dialogue with the devil.” He urged Christians to be alert and vigilant when “messages, coming at us from many places” invite us to be tempted and to experience “the intoxication...
Vatican Corner 11-01-2020
When you enter St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the whole building’s design is intended to direct your gaze upward towards the ceiling where you are basically shown the promise of heaven. But you may be missing something extra special if you don’t also look down...
Vatican Corner 10-25-2020
The more we peer into space, the more certain we become that our planet isn’t the only one suitable for life. If there is life out there then some of it could possibly be intelligent life. That kind of life possesses wisdom, the ability to act with appropriate...
Vatican Corner 10-18-2020
Named for the Roman goddess of beauty, the planet Venus is Earth’s broiling sister planet. It has a surface temperature of around 880 degrees Fahrenheit, a thick atmosphere of sulfuric acid, and has not been looked at as a possible place for life. More attention has...
Vatican Corner 10-11-2020
Cardinal Angelo Becciu was born in 1948 in Sardinia, Italy. After completing his studies in theology and philosophy, he was ordained a priest at the age of 24. When speaking about his seminary days in 2018, he said “I entered the seminary because as a child I dreamed...
Vatican Corner 10-04-2020
On Sept. 24, 2020, Cardinal Angelo Becciu, 72, one of the highest-ranking cardinals in the Catholic Church unexpectedly resigned his position and gave up his cardinal rights. There was no immediate explanation from the Vatican. In a press conference the next day...