I am delighted to announce that I’ve been selected to participate in a journalistic tour as part of Pope Francis’ visit to Israel!! The tour will take place May 18-28, 2014, and I will be traveling with the Catholic Press Association on this adventure hosted and funded by the Israel Read more
In the past few days, the Holy Father has gifted the world with not one, but three addresses worth contemplating.Â
The first took place on Sunday, October 13 as Pope Francis consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before a throng of more than 100 thousand people. I can hardly (more…)
Where did Francis’s journey to Christ begin? It began with the gaze of the crucified Jesus. With letting Jesus look at us at the very moment that he gives his life for us and draws us to himself.Â
If I read only those three lines from Pope Francis’ homily for the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, I would have enough to contemplate for the next year. Or more. On the memorial of this saint who is loved world wide, the Holy Father visited Assisi, where he met with 100 or so sick and severely disabled children at the Seraphic Institute, blessing each and kissing the cheeks of many of them. (more…)
In yet another surprise move, Pope Francis granted a private – and frank – interview with professed atheist and La Repubblica founder Eugenio Scalfari. You may recall that the Pope wrote a letter to Scalfari this summer in response to several questions he’d posed in various articles run in the paper.  La Repubblica is one of Italy’s leading newspapers.
Pope Francis made the phone call and arranged the (more…)
I’m excited to share with you the link to the interview with Pope Francis just released by America Magazine. The interview. which took place over the course of three meetings this past August, was conducted by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, editor in chief of  La Civiltà Cattolica, the Italian Jesuit journal.Â
It’s a special treat to have such a close-up look at our Holy Father. So far (I’m still going through it and likely (more…)
In today’s General Audience, Pope Francis returned to the Catechism on the Year of Faith begun by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during his pontificate. The Holy Father worked from a scripted text, but in keeping with his personal style deviated at times, seemingly in response to his observations of his listeners. Most prominent was his break-away greeting (more…)
On Holy Thursday, Pope Francis – like all of his predecessors – will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. But, unlike his predecessors, it will not be a public event and there will be no live broadcast. The Holy Father will celebrate Holy Thursday Mass in a penitentiary, not because of any criminal behavior on his part (more…)