Have you blinked yet? More stunning news from Rome. The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis the Radical will appoint women to key leadership posts in the Roman Curia. These comments from papal spokesman Father Frederico Lombardi, SJ follow public statements made by Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras saying he was backing more posts… Read More Vatican confirms that Pope Francis will appoint women to key positions

More big news from Rome today. According to a senior Vatican official, martyred Salvadoran bishop Oscar Romero will soon join the Church’s official canon of saints. During a homily yesterday, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia–who is in charge of Romero’s cause for canonization–announced that Pope Francis had “unblocked” Romero’s path to sainthood. Romero’s cause for canonization had… Read More Vatican official: Romero’s canonization ‘unblocked’ by Pope Francis

In the Gospels, Jesus tells his disciples that where their treasure is, so too will their hearts be. Pope Francis evidently got the memo. After personally conducting a thorough spending review, Francis has decided to cancel scheduled 25,000€ yearly bonuses for the five cardinal-commissioners of the Vatican bank. He also has asked the 4000 Vatican… Read More Pope Francis cutting cardinals’ pay, will give extra money to charity

Last evening, a disgusted President Obama stood with parents who lost children in the Newtown tragedy and said: “All in all, today was a pretty shameful day for Washington.” Shameful. He’s absolutely right, and the absurdity couldn’t be clearer. A minority of senators blocked legislation that would have made our country safer and better protected our children.… Read More Minority of Senators Win Vote to Promote the Culture of Death

Baseball season has started here in the United States, but it appears the game’s best hitter might be living in Rome, because Pope Francis has hit another home run. In today’s general audience, Francis said that women–who were the first witnesses to Christ’s resurrection from the dead–are crucial to the faith. Francis acknowledged that women… Read More Pope Francis: Women Are Crucial to the Catholic Church

The liturgical pharisees are about to go nuts. According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis will break norms and be the first pope ever to wash the feet of women at a Holy Thursday Mass. At a youth prison in Rome, Francis plans to wash the feet of ten men and two women (further reports are… Read More Breaking News: Pope Washing the Feet of Women at Holy Thursday Mass

Pope Francis led his first Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square this morning. Speaking only in Italian, Francis began his address with his now trademark greeting: fratelli e sorelle, buongiorno! (English: “brothers and sisters, good morning!) In his remarks, Francis encouraged the faithful to follow Christ this Holy Week by going to the streets and… Read More Francis to faithful: Go to the streets this Holy Week, be with those who suffer