Vatican Corner 7-19-15

Two weeks ago when Pope Francis arrived in Ecuador and emerged from the plane, a breeze whipped off his white zucchetto (skull-cap) and swirled his robes. He smiled and laughed and took it in stride. The same thing happened about 6 months earlier in January, 2015 when...

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Vatican Corner 7-12-15

On Sunday July 5, 2015, Pope Francis began an eight day tour of three South American countries: Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay. They are among the poorest nations in Latin America, the region of the world where 40% of all Catholics reside. As Pope, this is his second...

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Vatican Corner 7-5-15

continued … Pope Francis uses poetry, prose and a steady stream of stern recriminations to urge mankind onto a path of survival in his recently released environmental encyclical. He says” very solid scientific consensus” confirms global warming and rising seas, and...

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Vatican Corner 6-21-15

continued … The Catholic Church remains an important political institution in Cuba even though attendance is low. It helped negotiate the release of scores of jailed dissidents in 2011 and 2012. The Castro government has made major concessions to church authorities...

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Vatican Corner 6-14-15

Pope Francis has decided that he will be visiting Cuba in September before arriving in the US for his visit to Washington D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. Back in October he personally issued an appeal in a letter to President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro...

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Vatican Corner 6-7-15

    continued…On Sept. 23, 2015, in Washington D.C., Pope Francis will canonize Father Junipero Serra as a saint. Serra’s birth name was Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrer and he took the name “Junipero” in honor of Saint Juniper who was a Franciscan companion of...

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Vatican Corner 5-31-15

  continued…After years of prayers by Catholic nuns and controversy among American Indian groups, Pope Francis has decided that while visiting the United State in September, he will canonize as a saint, JunĂ­pero Serra, the Spanish priest who founded nine...

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Vatican Corner 5-24-15

Continued ... Pennsylvania artist Neilson Carlin was selected by the organizers of the 2015 Philadelphia World Meeting of Families Congress to create a portrait of the Holy Family to serve as the icon for the event. His four-by-five-foot oil on canvas painting depicts...

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Vatican Corner 5-17-15

Continued … A 135,000 square foot media hub is being prepared in Philadelphia with all its cable feeds, workstations, translators and coffee for the expected 5,000 to 7,000 journalist who will cover the Pope’s visit and the World Meeting of Families event. In the past...

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Vatican Corner 5-10-15

Continued… Archbishop Chaput says that when Pope Francis comes to Philadelphia for two days at the end of September, his pastoral mission will have a dual purpose. The Pope’s participation in the closing of the World Meeting of Families conference is one key element...

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Vatican Corner 5-3-15

Continued… Archbishop Charles Chaputsay that he will probably be riding with the Pope in the “Pope mobile, “but one thing is certain, even though he has a Pennsylvania driver’s license, he’s not expecting to be asked to drive the Pope through town. As far as where the...

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