Would-be Pope Nicholas VI, Nick Kristof let us know that “we are all nuns,” and certain Church doctrines don’t matter if you do some charity work. His first three graphs are nearly stellar. CATHOLIC nuns are not the prissy traditionalists of caricature. No, nuns rock! They were the first feminists, earning Ph.D.’s or working as surgeons long before it was fashionable for women ... More

Last week Pope Benedict, from his papal apartment at the Vatican, used an iPad to remotely “light” the largest Christmas tree in the world. The electric “tree” is located on the hillside of the Italian town of Gubbio: He also shared his three Christmas wishes: “Before lighting the tree”, he said, “I would like to express three wishes. This Christmas tree... More

Face it: you wish your morning walk to breakfast was this awesome. ... More

The bishops of New York (including, presumably, Abp. Timothy Dolan) were in Rome this weekend for their ad limina visit with the pope. They represent the second of fifteen U.S. groups (of bishops) who will visit with the pope in the coming months. Here’s what the pope told the bishops of New York: “Despite attempts to still the Church’s voice in the public square, many people of good wi... More

“And a little child shall lead them…” Photo: Reuters ... More

Budget cuts had led to the unfortunate appearance of vegetation in awkward places. ... More

Very notable news, via Vatican expert Sandro Magister, following the aftermath of the Justice & Peace’s ill-advised white paper (emphasis mine): Precisely when the G20 summit in Cannes was coming to its weak and uncertain conclusion, on that same Friday, November 4 at the Vatican, a smaller summit convened in the secretariat of state was doing damage control on the latest of many mom... More

UPDATE 2: A Round-Up of Excellent Comments On The Justice & Peace White Paper. 24 hours have passed since the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace released its note (i.e., “White Paper”) on finance and development. I find that’s about how much time it takes to get a good snapshot of where general opinion is on a given news story, so now it’s time to take stock over... More

UPDATE 2: A Round-Up of Excellent Comments On The Justice & Peace White Paper UPDATE: See my follow-up comments published today: “Fact Check: Why Catholics Who Disagree With Justice & Peace White Papers Aren’t “Cafeteria Catholics.” You may have seen this story which was headlined earlier today on the Drudge Report: The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment... More

Big news from over the weekend! Here is the text of the announcement (more to come): “It’s precisely to give new impetus to the mission of the whole Church to lead men out of the desert in which they often find themselves, to the place of life, of friendship with Christ, who gives us life in abundance. I would like to announce in this Eucharistic celebration I have decided to convene a &#... More